This was a pretty cool weekend, I went out busking both Saturday and Sunday and got great rewards far beyond the money (which was good as well). The first fun event was meeting a group of Krishna devotees that were singing Maha Mantra in the streets and we went to the temple which was nearby.
It was a lovely place, as seems to be the standard for the All-Attractive (one way they describe God) and I was served a delicious vegetarian meal, as can also be expected from a visit to the temples.
There wasn't much religious talking really, just getting to know each other like normal people, and it was nice that it was that way.
The only religious thing that came up was a bit magical because I questioned in my mind how is it that you can discern if Krishna isn't the very illusion (Maya as they call it) that we're supposed to break free from according to their teachings. Immediately one of them said: "Krishna is Maya, Krishna is the chief of Maya". So yeah, makes sense.
The guy sitting in the picture is very young, I don't remember if he told me his age, but I'm guessing under 15. He was introduced to Krishna by his older brother and they both live in the temple. I really liked him, he's so much like Aang from Avatar (the show, not movie), both physically and in attitude. You can perceive his mysticism but at the same time he's very much a child who likes playing jokes and doing mischief.
The next day I met a Russian fella while I was sitting outside a marketplace, asking for money because I was done playing. He didn't understand Portuguese much and I asked him if he spoke English, which he did. We chatted a lot about an infinite amount of things, from family to dreams, to politics and conspiracies. Despite having different ideas we got along and he walked with me to the Krishna temple where I was returning for a party they were throwing. There, we parted ways, but it was a really valuable encounter as it was the first time in a while I could talk with someone without stuttering and trying to find the words to say something, as my Portuguese still sucks. Fluid communication can be a real treasure.
The party was actually awesome. I'd never been in a Krishna party and it was pretty wild. The percussion rythms and the ways of singing the Maha Mantra blew my mind, it even had some really metal-ish vibes on some occasions! You could even mosh there, good stuff.
Bad part is that there's this whole gender separation, women in one side and men in the other, which I suppose makes sense if you want a lustless environment. And the other part I didn't like was the worship of their highest rank priest, that's one of the main reasons why I wouldn't join the religion.
I didn't take pictures of the party because I was busy dancing and singing! We finished with a huge amount of food, delicious as always. I leave you with a few more pictures of the temple and bid you farewell, till the next adventures ;)
