Meet a 64-year-old walking monk

By Rick Sherman
Sun Advocate Reporter

He has occasionally been mistaken for an escaped prisoner because his saffron robe resembles the orange jump suit worn by many jail inmates. But Bhaktimarga Swami is not a fugitive. He is a Hare Krishna Monk, a Bhakti Yoga instructor and marathon walker. His contacts with law enforcement have generally been benign. “The police have been great by and large,” he mused. “Once they know what we’re up to, they’re impressed, so they’ve been very cooperative.”
Traveling on foot is a common practice in various spiritual traditions, and the Walking Monk believes that it’s an effective way to reach out and communicate the importance of morality and ethical priorities.
The 64-year-old has walked across his home country of Canada and has also traversed Ireland, Israel, Guyana, Trinidad and Mauritius. He is walking 3,500 miles across the United States to promote a healthier lifestyle and a simple meditative life and to celebrate the 50 years since the inception of Hare Krishna in North America.
During a brief sojourn in Carbon County last week, the Swami spoke to a group at the Southeastern Integrated Healing Arts Center in Price, and spent the night in Helper. “People have been very kind to me. I think there is a strong spiritual component to the people here in this state and I think that makes a big difference,” he related.
The Swami’s itinerary follows Highway 6 to Spanish Fork for a few days stay at the Hare Krishna temple, and then on Eureka, Delta, and Garrison, Utah. He said he was looking forward to walking across Nevada on historic U.S. Highway 50 & 6, which are part of the Lincoln Highway. Highway 50 has also been dubbed the “Loneliest Road in America” because towns along the route are few and far apart.
He began his walk across the U.S. in Boston and has divided up the pilgrimage into three “legs.” He walks an average of 20 miles during an eight-hour day, with the goal of arriving at San Francisco by Sept. 15.
There are a few areas where he has had no choice but to ride in his support vehicle on bridges and other areas where pedestrians are not allowed. And he has chosen to walk at night through some areas, such as “hot and sticky” Nebraska.
While Bhaktimarga Swami recognizes the need for personal transportation, he opined that modern society is so obsessed with the automobile, it has resulted in widespread obesity and a disconnect with nature. “Walking is both a physical exercise and it’s also a spiritual experience. There’s charm in the whole thing. You have so much time to ponder and think things over,” he stated.
He observed that Utahns are more fit than the residents of most other states and noted the walking trails in Price and Helper as a step in the right direction. “I would say if everybody gets to do an hour walk every day — like in the morning would be preferable before you get into the crazy world — what a nice difference it would make,” he suggested.