Krishna-cizing, Day 108

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishnas' chant the name of God using japa beads which consist of 108 beads on a string to help keep track as they are chanting. This number is also significant because Lord Krishna is known by 108 different names. Tonight we went to the Krishna Temple in Denver for their Sunday service and feast. It's always an experience attending a service because there is such a diverse group of people who attend- devout Krishnas of all ages and races, Indian families, business men in suits, homeless people looking for a free meal, hippies, punks, and curious but uncommitted people that don't fit into any of the above categories like myself. There was a guest speaker tonight from California, whom I have heard speak before. He uses PowerPoint and humor as part of his presentations. His message was about how "you can't polish the cage and not feed the bird inside." Meaning, you can't pay all your attention to the body and not nurture the soul. The messages I tend to hear at the Krishna Temple are usually universal, otherwise I probably wouldn't attend. This one really resonated with me, but then again, they usually do. I am just not willing to chant even one round of "Hare Krisha" (108 times equals one round, and I am told that Krishnas do a minimum of 10 rounds each day) to feed the bird in the cage, but there are other ways I am willing to explore. Perhaps 108 blog posts will help my process...Interesting coincidence!