“The Walking Monk”: Swami Embarks on Transnational Walk Across the USA to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of the Hare Krishna Tradition.
Urvashi Verma: Chicago, Il: Bhaktimarga Swami, a 63 year old Canadian born monk has embarked on a transnational walk of 3,000 miles across the United States from New York City to San Francisco to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the coming of the Hare Krishna Tradition to the West and to promote a more green style of living in America.
Swami who has arrived in Chicago, Il on June 11 has traversed open plains, highways, and landmarks. For the general public, Bhaktimarga Swami is best known as “the walking monk”. To share his message of peace and gratitude he has already crossed Canada four times covering over 17,000 miles on foot.
The Swami is walking to draw attention to the contributions of his own spiritual teacher, or guru, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada arrived in the USA 50 years ago, on September 17, 1965. He came practically penniless from India at the age of 70 on the order of his teacher to promote God consciousness, or devotional bhakti-yoga, to the English-speaking world.
“In the broader sense I’m walking to honor all our teachers,” Swami says. “Our teachers open the doors to the world for us, and to other worlds as well. I hope to remind us all how grateful we should be to those who give us knowledge, especially knowledge about our inner potential, ” he says.
Each day Swami, donned in monastic orange garb and his favorite crocs he walks 20 miles each day along path chartered by his companion assistant Gopala and returns to the same spot where he left the next day to complete another 20 miles.
Source: http://goo.gl/0f4xMy