First Kirtan with Srila Prabhupada
Toward the end of the ceremony, Swamiji, smiling broadly, picked up a small bongo drum and said, “Now we will have kirtan.” His chanting started off slowly, and he appeared fully absorbed in it. His voice was vibrant and clear, the melody simple, the cadence strong and steady. I was relieved because this part seemed…
Reflections on Chanting
For me chanting became an amazing form of meditation. You could still work, still perform what were ‘mundane’ duties, but because you chanted, everything became different—spiritualized. How could three little words carry such potency? The one meaning that stayed with me was the most simple—chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra is an exchange of love between…
Remembering Srila Prabhupada’s Heart Attack
I remember how in San Francisco, we were informed by the New York devotees of your life-threatening stroke in 1967. And how, at your request, we stayed in the temple for almost twelve hours straight, praying to our Jagannatha Deities for your protection. I remember how, after some hours praying, the eyes of Lord Jagannatha…
I will Personally Take You There
When Swamiji was in India, Acyutananda das once sent pictures of him on Sankirtan in Calcutta. When we saw Swamiji chanting in the streets of India, all of us were just praying for the day we would be able to join him there. So, of course, Srila Prabhupada knew of my long-held desire to go…