Buddhi Wilcox is the founder of Food for Life, which has provided around 50,000 meals to low-decile schools in Northland this year. The Hare Krishna devotee was a Pride of New Zealand Award finalist this year for his community work.
1. Describe yourself in three words?
Eternal living entity.
2. What is the most important advice you have ever been given?
Don't waste time.
3. What stirred your passion to feed kids in Northland's schools?
Distributing food is a big part of Hare Krishna philosophy and is something I have been involved in for the last 30 years. Seeing the abundance of surplus food available in Northland and knowing that many people struggle to have enough food for their families, it is simply a matter of redistributing the surplus back into the community.
4. When it's been a full-on week, what is your favourite way to unwind?
A swim, then kirtan (chanting with musical instruments) with friends.
5. What do you think is Northland's best kept secret?
So many ... Ngawha Hot pools ... Hokianga Harbour ... Ocean Beach at Whangarei Heads ... but Northland's greatest treasure must be its people.
6. What is the one thing you could not live without each day?
That's a tough one. There is not much in life that is indispensable when it comes down to it, but I do feel disturbed if I don't get up early and especially if I don't chant (meditate) before I do anything else. So, the one thing that keeps me motivated and grounded is rising early every day and chanting Hare Krishna mantra before beginning my day's activities. So, if there was anything I couldn't live without, it would have to be this.
7. Tell us something that most people don't know about you?
I learnt classical piano for 10 years and founded a music school which is still going today.
8. As a child, who or what did you want to be when you grew up? And why?
I was a bit of a nerd as a kid. I remember wanting to be a wallpaper designer. I just liked the recurring patterns on wallpaper. Weird. As a teenager, I wanted to be a recording engineer.
9. What is your secret passion? [Football, gliding, etc?]
Playing chess.
10. What was the last book you read?
Gita Mahatmya ... Lord Siva's Glorification of the Bhagavad Gita.