I left home to join the Hare Krishna movement. AMA

[cakedup]

Left home at 18 to move into a temple and lived there as a full time Hare Krishna devotee for 6 years.

I'm now in my late 40s.

What inspired you to do that at 18?

Cult or religion? What’s your take on it now?

Why did you leave?

When I was 17 I met a Hare Krishna on the street who gave me a book. I read it on the way home and it really spoke out to me. Especially the chapters on karma, reincarnation and identity. I was completely enthralled by what I'd read.

So I looked up an address at the back of the book and visited a temple in London later that day. I stayed overnight and observed a day in a temple life. I felt somehow that I really belonged there and wanted to move in straight away. However, I was advised to calm down a bit go off and read more books, practise chanting, visit the temple when I could etc and see how I go. Once I reached legal age (as in, not needing my parent's permission) I decided I still wanted to move into the temple.

Why did you leave?

*Cult or religion? What’s your take on it now?

Why did you leave?*

Definitely religion! It's basically a branch of Hinduism and has been practised in India for years. I don't follow the regulations as I did before and it's not a part of my everyday life although some of my beliefs are still there - karma and reincarnation for example. I visit the temple now and again, for festivals for example. I have friends who are in the same position as me - lived in the temple many years ago but now live 'ordinary' lives.

Whereas before I was maybe 100% it's the absolute truth, now I'm open to the fact it might not be but I'm happy to think it is for now.

I left because I got fed up of sharing space with the other devotees and just wanted some more independence. It all happened gradually. I got a part time job with a Hare Krishna family, then I joined an evening drama class because I'd always wanted to get into acting, then I got a normal job and so on.

Terribly boring question. Do members pay tax in any way? You know to contribute to society - schools, health, roads - all the things they might use?

My old boss was Hare Krishna and spoke a lot about it . I found it very interesting, kind and peaceful religion.

Did you spend hours meditating?

Where was the temple?
How many people stayed there?
What was the accommodation like?

Terribly boring question. Do members pay tax in any way? You know to contribute to society - schools, health, roads - all the things they might use?

The International Society of Krishna Consciousness is a charity. As a member living there, my basics were provided for - toiletries, food etc. but I did not receive any income. If I needed anything extra, like a coat for example, I had to ask for it and then they would give me the money for it. But we led a non-materialistic life and barely had any possessions living in the temple aside from the basics.

What was a typical day there?

My old boss was Hare Krishna and spoke a lot about it . I found it very interesting, kind and peaceful religion. Did you spend hours meditating?

Oh nice, was your boss from an Indian heritage? To live in the temple there were certain regulations you had to observe. One of them, was that you chanted the Hare Krishna mantra on chanting beads. There were 108 beads and you had to chant 16 rounds as a minimum requirement, taking around an hour and a half. In addition to that, we had to attend the morning programme, which started at 4.30am and involved singing prayers. All mediation is either singing or chanting. We never sat in silence cross legged.

Do you have an OH? What does he/she think about your past?
What are the things you kept from being there? (I don’t mean possessions but the way you see things.)
Do you have children?

Where was the temple? How many people stayed there? What was the accommodation like?

The temple I lived in was in Soho, London! There were maybe, about 50 of us living in the temple. It was pretty crammed and we all had to share rooms (separate quarters for men and women). There was always a queue for the toilet or showers! It was clean but the building itself was pretty run down. It's been done up since then though! Haven't been upstairs to the living quarters but I hope it's in a better state now.

Yes : his parents were Indian . But his best friend was white and had become hare Krishna too

Do you eat onion, garlic, eggs ?

I am often in office next to the soho square building. I love it when they come out chanting and singing with big smiles. Makes my day :)

Oh this is fascinating! So meditation minimum 1.5 hr plus a morning programme? What else did you do in your typical day? Did you get bored? Did you do any good works or contribute to society/community?

What was a typical day there?

So, get up and ready in time for morning programme 4.30am - 5.30am. Then we'd do our individual chanting on our beads until 7am for prayers/worship. At 7.30am we'd have a class on the scriptures. Then breakfast.

Then we'd all go about performing our assigned tasks. Mine included: preaching/selling books on the street (which I hated!), serving customers in the temple shop, helping to organise festivals, organising mail outs to members, helping to cook, cleaning, receptionist duty etc.

We'd all try and get to bed pretty early as it's such an early start. Sometimes we'd lie in bed chatting until late but we'd always suffer the next day!

DS just reminded me I haven't cooked dinner yet (it's too bloody hot in my kitchen). Will rustle up something and be back later!

I like the Harrys! Would I have seen you on Oxford Street and Regent Street back in the day? What route did you take and did you have to sing the whole way around? Were people ever unfriendly?

About 44 years ago I opened my purse to make a donation to the movement and the person, I assume it was a monk, put his hand in my purse and took out a 5 pound note. It was way more than I could afford and I’m hoping you can ask him if I can have it back.

It was a cowardly and absolutely beastly thing to do to a 16 year old.

Have you raised your children in Hare Krishna/sent them to the schools or just left them to sort themselves out? What was you favourite thing about Hare Krisgns and which was your least favourite? Do you get the sense that, reading the purport in the baghavad gita, that they have completely missed the point/don't actually understand the metaphysics or do you just see the 'atomic soul' etc as more of an allegory?

Do you have an OH? What does he/she think about your past? Do you have children?

Don't have an OH currently. First proper relationship after the temple was with an atheist who had zero interest in my Hare Krishna past! Relationships after that have pretended to show an interest at first but usually they don't really get it.

I do have DS (13) who has been to the temple and to festivals; he quite likes it but I don't think he's entirely sold on it! I am still contact with the person who was my spiritual master and DS likes him a lot.

What are the things you kept from being there? (I don’t mean possessions but the way you see things.)

My belief in karma, reincarnation and the soul has remained and definitely shapes my perspective in life. I am still vegetarian (vegan now actually). I have an affinity for Indian culture. I learnt humility when I was at the temple which would not have come naturally to me.

Yes : his parents were Indian . But his best friend was white and had become hare Krishna too. Do you eat onion, garlic, eggs ?

It's funny because there weren't many Indians living at the temple. They were usually born into it and just carried on in their normal lives. I was sharing a room with a Swede, South American, American and another British girl.

I do eat onion and garlic now. I don't eat eggs because I'm vegan.

UpLighter glad you find it uplifting! They get some mixed reactions but mostly good.

Would I have seen you on Oxford Street and Regent Street back in the day? What route did you take and did you have to sing the whole way around? Were people ever unfriendly?

Yes you may well have!! There was a lunch time singalong which would just go up Oxford st, cross over Regent st to carry on up until about Selfridges. Then back down again. Then there was a bigger one on Saturday nights which go down towards Shaftesbury Avenue. And yes, singing all the way! It was mostly good reactions actually...some people would even join in. Some just looked bewildered. Some people just completely ignored the fact there were a bunch of Hare Krishnas singing and dancing...I think they were probably the ones that were not favourable. Saturday nights you'd get drunk people being a bit lairy and taking the piss a bit but not really in a malicious way. We'd get the odd Christian following us with a sign saying "Jesus is the only way" or some such.

Can you explain it in a nutshell? Apologies, I've seen HK round Oxford St etc but never fully understood it. Are the ones who go round London the ones who live at the temple? Can you be a HK but not dedicate your life to it? Sorry if any of that is ignorant.