What to Do About Loud Kirtan?
Port Royal, Pennsylvania
I am accommodated at the house of the Institute for Spiritual Technology. My favourite monastic friend stayed here. He died of cancer four years ago and I do miss him. I have been given his very quarters to stay in. Before he left us he affectionately said that in the spirit world he and I would dance together(before God). His name was Bhakti Tirtha Swami. He really did inspire so many people.
From the Institute I made my way to Pennsylvania’s largest remaining covered bridge. A few meters from Gita Nagari You find this newly refurbished bridge set over the Juniata River. People are seekers for these old nostalgic things(myself included). Under the new roof you see and smell the aged original chunky wood of an important throughway for over a century. By the way this area is populated with Amish and Mennonite communities. You can hear the clap of horse hooves on these roads before you turn your head to see a humble farmer on a buggy, steering this gorgeous four legged creature.
While we speak about fancying chunky wood let’s not forget to mention about my main purpose in being in this rural setting. I was invited to attend a country style festival to honour Jagannatha, the Krishna deity of chunky wood. The event had drawn people from the north east of the States. African Americans maintained the pulsating beat of drums during this processional festival.
Indeed the energy was high and the volume of things was high as well. Too high ! The decibel level of kartals(hand cymbals) had peaked to a point where one of our monks, Bhakti Vasudeva Swami from Africa, remarked about the headache he accrued as a result of loud playing.
This has been my pet peeve for a long time – loud kartals. They drown out the mantras. When playing instruments the sound of the mantras must be heard in order to receive the benefit of the pure sound vibration.
5 KM
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