Hare Krishna Maha Mantra

[Guest guest]

If you open up your heart

You will know what I mean

We've been polluted so long

But here's a way for you to get clean

By chanting the names of the Lord and you'll be free

The Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see.

~ " Awaiting On You All "

From the Beatles album All Things Must Pass

 

In 1969, the Beatles, perhaps the most popular music group of all

time, produced a hit single, " The Hare Krishna Mantra " , performed by

George Harrison and the devotees of the Radha-Krishna Temple, London.

The song soon topped the 10 best-selling record charts throughout UK,

Europe, and Asia. Soon after the BBC featured the 'Hare Krishna

Chanters', four times on the popular television program Top of the

Pops. And the Hare Krishna chant became a household word, especially

in parts of Europe and Asia.

 

Swami Prabhupada, believed to be a pure devotee of Lord Krishna, laid

the foundations of the Hare Krishna Movement by coming to the USA at

the advanced age of seventy in order to fulfill the desire of his own

spiritual master who wanted him to spread Krishna consiousness in the

Western countries. It was 1965 — the beginning of the " mid-twentieth

century phenomenon " called the " Krishna Consciousness Movement " .

The " saffron-robed, dance-happy, book-hawking " Krishna followers

burst upon the world with the refrain —

 

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare,

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare

 

— the mantra of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

(ISKCON).

 

However, the origin of this faith dates back to 5000 years ago when

Lord Krishna was born in Vrindavan to save the citizens from the

tyrant King Kansa. Later in the 16th century Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

revived the Hare Krishna Movement and preached that all can gain a

personal relationship with the Lord through sankirtana, ie, a

collective chanting of the name of Krishna. Many religious leaders

kept alive the faith of " leading the people towards god through

devotional songs and selfless Bhakti " — the way of devotion. Swami

Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON is one of the most notable among

them.

 

Aubrey Menen in his book The Mystics, while writing about Prabhupadas

proselytization in the US, notes:

 

" Prabhupada presented them [Americans] with a way of life of an

Arcadian simplicity. It is no wonder that he found followers. He

opened his mission on the Lower East Side in New York in an empty

shop, fitted with nothing but mats on the floor. One of his earliest

disciples, with the swami's permission has recorded an incident. Two

or three were gathered together to listen to the swami, when an old

grey Bowery drunk entered. He carried a pack of paper hand-towels and

a roll of toilet paper. He walked past the Swami, placed the towels

and the toilet paper carefully on a sink, and left. Prabhupada rose

to the occasion. 'Look,' he said, 'he has just began his devotional

service. Whatever we have — it doesn't matter what — we must offer to

Krishna.' "

 

Hare Krishna !