Harrison—by Grace of Krishna, Fortunate

[Guest guest]

Sriman George Harrison—

by the Grace of Krishna, Fortunate

from Vyenkata Bhatta Dasa

 

Dear Maharajas, Prabhus, and Matajis,

 

Yesterday at 1:30 pm in Los Angeles, California, Sriman George

Harrison — a sincere and gentle friend of the worldwide Hare Krishna

movement — left his body. He was 58 and had been suffering from

cancer. He is survived by his wife Olivia and son Dhani. Most of the

world will remember George as a member of the most influential and

popular musical group of all time, the Beatles. George was often

called "the quiet Beatle."

 

George first came into contact with the Hare Krishna mahamantra in

India in the mid 1960s. He and fellow John Lennon soon acquired Srila

Prabhupada's first record album, Krishna Consciousness, and began to

chant along to it. All of this was before he had even met a single

devotee of ISKCON! Soon enough, George's path crossed with Gurudasa

Prabhu, Syamasundara Prabhu, Mukunda Prabhu (now Maharaja), and the

other young devotees sent by Srila Prabhupada to start the fledgling

Radha Krishna temple in London.

 

Quickly striking up a friendship with these devotees, George became

an invaluable source of support in their early struggles to establish

Krishna consciousness in the U.K. The devotees took great pleasure in

introducing their famous friend to their spiritual master, Srila

Prabhupada. Prabhupada took an immediate liking to the young musician

and encouraged him to chant, associate with devotees, and help spread

the sankirtana movement.

 

It is difficult to overestimate the service rendered by George

throughout ISKCON's early history. He co-signed the lease to the

first temple in London and personally donated the marble for Sri Sri

Radha-Londonisvara's first altar. He produced the Radha Krishna

Temple record album— arguably, ISKCON's most well known musical

achievement. He also performed on the album, playing harmonium,

guitar, and bass guitar on the world-famous "Hare Krishna Mantra"

song. George played those now all-too-familiar guitar chords that

start off "Govindam" and announce the greeting of the deities in

ISKCON temple worldwide. The Radha Krishna Temple album soared to the

Top 10 in record charts all over the world, and helped popularize the

chanting of Hare Krishna internationally.

 

George also supported the preaching efforts of Srila Prabhupada, whom

the Beatle came to regard as a genuine saint, scholar, and good

friend. He donated substantial funds towards Srila Prabhupada's

publishing the Krishna Book. In fact, at Srila Prabhupada's request,

he humbly penned a short introduction to the book. These "Words from

George Harrison" attest to his strong faith in Prabhupada's teachings

and in the Holy Names.

 

Srila Prabhupada appreciatively wrote of George in the preface of the

Krishna Book: "My grateful acknowledgement is due to Sriman George

Harrison, now chanting Hare Krishna, for his liberal contribution of

$19,000 to meet the entire cost of printing this volume. May Krishna

bestow upon this nice boy further advancement in Krishna

consciousness."

 

George continued his support of ISKCON over the years. In 1973, he

gifted a palatial estate to ISKCON, to be used as a Krishna

consciousness center in England. The Bhaktivedanta Manor is today a

thriving beacon of Krishna consciousness and one of ISKCON's most

successful temples. George would continue to visit the Manor,

especially when Srila Prabhupada was present. George immensely

enjoyed his friendship with Srila Prabhupada and his disciples. Srila

Prabhupada reciprocated with George's eagerness by encouraging him to

use his music as a medium for spreading Krishna consciousness, and by

maintaining a warm friendship with the introspective celebrity.

Prabhupada would often gleefully instruct his disciples to fill up

George's plate with more and more prasadam, which he was very fond of.

 

George's deep and sincere relationship with Krishna and the devotees

was nowhere more evident than in his own popular music. Unafraid of

public opinion, George unapologetically expressed his spiritual views

in his songs. In "Awaiting On You All," George requested his

listeners to chant the Holy Names. In one of his most popular (and

most controversial) hit singles, "My Sweet Lord," George openly

chanted Hare Krishna. Less well-known, but equally devotional, was

his 1974 release "It is He (Jai Shri Krishna)." George would also

often adorn his album covers and liner notes with pictures and

glorifications of Krishna. His popular album Living in the Material

World features a color photo insert of Krishna and Arjuna on the

chariot, along with the caption "From the cover of the Bhagavad-gita

As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami."

 

When asked why he included the picture, he humbly responded, "I

wanted to give them all a chance to see Krishna, to know about Him. I

mean that's the whole idea, isn't it?"

 

While George never took formal vows and while he certainly had his

share of ups and downs in spiritual life, Srila Prabhupada always

encouraged him and glorified him as a "very good boy."

 

In Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna promises: "Whoever, at the end of his

life, quits his body remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature.

Of this there is no doubt." (Bg. 8.5) When George was brutally

attacked in 1999, he cried out "Hare Krishna" as he was being

stabbed. Likewise, he may have chanted Lord Krishna's Holy Names as

he left his body yesterday afternoon. In any event, we have firm

conviction that all the chanting, preaching, prasadam-eating, and

service he rendered to the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna and

Srila Prabhupada are eternally to his spiritual credit. They will

carry him forth to his next destination. As George himself said, "We

die and go on to a new life where we try again, to get better all the

time. That's life. That's death."

 

Dear devotees, let us take a moment or two to remember this great

soul and his wonderful service to Srila Prabhupada. Sriman George

Harrison will be sorely missed and will be fondly remembered as a

very dear friend of the International Society for Krishna

Consciousness.

 

Thank you, George. Hare Krishna!

 

Your servant, Vyenkata Bhatta dasa

(disciple of His Holiness Radhanath Swami)

 

Further Reading: Srila Prabhupada-Lilamrta, Volume IV: In Every Town

and Village (BBT); Chant and Be Happy: the Power of Mantra Meditation

(BBT); Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead (BBT)

http://www.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/30/harrison.londonobit/index.

html

 

Quotes:

 

"He left this world as he lived in it, conscious of God, fearless of

death, and at peace, surrounded by family and friends. He often

said, `Everything else can wait, but the search for God cannot wait,

and love one another.'" (the Harrison family, statement to the press)

 

"I have always felt at home with Krishna... I think its something

that's been there from my previous birth." (George Harrison)

 

"John and I, with banjos, went sailing through the islands chanting

Hare Krishna. Our jaws were aching from singing. We felt exalted: It

was a very happy time for us." (George Harrison)

 

"Mr. George Harrison appears to be a very intelligent boy, and he is,

by the Grace of Krishna, fortunate also." (Srila Prabhupada)

 

"Humility means not to think less of yourself, but to think of

yourself less." (H.H. Varsana Swami)