Saturday, October 7th, 2023
Chemainus, British Columbia
My brother, Paul, Joyce (his wife), and their son, John, fetched me at the Victoria Airport for a short stopover at their home in Saanichton. As we climbed out of the car, a neighbour across the street shouted, "I've got extra apples and pears from my trees! I'll get some to you! I've got to pick them!"
Paul reciprocated, "Thanks!" So, the four of us indulged in the sweet organic harvest of fruit.
Despite the hours in flight from Toronto and the time of layover in Vancouver, I considered that my day actually began when munching on the organics with family. And when Paul and I reached the residence of dear friends Manoharini and Gadadhara in the town of murals – Chemainus, we were greeted by the sound of live bagpipes, and the heart warmed further.
The quaint magical facility they built on their land includes the most charming little temple and AirBnB cabins; it resembles a village from another era. Friends of theirs came by for a sangha, a meeting of devotional folks. Some were from Calgary, settled locally now. Others were locals, and others from Mauritius, Fiji, India, New Zealand – all from different backgrounds, but getting hooked on bhakti.
I was thrilled because our gathering focused on tangible relationships to do with Krishna and the creation. I recited and discussed some of my poems so that the emphasis was not on my recent birthday. We were at a spot where we wanted to be – clicking with humanity and the Source of all. We beat drums and chanted. We ate the best of sacred food – prasadam.
MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU!
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hare krishna!
Hare Krishna- splendid welcome !