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1008 Ways to Remember Srila Prabhupada
<< 6 Wild kirtans >>
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| One day while living with Srila Prabhupada at the New Jersey seashore, a tape arrived from the San Francisco temple; some devotees from New York brought it and Srila Prabhupada sat listening to the taped 'San Francisco kirtan'. Now, a bit of background: Gaurasundara and I had met Srila Prabhupada in San Francisco when he first arrived and had been initiated at the San Francisco temple, the Haight Ashbury Frederick Street storefront, and then had followed him to New York when he returned in March of 1967. The San Francisco Haight Ashbury district was quite wild, there was a hippie environment; Gaurasundara and I were students just prior to meeting Srila Prabhupada, were both in our senior year in the University of Texas; we found the more studious and sedate New York temple more to our liking. In New York, devotees were reading Srila Prabhupada's books, chanting regularly, and following pretty strictly. In San Francisco, things were generally wilder, with lots of flamboyant kirtans and hardly anyone reading or following strictly. Because of this vast difference between New York mood and San Francisco mood, the natural tendency was for the New York devotees to look down upon the San Francisco temple, and to criticize and roll their eyes when talking about the San Francisco devotees. Yes, the politics had already begun. New York temple really did not take the San Francisco devotees seriously, and San Francisco did indeed have a mood of its own. Knowing all this, I was eager to see Srila Prabhupada's reaction to the San Francisco kirtan tape. As the old reel-to-reel tape player began blurring the new Hare Krsna chant, Srila Prabhupada began to wag his head in time to the music: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare. It was a new singsong chant, nothing at all like the morning and evening ragas that Srila Prabhupada had introduced. This was an American version for sure: horns blared, drums boomed, and cymbals clanged; it was a festive party sound. Some of the New York devotees were aghast; after hearing the tape through, Srila Prabhupada smiled broadly and expressed his appreciation: "Oh, they have done nicely. Very nice. They are chanting so enthusiastically". One of the tape bearers protested the modern unauthentic sound. Srila Prabhupada drowned him out. It was, in his opinion, wonderful. He sent a message to San Francisco to let them know he loved their kirtan tape and to go on chanting. Srila Prabhupada then said: "They are chanting Hare Krsna, that is the main thing. It may be this tune or that tune, doesn't matter - this way or that, but they are sincerely chanting. That is what Krsna wants".
| | Please Srila Prabhupada, let me see your mercy and your incredible potency. By your divine presence you purified and inspired Westerners who were neither sattvic nor studious, neither austere nor conformists and made them into wonderful devotees of the Lord. You saw our hearts. If someone chanted with sincerity you didn't care for the outward trappings, you clearly saw the inner heart and you continue to see our hearts and lift us from wherever we are and whatever modes of nature we are enmeshed. No one has done this, Srila Prabhupada, only you. Thank you Srila Prabhupada for caring so much, foreseeing the glimmer of love sprouting in our dark hearts and fanning it with your mercy and grace. Even now, when I hear kirtans of various chants I am reminded of this incident and remember that different jivas like different types of music but the main thing is their chanting Hare Krsna, and although I may prefer Indian ragas, someone else may prefer Western chants, the important thing is "they are chanting Hare Krsna, that is the main thing". Thank you, Srila Prabhupada.
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