Chant in the heart of Oxford

Next chanting session will be on Sunday 20th May. All are welcome!

The April Kirtan

The April kirtan featured talks by Rembert. He has been reading poetry by Northern Indian mediaeval saints, and read a selection to help us get into the mood of chanting. These saints were engaged in constant chanting and expressed their realisations through poetry. Rembert also spoke about the seeming paradox of the 'noise' of chanting, and the internal quiet and silence that it brings. Here are his talks: welcome, talk 1, talk 2, talk3.

This time Meru chanted the invocation.

We sang two slightly difficult mantras during the April kirtan, and Gopal started with:

he govinda, he gopal, keshava madhava dina dayal (re) dina dayal prabhu dina dayal, dina dayal prabhu dina dayal
shyamasundara kanahyalal, girivara-dhari nanda-dulal (re) nanda-dulal prabhu nanda-dulal, nanda-dulal prabhu nanda-dulal

Rembert then chanted a special mantra for internal and external protection:

shri nrisimha, jaya nrisimha, jaya jaya nrisimha prahladesha jaya padma-mukha-padma bringa

In the end, Rasasthali started with what is called the pancha-tattva mantra, before leading us into a swinging Hare Krishna mantra chant:

sri-krishna-chaitanya prabhu nityananda shri-advaita gadadhara shrivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda

hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

See you next Sunday!

Next Kirtan in Oxford

Our next chanting session will be on the 15th April at the Friends Meeting House, 43 St Giles (4-6pm). The kirtans are on a drop-in basis, so feel free to come along and chant. No previous experience is required.

Mother's Day Kirtan

Last kirtan was on Mother's day (18th March). Jonathan Edelmann gave the talks this time, continuing on the theme of the Yoga-sutras. He explained how the eightfold process of yoga (asthanga-yoga) gradually leads the practitioner to a state of concentrated meditation. Here are his talks: Talk 1, Talk 2, Talk 3.


Claire led the invocation by reciting a mediaeval chant on the power and glories of kirtan meditation. Here is a slightly shortened version.

Meru chanted the om namo bhagavate vasudevaya mantra, which you can find in the post below.


Gopal then led two chants - one (for us) new mantra: jaya jaya shri chaitanya, jaya nityananda, jaya advaita-chandra, jaya gaura-bhakta-vrinda, which is a very sweet and joyful chant - and our special Mother's Day chant! Gopal explained to us that not only do people in India consider us to have many mothers (mother Earth etc), but also that there is a divine Mother, Radha. This mantra thus connects us to our divine mother, Radha (as well as our divine father, Krishna). It is a lovely chant:
jaya radhe, jaya radhe radhe, jaya radhe jaya shri radhe,
jaya krishna, jaya krishna krishna, jaya krishna jaya shri krishna.

Rasasthali led the finale - the hare krishna mantra:
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

At the last kirtan we chanted an ancient and famous mantra: om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.

One interesting story in relation to this mantra is found in the Bhagavat Purana (also known as the Shrimad Bhagavatam). Once upon a time, Druva Maharaja, a young prince of five years, got so hurt and angry that he left his father's palace to seek God. He had heard that whatever he desired could be fulfilled by worshipping God in the forest. As he went away he met a sage, Narada Muni, who instructed him in the process of meditation, giving him the mantra: om namo bhagavate vasudevaya.

After several months of practice, Druva stood steadily on only one leg during his meditation. He then finally captured the Supreme within his heart, who then revealed himself in full.

He had gone to meditate in the forest to get an even greater kingdom than his father, but realised he had received the greatest of all gifts: 'I was searching after a piece of glass, but instead I have found a most valuable jewel. Therefore I am so satisfied that I do not wish to ask any benediction from You.’

At the last kirtan, we did not stand on one leg (promise!), but we did chant this mantra. One way of approaching this chant is by viewing it as way of acknowledging a power greater than us. This simple act of acknowledgement can be a great relief, for it allows us to let go a bit of our tendency to control. This will further help us feel at peace with ourselves.

Pear shaped

The recordings at the February kirtan went a bit pear shaped... but we're still putting them up here, albeit in shorter versions. The talks though are of good quality and we hope you'll enjoy them.

The February Kirtan

Dr Kenneth Valpey (Krishna Kshetra Dasa) gave great talks during our February kirtan. He is a scholar of Vaishnava theology and a fabulous musician and kirtan chanter. He has been chanting kirtans for over 35 years and so knows the subject very well, from both experience and study. At the last kirtan he talked illustriously on the topic of yoga and bhakti, from Patanjali's Yoga Sutra and Narada Bhakti Sutra. These talks are divided into three sections: Talk 1. Talk 2. Talk 3.

