The Bhagawat, Hare Krishna food and other Krishna info!

I'm afraid that the Hare Krishna lecture was extremely simplified and unenlightening. The Guru spoke in circles and metaphors as meaningful as his one example about how the material world is like sand castles on the beach, they get washed away! At the end of his rambling dissertation my legs were as cramped from sitting as they had been from standing. The Guru gave people an opportunity to ask questions at the end, no one did which only proved that the audience were as confused as I was and even the Guru was confused but found talking a way to vent his frustration. I saw an ant cross the floor and had to stop my self from leaning across and thumping it into the ground.

After the service we retired to the waiting room where we were served dinner. It was on metal partitioned plates and hot milk in a metal cup. The food was rice, chutney, curried veg and halve. You are supposed to eat everything on your plate and eat with your right hand.

I got a chance to cross question one of the devotees over dinner and apparently the man in the photos and in wax was a translator who died in 1975. He translated the Sanskrit books, 80 of them, including their main book, The Bhagawat.

#The Hare Krishna wear orange robes to signify that they are single, married men where white.

#The men shave their heads to signify that they are all priests, and the women don't cut their hair because it is attractive!

#Women wear the red dot to show that they are married.

#Hare Krishna means "Welcome God".

#I tried to find out the connection between this and Hinduism but he didn't seem to know either. I know they use the same or similar Sanskrit and the same idols.

#They have a minor God for different areas of life.

#They don't eat meat.

#Two days a month they don't eat bread.

#No male/female contact until after marriage.

#Disregard for all things material.

#They wake up at 03:30!!!!!!

#They pray 7 times a day.

#Meals are called Parva (interesting the word in Hebrew for not meat or milk is Parve).

The devotee said we could sleep until 7am but could we please come to the "program" as they would be dressing the dolls in different, beautiful clothes! They dress them differently every day and at the 7am showing the curtains are fully opened to reveal the new outfits!