Argentina: Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare krishna, hare krishna, krishna krishna, hare hare, hare rama, hare rama, rama rama, hare hare. These 16 words represent the core mantra to give praise to the god, Lord Krishna who stems from Indian religion. These 16 words also were the background sounds while working on the eco yoga organic farm out in the boonies outside of Buenos Aires city.

I had planned to work for a month on an organic farm while in Argentina, but one day, the costs started to get to me, and I just bought a ticket to Ecuador to get out here. Before leaving for Ecuador, I decided to spend at least a few days working on a farm. After those few days, I wish my ticket was exchangeable so that I could have spent more time there.

When I chose to work on this particular farm because it had yoga, I had no idea that it was run by Hare Krishnas. In fact, in my ignorance, I wasn't quite sure what was a Hare krishna even though I've been to India a couple times. I thought for sure that I had joined a cult with everyone walking around in robes chanting the mantra while holding a cloth sack in their hand. But once I tried their food, I didn't care if I had joined a cult or not: I had entered food nirvana.

They subscribe to a special vegetarian diet and can only eat certain meals as listed in some Krishna recipe book. The food is all blessed before being served which might add to the special flavors of holiness. Before serving the food, they wash their hands and rinse out their mouth to prevent any contamination. And all washing of hands or dishes must be done outside of the kitchen since the kitchen is considered holy with the presence of a shrine on one side.

The best food is served to Lord Krishna in his temple and cooked by those who have been initiated and trained properly and cooked in a separate kitchen. One must bathe within an hour prior to entering into the kitchen and certain rituals apply. After Krishna eats, we all receive bits of his food, which are always the tastiest.

Every morning at 5am, I joined them in their worship of Krishna which encompasses singing the manthra while playing various musical instruments. Dancing is sometimes involved and I made the mistake of dancing in the men's circle and not the women's, which is a no no. After about an hour of singing the mantra and other songs in Hindu or Spanish, we would then have a discussion/lecture about a scripture from their book. They made the mistake of asking me questions about the lecture in Spanish, to which I just nodded since I couldn't follow much of the lecture anyway.

In the afternoons, I practiced hatha yoga and often went in search of internet to follow up on my upcoming job interviews. Unfortunately, out of a lack of understanding of the bus system as well as patience, I hitchhiked to town. On my first hitchhike, I immediately regretted it. I ended up sitting in between 2 rather large men in their truck, each blocking a door. I eyed a screwdriver on the mantle and figured that would be my escape route. I kept them both talking so that they wouldn't feel obliged to hurt me and in the process I learned how many kids they have, what they do, where they live, etc. I felt comfortable hanging out with them and they warned me of hitching on the roads. Unfortunately, on the way back, I took the wrong bus and found myself stranded along a highway. I had to hitchhike back to the farm and met another nice man along the way. On one last time, another nice man took me to town and I learned about his life as well. I enjoy meeting the locals while hitchhiking, but I hate the fear of something going wrong.

In the evenings, I watched music videos with the Hare Krishna mantra. The mantra is even sung to rap and heavy metal music. On another night, I watched a video that explains the origins of all the various Indian gods as they relate to the Ganges River. Watching the video, I had the sudden urge to return to India. On another night, they drove me to Buenos Aires to listen to a guru speak. I don't remember or possibly I never understood what he said in Spanish, but he did talk about why people should not eat meat because every life has a soul and should have the right to live. To kill animals just for our own taste when we can live healthy off other sources doesn't seem fair to him.

My Hare Krishna education expanded greatly as did my Spanish since every night I would ask them questions in Spanish to better understand their religion and culture. As such, I have a real appreciation for their devotion and culture although I am still not a convert.