Kirtan Lifestyle: The Most Valuable Thing I Know



Those who are actually advanced in knowledge... worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of kirtan.

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.36

A Way of Life

Kirtan is not just spiritual call-and-response mantra meditation music; it is a philosophy and way of life. To me it represents the essence of what I learned from http://www.eatnowdrinklater.com my dad in a critical period of his spiritual journey in the late 1970s and the most impressionable period of my growth from ages 4-5, which by divine arrangement came to coincide. He shared the principles of the kirtan lifestyle over the span of a year, not as a set curriculum, but through the course of introducing me to various powerful spiritual experiences. These included, preparing vegetarian food, offering it to the divine, and eating it as sacred prasadam or "mercy". And an introduction to the ancient yoga-texts such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, with all of their profound wisdom. He also taught me about Japa which like kirtan involves mantra repetition, but unlike kirtan which is practiced congregationally, japa is practiced as private meditation. Amongst these learnings, I found gathering with others for call-and-response kirtan chanting sessions, the most exciting. My dad said that this was the most important spiritual practice for our time. But really, they all go together as parts of a complete bhakti-yoga program.

Just as a child cannot appreciate the value of a precious diamond, so I did not fully realise the value of these lessons at the time. With maturity, I have grown to understand that the simple and profound truths of the kirtan lifestyle are the most valuable thing I have. In my experience, the kirtan lifestyle is the most profound teaching there is. This is a big claim, especially considering that I have traveled all over the world shared with people of many diverse cultures. Further, I have earned several university degrees in communication and psychology, contributed to peer-reviewed academic journals, taught university lectures and self-development workshops, and am currently completing a PhD. When I started university I believed that the science of human behaviour or psychology would give me stronger more satisfying answers to the human conditions of suffering and happiness, dissatisfaction and fulfillment, failure and success. After years of study, lecturing, and writing, however, my realisation is that these understandings are week in comparison to the spiritual principles relating to kirtan that I learned from my dad. What he taught me over the span of a year, I have been realising ever since, gaining deeper realisation and appreciation with each passing year.

Do you agree that kirtan is a lifestyle as opposed to simply sacred music? What do you think of my claim that it is the most valuable thing I know? Feel free to offer any thoughts or questions.




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