THROUGH THE RAIN

Sunday, March 15th, 2026

Burnaby, British Columbia

When it rains here, which it does quite often, you need that umbrella when going on a stroll. You might want to stay on high ground to avoid splashing in the puddles. You might invest in galoshes, sometimes called rubbers, to protect yourself from wetness. I am investing in time walking to the temple from my accommodation on Stanley Street, keeping relatively dry, but whatever the weather, I’ve got to get those footsteps in.

There were several events that kept my consciousness quite moist today. One member of the community, Sundar Mukunda, was receiving his second initiation. A disciple or sisya of Gopal Krishna Goswami, this nice soul received his brahmin thread and seven gayatri mantras, as an installment for a brahminical or priestly upgrading. Brahmins are priests that give direction to the public. Much needed.

Another event was a small gesture, but significant still. Next door to our ISKCON temple on Marine Drive is a Hindu temple, fairly new. Indresh, Vrnda, and I paid a visit. Nice building. The foyer looks inviting. The facility offers plenty of space for eating time. Apart from the cafeteria, we enjoyed the spaciousness of the temple room and a top floor banquet/presentation hall.

I wish we had the ISKCON temple in a similar mode and shape. It is something we need to work on. I guess we can dream through the rain.

The Sunday crowd was happy. It was packed. What we have that most Hindu temples don’t is kirtan and a large component of youthful energy to back it. Sometimes I think if you don’t have chanting, you don’t have much.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/f9bb3d_9ce46f153ff24e47b061bc5e70dcc55e/480p/mp4/file.mp4

MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU

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