Kirtan....Hear, Chant, Remember & Repeat
Kirtan is a method of chanting the Lord’s holy names. It is done in a repetitive fashion if done alone and in a call and response fashion if done with others. It usually is a mantra repetition.
One, hears the mantra, chants the mantra, remembers the Lord within his heart and repeats. It’s that simple.
It’s generally chanted to a tune and rhythm of ones choice. It’s an ancient practice of Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion. Anyone can practice this method of Yoga as from the beginning of mankind one has had this desire to know God. No material designation, rich, poor, young old, any caste or creed is barred from practicing this method of Yoga. Digging deep down in the recesses of the heart one calls out to His sweet Lord to touch and to feel His touch, His presence. One can say devotion is emotional because it is. This kirtan encompasses all the emotions within this one devotional process.
As beautifully said by the famous kirtan singer Jai Uttal
“Kirtan is a vessel that can hold love, longing, union, separation, lust, despair, mourning, anger, hate, sadness, ecstasy, and oneness. Powered by the fire of these emotions, the chants of Bhakti become like a ship, singing us to the other shore. In lightness, in darkness, in despair, in joy we sing the names — The Name — and turn our human hearts toward the One, who is closer to us than our own breath. Kirtan is food for the spirit, a life raft of song.
Kirtan is for all people. There are no masters of kirtan, no experts, no teachers, no advanced students, no beginners. The practice itself is the teacher, guiding us to ourselves. Kirtan teaches itself by allowing us to enter into a mystery world — a world where all the logic of our minds, all the conditioning and learning are left outside — and we allow ourselves to expand into the mystery.
And in this mystery, we create a temple inside of our hearts, a place of refuge, a place of love, a place of being, a place of sanctity… whatever we need.
There is no right or wrong way to sing kirtan. Kirtan can be breathtakingly beautiful, the music can be stunning and masterful; and it can be cacophonous, dissonant, and almost painful to the ears. Aesthetics don’t matter. All that matters is the spirit, the feeling. Don’t worry about what you sound like, feel whatever you feel, have no expectations, no inhibitions. Kirtan is an oil well digging deeper and deeper into the heart. A power tool of love and longing. A train carrying us home. Make these kirtans your own prayers and use their power to set fire to your own soul. We sing together and each person has a totally unique, individual experience. Yet by singing together we give strength, safety and passion to each other, and give ourselves permission to sing and dance freely, releasing and expressing through our voices and bodies, the emotions tightly locked in our hearts. The pain of separation is one with the bliss of union.
And finally kirtan is an offering, a gift to the great One who has given us everything, and to whom we can give nothing in return but our loving remembrance.”
Source: https://www.jaiuttal.com/what-is-kirtan/
I can sing but I cannot express more beautifully than the above words.
There are nine limbs of devotion given in the scriptures, meaning methods of practicing devotion. The first three given are sravana (hearing) Kirtan ( chanting) and smarana (remembrance). Out of these first three, kirtan is the most important limb of devotional practice.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave us a very special mantra, the Hare Krishna Mahamantra which when chanted sincerely and repetitively awakens the dormant LOVE OF GOD within our hearts.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
There are no rules and regulations to chanting this mantra. The only requirement is to bring your heart and mind along. Kirtan does exactly that. With an accompanying rhythm from musical instruments like cymbals or a drum beat one can get the heart and mind involved and present, in the moment. By kirtan we sing the praises and glorify our sweet Lord. By our sincere practice of Kirtan we attract the mercy of the Lord by which we develop Love of God and a mood of service. In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy there is no other way of developing this love of God.
CC Madhya 6.242
harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
‘In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.’
Source: https://www.vedabase.com/en/cc/madhya/6/242
This human birth is a great opportunity to realize and develop our relationship with the Supreme Lord.
SO HEAR, CHANT, REMEMBER & REPEAT !!
Here are this week’s tunes for you to HEAR, CHANT, REMEMBER & REPEAT