Sound

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Tesh

Last Sunday night, the Loft went reggae. It was rasta hats, don’t worry be happy, and Marley-styles mantra chanting for the whole evening … kinda like a Raggamuffin festival minus the weed (as I’ve blogged before, the only thing Krishna’s are smoking is incense).

I found the whole thing hilariously awesome. It was probably the only time I’ll ever see monks wearing fake dreads!

Despite the laid-back atmosphere, there were also some profound ideas floating around. Muni Cari shared his thoughts on the importance of sound in our lives; beyond the simple enjoyment of hearing Bob sing some catchy choruses.

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Doing the niggly things

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Tesh

We all have ‘em.

Those things on our to-do list that we wish would magically disappear.

That client we don’t want to deal with. The work we’ve done that we need to re-visit. The story which is just sitting there … two chapters short of completion. The friend you’ve been meaning to visit for ages to make amends, but keep putting off. That follow-up phone call which you’re dreading because it could go so right or so wrong.

The niggly things.

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Wabi Sabi

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Tesh

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not you.

You’re not me.

And that’s ok.

We each have our own imperfections and flaws.

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Languages

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Tesh

I envy bi-lingual people. And tri-lingual skills blow my mind.

There’s something so amazing about being able to communicate in another language. Having the intimate understanding of cultural nuances that only comes when you’re fluent in the words, sounds and concepts that make up a nation’s mother tongue.

Every time I start investigating a new faith, I realise how big a part language plays. From the Baha’i Faith to the Krishnas, I constantly encounter unfamiliar words that puzzle and intrigue me. For them it’s second nature; these words are used daily to express the concepts and precepts of their faith, to me (at least to begin with) it’s meaningless gibberish.

And you know, I think that kind of applies to faith as a whole.

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Showing up.

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Tesh

I think we all wake up sometimes and want an understudy.

Some competent look-alike we can send into our day to do battle; face the challenges, do the talking, write our assignments, deal with difficult clients, take care of the kids or do all the house-work for us.

But since only movie stars have the option of paying a stunt double to do all the hard work for them, often we choose the second, easier option … and we just don’t show up.

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Inspiration

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Tesh

You can’t force inspiration.

You can’t conjure up brilliance, or push creativity through a cookie cutter.

So … don’t.

Wait.

Let it find you.

 

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Mortality

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Tesh

If you’re reading this, there’s one thing I know for certain about you. Your eye colour is a mystery, I don’t know where you were born or if you have allergies or pets or a fondness for knitting.

I DO know however that you’re going to die. Not today, not tomorrow, and maybe not even for a good number of years yet, but it’s darn tootin’ going to happen.

Sound a bit grim?

It doesn’t have to be.

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Learning How to Make Cheese – Krishna style!

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Tesh

I’ve been loving the amazing vegetarian food served at The Loft, and was particularly impressed by a fresh cheese-courgette-avocado  combination a couple of weeks ago.  So when Gitavali interrupted my raving and offered to teach me how to make it, my inner wanna-be chef leapt at the chance! The best thing about their cheese is that it’s made from raw, unpasteurised milk, straight from the Hare Krishna mini-herd of Jersey cows. This is awesome for two reasons:

1. Their community gets to experience the full benefits of fresh milk without the concerns that the pasteurisation process introduces. (there’s a raft of info out there on this – I suggest doing your own research!)

2. Because the milk is from Jersey cows, they also end up on the right side of the A1/A2 milk debate. (once again, do some Googling on this … heaps of info out there to sift through if you’re interested)

I know that hellofaith isn’t a food blog, but the Hare Krishna’s very spiritual approach to food has really captured my interest and I’m hoping you won’t mind having some gastronomic discoveries alongside my theological ones. I found the cheese-making process fascinating, and surprisingly simple …

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The Four Principles of Being a Hare Krishna

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Tesh

I’m finding that every religion has their ‘rule-book’. It’s interesting how often they overlap, and I have a feeling that this faith won’t be any different.

‘So, break it down for me,’ I ask, ‘What are the keys of how to live as a Hare Krishna?’ The things you can and can’t do?’

Gitavali takes a deep breath. I ready myself for the possibility of twenty-four-ways-to-live-a-good-krishna-life.

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The funny thing about love

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Tesh

Love doesn’t need a verse.

Love lives outside of boxes.

Love can’t be confined to rules, principles, regulations, precepts and commandments.

Love existed long before the word ‘religion’ and the concepts that come with it.

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