The Ordinary Mystic

Actually, the exact words spoken by Krishna Das at a recent kirtan were “Dust is us”. That was before he led the crowd at the church through the process of removing that dust - removing ourselves.

What’s that about- removing the dust? You’ve heard the song Dust in the Wind, by Kansas, but that comparison of humanity with the fleeting existence of dust is not what is meant here. Instead, the comparison is to dust on a mirror, which prevents us from seeing our true selves. Seeing our true selves is the key to internal happiness and peace. Unfortunately, we get in our own way of achieving this. It’s our external ego and concept that we have of ourselves that interferes with our ability to see who we truly are at the core, at the heart.

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to spend a few hours removing some of that dust.

The Magic of Kirtan

Kirtan is a form of call-and-response musical chanting of Sanskrit mantras that contain the names of God - specifically Hindu names such as Ram, Rama, Shiva, and Krishna. I know many Christians would consider this blasphemy, and that it involves invoking false gods and even demonic influences, but I completely disagree with that. It is a misconception that Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. All the various names are intended to draw attention to different aspects of God. Even the Bible refers to God with a number of different titles such as The Almighty, Father, Creator, God, and Jehovah. Hindu theology has just created stories around their various names to further explain a particular quality of God.

Another aspect of Hindu teachings is that they are primarily based on empirical observations of the effect that various actions and practices have on spiritual growth. One of their observations is that certain sounds have a positive spiritual effect when spoken, and some of these sounds are the basis for the divine names. It is said that every time a divine name is uttered, a little spiritual progress is made.

But what I get out of it is the opportunity to relax and practice letting go of my thoughts in a manner similar to meditation. In fact, it is said that in this day and age, the practice of bhakti (or devotional) yoga and the singing of kirtans and bhajans is an easier way to achieve the same benefits as meditation. All I know is that it does alter my awareness, it usually hits my emotions, and I always enjoy the experience.

Now the beauty of all this is that you don’t have to accept any of these concepts in order to enjoy the experience. The crowd that attends is a mixture of young and old, and everyone has their own way of participating. Some do sit quietly and absorb the music, but others let the music take over and in response they get up and dance in the aisles. In many ways it is not unlike a holy-roller Christian revival meeting. I’ve been to church services where there was music and singing, and many of the faithful would raise their hands to God in song. The sight at a kirtan can be very similar. And perhaps the same processes are involved.

Kirtans with Krishna Das

Krishna Das is regarded as the one of the best known American singers of Indian kirtan-style devotional music. His deep voice adds a fullness to the mantras that can fill any auditorium or church. Locally, I’ve gone to see him when he’s performed in San Francisco and then just recently in Santa Cruz.

Each song, or bhajan, lasts about twenty minutes. Believe me, after twenty minutes of repeating the same lines over and over again to music that is inspiring, the united voices of everyone else adding to the vibration, you can’t help but get lost in it. The words are Sanskrit, so they offer no blatant meaning to distract you; yet the constant flow keeps you from getting too distracted with other thoughts. What’s left is an experience that is beyond thought. And so you end up reaching a part of yourself that is hidden by the constant onslaught of worries, plans, problems, and dialogs that your mind is usually filled with. This is the part of you that is at peace, and - well, happy.

In between songs a few moments are taken in silence, to allow you to continue soaking in the vibrations. I definitely feel a buzz throughout my body during this time.

The entire session typically lasts two to three hours. It’s a very energizing experience and afterwards I usually feel a little hyped up and buzzed. It’s a positive feeling. During that time, any problems that were weighing on my mind are forgotten, and I am once again reminded that within myself is all the happiness I need. And for me, a little dust is indeed removed.

Recommendations:

“Live on Earth … for a Limited Time Only” is a good introduction to the music of Krishna Das.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 16th, 2007 at 11:28 pm and is filed under Chanting, Kirtan, Krishna Das. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.