Day 111d: Hunkering down with Hindus … (August 18, 2019)
Continuing with what would turn out to be a religion-themed day, I next came across the Durga Mandir Temple, essentially one of the primary centers of Hindu worship for all of eastern New Jersey. I had frankly never been to or into a Hindi place of worship before, so smoothly strolled into its still-under-construction grounds to check it all out. A yoga class was about to begin at that time, and the practitioners who had already arrived were very kind to me and allowed me to enter and take a look around. I was not explicitly invited to stay for the class (and am not really a big yoga-guy anyway – no Peace Pilgrims really are) and so said my thanks & farewells to them all and headed back out onto The Road – but not after rescuing a dying cicada from the Temple parking lot and placing it gently in the neighboring woods …
“Be careful, my dear friend. If the Universe has started a Good Work in you, rest assured that the same must be completed. You may rebel against the same, and yet you will suffer if you do. You may fight against its cosmic summons, and yet you are only bringing trouble on yourself in doing so. You may say ‘But I want a bit of pleasure in the world.’ or ‘I’m still so young.’ or ‘Now is not the best time for me to serve or sacrifice.’ Fair enough, I say. Go ahead and delay or waffle, and yet know that you will pay for that privilege. If the Universe has started a Good Work in you, it must be finished – or at the very least devoutly attempted. If you try to remodel this mold – if you think that you know better what you deserve or what actually brings a greater harmony, then you will only be inviting the cosmic chisel and the heavenly hammer to fall upon you, and the Divine will go on with its Work until you are one day persuaded to let fall such silly selfishness and join instead in the remaking of the faultless everlasting.” ~ inspired by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
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