Gouranga

Faith · 07-12-2006 12:09am #1

Mods - this could go in Spirituality, but I don't want it there, I want the opinions of the general AH masses. Cheers

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I don't know if this is a prominent phenomonon in Ireland, but here in Britain, "Gouranga" is everywhere. It's written on loads of bridges across the country, and occasionally, you'll get stopped on the street by these monk guys who ask you to say "Gouranga" because it'll make you happy. They seem harmless enough, and I usually say it just to humour them. Have a quick look on Wiki if you want more details.

Are these guys common in Ireland? Has anyone ever had any dealings with them? I ask because I got spammed by them on Monday. Apparently, it's pretty common to get email spammed by them, but I got a "voice text" on my home phone number. It completely freaked me out! This is what it said: "Call out gouranga, and be happy. Say gouranga my friend. Gouranga, gouranga, gouranga. That which brings the highest happiness. Gouranga". Now, in the message, the "."'s were spoken, as in "...and be happy dot Gouranga...". I don't know if that was part of the message, or the way the phone translates the text.

Does anyone else know anything about it or them?

Ruu_Old · 07-12-2006 12:13am

Don't know anything about them but used to run them over in the first GTA game. :eek:
I have never had any dealings with them sorreh but have seen a few around campus, not sure about in Ireland, seem very polite and content people.

MrJoeSoap · 07-12-2006 12:57am

Haha, GTA was the first thing that sprung to mind here as well. Have never heard this on the street but did talk to one Hare Krishna once and he was an extremely nice guy. Ended up buying a couple of books off him for something like 20p and never read them.

Fascinating people though.

monkeyfudge · 07-12-2006 2:17am

I've only ever gotten the ICQ spam. Always meant to look it up to find out what it was about and now I know and knowing is half the battle.

Royale with Cheese · 07-12-2006 2:20am

I find the best way to deal with these people is wait for a big line of them to appear on the street, singing and dancing and what not. Then just run them over in your car. All in a row. Splat. Works every time.

mloc · 07-12-2006 2:45am

ah those crazy krishnas, at least they seem happy, good for them. happy cheery demented monks. what more could you want.

Adam · 07-12-2006 4:21am

I can only assume you didn't read the wiki article yourself, as it clearly states that the term is used by Krishnas, and therefore many people here will have had instances with them and it's actually nothing new at all.

As such, if you wish to discuss the Krishnas, its off to Spirituality with ya I guess!

I mean no disrespect in this comment, I merely fail to see the point seeing as how your own source answered your first question.

As for the second: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISKCON

Caco · 07-12-2006 5:17am

Lol GTA FTW! Remember they were one of the gangs in GTA2? Ah memories!

My mate and I were at Download in Donnington during the Summer and we were stopped by a Hare Krishna monk (yes, at a metal festival... inside the venue!!)

Anyway he told us about his cause etc. even though we weren't that interested but he was a nice guy so we bought a CD from him- it was a Hare Krishna rock band! Wierd/funny music! Anyway before he left he got the 2 of us to say Gouranga and said it means "be well!"

Archeron · 07-12-2006 8:02am

Hare Krishna Spam conjures up images of tinned meat like products with a picture on the lid of the cheery monk its made of. Never came across this before, but I will now randomly say Gouranga to people and see what reaction I get.

GOURANGA!!!

Dooom · 07-12-2006 10:14am

Woo, GTA ftw (again).

What happens if they approach you in the street and you don't say gouranga for them?

/loads pistols and goes to see what happens

r3nu4l · 07-12-2006 10:49am

Quite coincidentally the first time I ever heard the word Gouranga was from a Krishna I met in the street the same day I was in town (Dublin

) to buy the first GTA

It was kind of freaky when I got home and let the GTA madness ensue :eek: It must be a strange quirk of human nature that everyones reaction upon seeing the line of monks in GTA was to purposely run them over

Happy days

monkeyfudge · 07-12-2006 11:00am

I always thought they were a line of joggers... I must have had a very low resolution on my PC back then.

There is a nice little vegetarian restaurant on Abbey street in Dublin run by the Hare Krishna's... no booze either though... which is a shame.

Faith · 07-12-2006 11:14am

Mirror wrote:

I can only assume you didn't read the wiki article yourself, as it clearly states that the term is used by Krishnas, and therefore many people here will have had instances with them and it's actually nothing new at all.

As such, if you wish to discuss the Krishnas, its off to Spirituality with ya I guess!

I mean no disrespect in this comment, I merely fail to see the point seeing as how your own source answered your first question.

As for the second: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISKCON

Yes, thank you, I did read the article, as well as many more. I'm curious as to whether they're a common phenomonon in Ireland, and whether many people here have been approached on the street and asked to say "Gouranga". Or alternatively, have many people gotten their spam. I have no desire to discuss their religion.

Spike wrote:

What happens if they approach you in the street and you don't say gouranga for them?

They keep pestering you, like those Hanley Centre people.

r3nu4l · 07-12-2006 11:31am

To answer your question Faith, I was only ever asked to say it that one time despite having met plenty of Krishnas in (Dublin) Ireland.

