THE BREAK

Monday, March 9th, 2026

Caledon, Ontario

Members of our Bhakti Academy in Toronto (BAT) were hankering to go on an outing. They wanted a break. It had been a long and brutal winter and a modest trip to the country would be fun. A change would be good. The idea came up to visit Gir Farms in Caledon. We had been there before. Everyone loved it. And besides, a Canadian swami had come to visit and we could get a good message from him apart from the great hospitality we receive from Vishal and Yasomati, the proprietors. They are strong devotees as is Bhakti Raghava Swami, my godbrother, born and raised in the Hearst/Timmins area.

It is a one hour drive from our Toronto ISKCON centre to the farm where you get to pet and feed the cows and bulls and spend some quality time there. People from all around come to cuddle the animals and gain some calmness.

Our visit began with food (prasadam) with a good percentage of it locally grown. Bhakti Raghava put in a good pitch for the case of “Simple living and high thinking,” a phrase coined by Gandhi, adapted by our guru, Prabhupada, who encouraged that kind of lifestyle. That may not be everyone’s lifestyle choice, but going in that direction, such as growing a garden over erecting a deck in one’s backyard, is not a bad way to go.

Our crew of BAT got the buzz out of the day they deserved. And what a gorgeous day it was. The sun was with us, the temperature too. The peace of the farm provided that break from the city we were yearning for.

MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU

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