Sunday, May 7th, 2023
Towaco, New Jersey
I’ve been staying in the Swami Room at the Towaco ISKCON temple since Tuesday night and accomplishing a few things. The room hosts a sizeable desk and adorning the wall set against that desk is a framed image of Krishna on a boat lovingly spending time with the gopis (milk maidens). While one of the gopis steers, the others are playing instruments – a drum and tamboura. It is indeed a window to the spiritual world as is inspiring.
I have been sitting at this spot admiring the image while piecing together a poem. It is also in this room that I’ve had some good conversations with communication experts Madan Gopal and Manasi Ganga, a husband-and-wife team. It was relevant to have their 21-year-old handsome sone, Madhava, there as we pondered what we can do to draw in the younger generation to the higher consciousness that Krishna speaks about in the Bhagavad-gita.
Also endearing was having some time in that space with my walking companion when trekking Guyana. Virat Rupa, who came with wife, Apurvi, and 7-year-old daughter, Gaurangi, to get reconnected. Virat was with me when I stepped accidentally on a dead catfish. That mishap caused a badly infected right foot with its sting.
One floor below is the temple room where today our group of volunteer actors enacted The Jagannatha Story to be performed at next week’s Chariot Fest.
It will likely be the last time I’ll visit this building, a house on the hill at 100 Jacksonville Road. It’s up for sale and a new temple is coming up. We wish all the best in the transformation.
MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU!