It seems like every day when I’m chanting; a new image comes to mind about what’s going on as I move from bead to bead, breath to breath, mantra to mantra.
One day, I’m pulling my mind like a three-year-old in a snowsuit back to hear the sound vibration. Another day, I’m in the trenches during a war, and the mantra is Krishna holding me safe while the bullets of maya fly overhead.
And I can’t call up the same image from one day to the next. Each day it’s a unique event that seems to last for as long as I’m chanting that day, then disappears.
Today, I found myself ascending into the mantra-made heights of a japa construction project. Each mantra became a girder, a foundation for the next, the next, the next.
The girders-as-names-of-Krishna became the solid ground of reality to me, the reality that is discussed in Kevalastakam (“Madhuram Madhurebhyo ‘pi”):
“The entire universe, from exalted Brahma down to the lowly clump of grass, is a product of the illusory energy of the supreme Lord. The only thing that is reality, reality, again I say reality—The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything.”
In between girders came breaths, which today were my steps from one girder to another. In my mind, the girders kept coming, suspended from huge cables and cranes. As soon as I got to the end of one, another came swinging within reach of my next step.
I stepped off each girder into empty space, with faith that the next mantra-girder would immediately manifest and carry me higher and higher, to the top of an endless mantra construction project.
I’m sure this image comes courtesy of Bugs Bunny in “Homeless Hare,” where a meaty galoot of a cigar-chomping construction worker has backhoed Bugs out of his home. (see especially 4:30-5:00)
Haribol, Ekendra, it’s ol’ Grandad Dravida. It was great reading your story by Madhava on news.iskcon.com. Sounds like you’re doing some maha-teaching (I hate “preaching”, don’t you?) through your music. May our Lords bless you to continue and expand your program for many years.
Concerning the verse you quoted, you attributed it (part of the Kevalastaka) to Bhaktivinode Thakur. I always thought this was an anonymous work. Do you have a reference? Also, here’s my little poetic version (you’re welcome to the whole thing if you want to put it to music):
From Brahma’s realm atop the sky down to the lowly grass,
Illusion reigns in Maya-devi’s treacherous morass.
The truth, the truth, the only truth: the Name of Sri Hari.
The Holy Name of Sri Hari is surely all that be.
I loved reading you’re e-mail. I have so much to learn about you’re faith. I always thought that chanting was a time consuming and boring thing to do. I didn’t know it could be expressed so imaginativly. Does your faith allow you to write creatively?
Gareth, thanks for your comment. Counting circuit boards on an assembly line is a time-consuming and boring thing to do. I know because I’ve done it. chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, however, when done with proper attention, gives anyone such great spiritual realizations that all troubles of this world seem insignificant, and all temporary attractions of this world appear as they really are. Creativity is part of God’s nature that everyone shares, so it makes complete sense to use it in God’s service. Otherwise I’d probably go back to watching TV, which isn’t even theoretically any fun. Best wishes! ED