Hare Krishna meeting Invercargill March 2012

Tonight I decided to visit a meeting of Hare Krisha after seeing their card at our local Countdown supermarket, I'd walked to Countdown (playing Zombies, Run as I went!) to take photos of Vegan products for the INVSOC website, and I just happened to spot this on my way out!

Well, at the suggestion of "Veg Food", I wanted to visit to learn more, were they Vegan?  Did they promote Veganism?  Were they interested in bolstering Invercargill Vegan Society membership by joining???

My dear friend Dan, the first other Vegan I'd ever met attended with me.  The Veg Food is Vegetarian, but not Vegan (yet! theres always hope!), it included mothers milk from cows, so Dan and myself politely declined.  We'd brought some Banana Bread and cake in the hopes of supporting the group in giving away Free Veg(an) Food, but as it was not properly blessed as it was made, it was left to us.

Group organiser Jana (pictured below) was very kind and gracious, as we sat with the group and chanted prayer, danced and discussed Krishna together.

International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Over twenty people attended, and it was really nice to be around friendly, inviting and welcoming people.

While I really cannot see myself moving away from an Atheist position on life, that I do not believe in any supernatural world or beings, that we have one life and our destinies are our own to shape (with a little help from our friends!), I really appreciate the upbeat and friendly welcoming we received from Jana and all the Hare Krishna here in Invercargill, bottom of New Zealand :-)

Jana was kind enough to let me ask him a few questions, which I've recorded and will include in my next podcast episode.  I asked about Veganism and being a Hare Krishna, if there was a connection and if it made sense to include Veganism (without taking milk from cows) as a tennet of respect and peace, and Jana was also gracious enough to chant the Hare Krishna mantra for me :-)

Its always lovely to learn about new things, and to see the perspective of another!

Similar religious groups linked to Veganism/Vegetarianism:
Having met a local Hare Krishna group who offer "Free Veg Food" and our Seventh Day Adventist friends who demonstrate great healthy Vegan recipes, why not meet the Quakers too? :-)