Here in England I haven't met a single one nor have I been spammed, yet

07-12-2006 12:56pm

I thought it was just something that GTA had made up actually. Best part of the whole game was whenever you see them, plough through them all!

gucci · 07-12-2006 3:39pm

Caco wrote:

it was a Hare Krishna rock band! Wierd/funny music! !

THATS SOUNDS LIKE PRETTY NICHE MUSIC....HAD THEY ANY TEE-SHIRTS?

faceman · 07-12-2006 6:35pm

Faith wrote:

Mods - this could go in Spirituality, but I don't want it there, I want the opinions of the general AH masses. Cheers .

Er isnt that against the rules!?

I have heard of this, its a form of friendly brain washing imho. (they dont seem to look for money in any case ive come across)
Speaking out loud or singing also has the same affect.

My mate reckon saying "boobies" out loud has a better effect.

Caliden · 07-12-2006 7:47pm

isnt gouranga that stimulant in energy drinks?

Ruu_Old · 07-12-2006 7:56pm

Caliden wrote:

isnt gouranga that stimulant in energy drinks?

That would be Guarana, close though.

PiE · 07-12-2006 8:06pm

That skank on Princes St... every f*cking time, gah.

Bottle_of_Smoke · 07-12-2006 8:31pm

Ugh Krishnas, they pretend to be all nice but I read one of their books - all the dogmas of the bible but more hypocricy

07-12-2006 11:02pm

Ruu wrote:

That would be Guarana, close though.

Ive no idea why but I laughed pretty hysterically at that. I must be delirious.

or crazy

Gouranga sounds more like some fupped up drug.

Faith · 07-12-2006 11:05pm

PiE wrote:

That skank on Princes St... every f*cking time, gah.

I haven't seen them on Princes Street yet, I don't think. They hang around the main Uni campus, and around North and South Bridge a lot.

generalmiaow · 08-12-2006 2:16am

A Hare Krishna fooled me into buying a useless book from him when I really should have kept the money. I'm not usually an easy gull either, he was just so charming. About 1000x more trickery than the Hanley Centre people. I expect they do trickin' courses.

thelordofcheese · 08-12-2006 3:43am

I accidentally stopped and got chatting to one in london a while back, i dunno if it was the wild-eyed look i had from the red eye flight over, or the messy hair and beard, but at some point in the conversation he asked me
"so, are you in the IRA?" in a really cheery way, like it was some sort of friendly knitting circle for jolly wee irish men, who'd while away the evenings singing shi te songs and telling stories as opposed to say, i dunno, being murderers and thugs

I've never actually been so gobsmacked.... still was a nice guy, implications of my terrorist links aside.

Caco · 08-12-2006 8:00am

gucci wrote:

THATS SOUNDS LIKE PRETTY NICHE MUSIC....HAD THEY ANY TEE-SHIRTS?

Unfortunately not!
I think I lost the CD

The first song on it was just a bunch of Krishnas continuously shouting GOURANGA along to the music for about 8 minutes... must have made them very happy!

spacecoyote · 08-12-2006 8:20am

yeah i've never been asked to say gouranga but i have bought a book from a happy bloke which was an interesting enough read. All your typical religious nuttiness but at least these guys are practicing what they preach, and it seems to make them happy...so how do you guys praise god...us catholics sit, stand & kneel when we are told to and are constantly told we're sinners...us hare krishna's gather in a big hall, play music, dance around and eat food in gods name...sounds like more fun to me, aside from the no gambling, drinking, sex, and meat (except goat if i remember correctly, and you're willing to accept you'll come back as a goat in your next life).......wait a minute that doesn't sound so good

c - 13 · 08-12-2006 8:56am

gucci wrote:

THATS SOUNDS LIKE PRETTY NICHE MUSIC....HAD THEY ANY TEE-SHIRTS?

Wiki

Notable Hare Krishna Hardcore bands include:
* Shelter
* Cro-Mags
* Youth of Today
* 108
* Run Devil Run
* Request Denied
* Poly Styrene and Lora Logic of the X-ray Spex

I'm definately going to look these guys up.

Faith · 08-12-2006 11:47am

I had a dream one of them rang me last night and was asking me loads of questions. I interrupted her and said "Why are you guys always harrassing people and asking them to say Gouranga?" The minute I said Gouranga, she let out this giant sigh of happiness and I hung up on her.

Huh.

r3nu4l · 08-12-2006 12:02pm

Faith wrote:

I had a dream one of them rang me last night and was asking me loads of questions. I interrupted her and said "Why are you guys always harrassing people and asking them to say Gouranga?" The minute I said Gouranga, she let out this giant sigh of happiness and I hung up on her.

Huh.

Dreaming about it? I'd say this is affecting you deeply. You should try to unwind by meditating and slowly chanting..."Gouranga!". Works for me

Caco · 08-12-2006 1:36pm

Or ya could run over a line of them in your car and then chant "Gouranga!" Works for me

Tar.Aldarion · 08-12-2006 2:38pm

They make nice food, those people, they does.

Gouranga

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