Here is Ekanath Gaura das in the restaurant in La Paz, Bolivia. Now that’s a Pizza.
The first time I met Ekanath it was in the temple in Av. Garcilaso de la Vega, Lima, Peru. Unbeknownst to him I was following a vegan diet, which obviously precluded such things as pizza (I did it for a month, as I have on occasions, following a doctor’s recommendation).
Ekanath sat down next to me in the temple and started to preach the glories of pizza. He then recounted to me how one gentleman would visit the temple in Buenos Aires (in Argentina, where Ekanath hails from orginally), who was a vegan. Whenever the devotees would have pizza, this gentleman would have some - with no cheese!
“That’s blasphemous!” pronounced Ekanath, his lips curling in disgust. I didn’t know what to say. I just hoped that he wasn’t going to wind up by inviting me to the temple restaurant for a pizza…
I think that Ekanath’s got a good point. A healthy zest and love for life is essential for a balanced person. Being a devotee is not about all the things you can’t do - it’s about all the things you can do for Krishna.
The South America Bustour program that Ekanath has been leading for the past two years is a great manifestation of this, drawing out the many talents of the devotees in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia.