Then we have the invocation by Meru, and also her kirtan: om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. This is a very old and famous mantra within the Vedic tradition.

Rasasthali chanted, Gopala Jaya Jaya, and here is also a great kirtan she sang at another instance (a little bonus since the recording didn't go that well this time).

Unfortunately though, Krishna Kshetra Dasa's kirtan had the worst sound on the recording, so we can't listen to it at all... However, we've uploaded an older recording so that you at least can hear his beautiful chanting. This kirtan is a famous chant: Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram Patita Pavana Sita Ram, Sita Rama Jaya Sita Rama, Sita Rama Jaya Sita Rama, together with the Hare Krishna mantra.

Encore

Here are two fabulous little kirtans from October:

Last kirtan

Janak (who leads jam sessions in London) came to Oxford yesterday, and led a most beautiful kirtan:

Radhe Radhe Govinda - Govinda Radhe

"Detox"

It feels right, at the beginning of a new year, to think of clearing the decks, throwing out unnecessary clutter and unwanted habits, and starting clean and fresh. However things worked out for us in the old year, whatever dissatisfactions we may have with our situation, we have the chance now to review our lives and make plans for improvement.

This 'clearing out' extends to our bodies as well. Have you noticed, at this time of year, all the talk of Detox programmes? In the media it is the topic of the moment . Having binged at Christmas, now is the time (they say) to clear the system of nasty toxins which clog it up and bog it down, and may cause future disease. We should go jogging, or do a grape fast, or book into a health spa.

But search as you might, it would be hard to find advice on how to clean the mind of the nasty things which clog it up and which fester there. As the mind is known to have a powerful effect on the body, this is surely a good place to start. Negative impressions we take into our minds stay there and become a heavy load; deep, unwanted habits affect our abilities at work and in relationships and make us dissatisfied and unhappy.

Until we begin to clean the mind, we often don't even realise how dirty it is - like cleaning our windows at home. We get used to them being dirty, but when we clean them, then we really notice how much light comes in, and how clear and bright the colours are outside.

So our advice for detoxing the mind is to take a course of kirtan - chanting! Tried and tested over thousands of years by yogis and mystics, there is no surer, nor speedier method of deep-cleaning; for the spiritual chants are not only antiseptic, but also "prophylactic" - they will protect us from getting dirty again. As we chant, our original buoyancy and joyfulness will emerge, and spread to every aspect of our lives.

And the best thing is, that unlike detox diets, kirtan is sweet, yet you can have as much of it as you like. So if you want to lose the weight of anxiety and fight the flab of dullness, come and chant at the Oxford "Health Spa" and try it out, with the rest of us!

Next Kirtan is on Sunday, 21st January @ 4pm, Friends Meeting House, 43 St. Giles. For more info, email: keshava6@hotmail.com

Removing Dust

I found this post about kirtan on a blog. It's an interesting observation on the experience of chanting by an eclectic Christian seeker.

Kirtan video!

We finally managed to get a video up on the blog! This one is from October, during the month of Damodar (Kartik) according to the Indian moon calender. Gopal has just sung the beautiful Damodarashtakam and continues with the Hare Krishna mantra. Magic!

Kula Shaker

I found this little gem by Kula Shaker - Govinda. Kirtan in a slightly different way than we do it. But only slightly different...

Previous kirtans

Here are some kirtans and talks that we recorded this autumn. The first bit is Claire's welcome and introduction to our November kirtan. Then we follow on with an invocation. We do this to create an auspicious and sacred space for ourselves. This one was by Abhiseka.

The October kirtan fell under the month of Kartik, which bears some similarities with the Christian Lent or Islamic Ramadan. Gopal therefore chanted 4 verses of the Damodarashtakam (try pronouncing that!), which is chanted during this month, followed on by the Hare Krishna mantra. You'll notice that the chant has a different beat from the others.

A few other chants during October, November were:

Rembert chanting the Hare Krishna mantra:

hare krishna hare krishna
krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare

Meru with the Govinda Jaya Jaya mantra:

govinda jaya jaya gopala jaya jaya
radha-ramana-hari govinda jaya jaya
govinda govinda govinda govinda
gopala gopala gopala gopala

Radhe Radhe Govinda by Gopal:

radhe-radhe-govinda – govinda radhe

Abhishek chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.

We usually have short talks between kirtans to help us deepen our skills and understanding of chanting, and in this recording Shaunaka speaks on how it helps us understand ourselves.

Let us know what you think of them. And of course, enjoy!