Every morning at about 6am, Prabhupāda would leave the Manor for an hour walk. Looking off toward the horizon, he commented that Letchmore Heath reminded him of Vṛndāvana. Prabhupāda would walk down the lane to a place called Round Bush, stroll past a wheat field, and finally return to Letchmore Heath and the Manor. A local policeman had become friends with the devotees and would regularly exchange greetings with Prabhupāda. (Goswami, Satsvarupa Dasa. Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta, volume 2.)
Following in the footsteps of Srila Prabhupāda, I also go on my daily walks, often following the same path that Srila Prabhupāda used to walk. The chirping of the birds, cows in the fields and peaceful village atmosphere easily reminds one of Vrindavan.
Every so often whilst on the walk I meet interesting people who, although not inclined to practice bhakti yoga, show interest in the dress I wear, tilak on my forehead, or sometimes they wonder about the saffron bag I hold in my right hand.
The other day whilst on the walk, I met a man who was carrying his dog’s excrement in a plastic bag (by the law dog owners need to collect it and dispose of it in the appropriate place). The man stopped a metre away from me and looked at my bead bag and said, “I’m carrying in my right hand the lowest possible thing and you are carrying the highest.” He laughed at himself and walked away without saying anything else. I was left surprised by his reflection. I also laughed and thanked Krishna for reminding me of my good fortune.
I continued with my walk and after 15 minutes I arrived at the secluded spot, where I saw one old lady sitting in the middle of the footpath under a small tree. “Excuse me”, I said politely. The lady turned around, looked into my eyes and shyly said; “Sorry for blocking your walk. I’m reflecting on the meaning of life in this beautiful spot.”
“The best place to meditate and reflect,” I said and walked by after the lady cleared the path.
Towards the end of the walk, I met another old lady in the village who was cleaning the garden. She stopped me and shared how she is 83 years old and has been practicing yoga for almost 40 years. She was questioning me about the yoga I practice. At the end of our conversation, I asked her what she had learned during her 40 years of yoga practice.
The old lady, whilst leaning on a shovel, became very sober and with great sincerity said: “I learned that time is very precious, and we should never waste even a moment. Always remain engaged.”
“Am I speaking to a devotee? Is Krishna trying to tell me something?” I thought to myself as I walked away.
After I arrived in my room, I sat down and remembered the famous words from George Harrison in the Krishna book; “Everybody is looking for Kṛṣṇa. Some don’t realize that they are, but they are.”
Daily walks are a great way to keep physically fit and get some fresh air, but for me the walk is also a means for meeting new people and sharing spiritual wisdom, often by not even speaking but by simply being present whilst remaining chaste to the dress code, sadhana and behavior that a devotee of Krishna is meant to follow.
Ananta Gopal das
19.5.2022
Bhakti Wisdom 