Written by: Madhava Smullen from ISKCON News.
Video done by: Gour Govinda & Suravarya.
Eleven select international students immersed themselves full-time in ISKCON’s first systematic kirtan course for nearly two months this summer, from June 30th to August 21st, at Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh, Belgium.
During this time they studied the theology behind kirtan, the proper mood and way to perform it, and its history and tradition, and took practical lessons in how to skillfully sing and play instruments to glorify the Lord.
The course was born out of Bhaktivedanta College’s desire to offer something beyond its usual academically accredited courses.
“We all know that ultimately systematic philosophy must give way to a personal experience,” says the course’s spiritual director Sacinandana Swami, who is renowned for his international Japa and Kirtan retreats. “The essence of Bhakti cannot be had by theoretical teaching; only by practical experience. Kirtan is that experience.”
Another key reason for offering the course was that kirtan is prescribed in Vedic scriptures as the yuga dharma, or the path to spiritual perfection in this age.
“ISKCON has many courses where good systematic training is offered,” says Sacinandana Swami. “But a course that taught the yuga dharma was yet to be designed and given.”
Students of the kirtan course
With this in mind, Bhaktivedanta College Director Dinadayal Das and college graduate Manu Das devised a curriculum and brought Sacinandana Swami on board.
Although a larger audience attended select sections of the course, just eleven full-time students were chosen to participate in the entire program, so that each could have personal tutoring from teachers, particularly during practical music lessons.
Although the group was small, it was highly diverse. Hailing from the USA, Spain, Germany, Denmark, the UK and Russia, students ranged in age from 17 to 36 and in background from temple devotees to working professionals. Most importantly, all were eager to learn.
They were in luck, with an extremely busy schedule packed with learning and practical kirtan experience from morning till night.
Sacinandana Swami with the students
Every day at 10:30am, after the traditional temple morning program and breakfast, students would learn the theology and history of kirtan from five highly experienced visiting teachers. Each visiting teacher’s seminar ran for three hours per day and lasted one week.
Sacinandana Swami set the mood of the course with his seminar on the Theology of the Holy Name, based on the book Harinama Chintamani by Vaishnava saint Bhaktivinode Thakur. In it, he covered the secrets of attentive chanting, how to move past offensive chanting, how to enter into a relationship with the Holy Name, and the lessons we can learn from Srila Prabhupada’s amazing relationship with the Holy Name.
Sacinandana Swami’s seminar also included “discovery lectures” in the mornings, as well as experience-oriented workshops, lila kathas and kirtans.
During the week with Kadamba Kanana Swami
Next Kadamba Kanana Swami, a regular teacher at Bhaktivedanta College, discussed the historical mileu kirtan rose from and delved into the biographies of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to look at how he organized his kirtan parties and what melodies and mantras he used. He also covered the kirtan of Chaitanya’s followers, such as Narottam Das Thakur and Srinivas Acharya.
After him, travelling kirtaniya Jahnavi Harrison connected her audience with Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur through prayer, studying his life, and learning and singing his songs, which she says provide guidance and nourishment to every spiritual seeker.
Next Bhaktivedanta College Dean of Studies Krishna Ksetra Swami explored the Chaitanya Vaishnava musical tradition against the wider backdrop of India, teaching students how to explain this rich tradition to others, and playing and discussing relevant samples of music.
Finally former Bhaktivedanta College theology course director Mahendra Das enriched students’ personal appreciation of and commitment to chanting the Holy Name by discussing how the core Vaishnava scriptures describe it as the basic practice in achieving the goal of life.
Kirtan authorities Lokanath Swami, Bhakti Charu Swami and others also surprised students by showing up to spend time speaking Krishna Katha and doing kirtan with them.
In the afternoons, students would take practical lessons in kirtan with resident teachers, most of whom were College graduates and second generation devotees. From Krishangi-lila, they learned vocals and harmonium, from Surabhi Kunja, kartals, and from Balarama Nityananda, mridanga.
Jahnavi Harrison
“It was very personalized, with students getting personal tutoring in addition to their lessons according to their individual level of knowledge and advancement,” says course manager Dinadayal Das.
After the music and vocal lessons, students also spent two hours every evening doing kirtan before Sri Sri Radha-Gopinath, the presiding Deities of Radhadesh.
“In that way, they could engage themselves from 4:30am until the last darshan in front of Radha-Gopinath at 9:00pm – pretty intense!” Dinadayal says.
As a result, the participants began to bond together after just a few days. “Chanting the Holy Name for a long amount of time binds devotees together, because everyone is there for a spiritual experience,” comments Sacinandana Swami.
By the end of the course, students had not only bonded but had had deeply life-changing, transformative experiences. Some began organizing regular evening kirtans in their home communities. Some travelled straight from the course to Varshana, India, for another retreat with Sacinandana Swami. Others who had been new to Krishna consciousness switched to a spiritual lifestyle. And still others took a break from their jobs to travel and spread the Holy Name.
“You don’t often see such a positive change in people in such a short amount of time,” Dinadayal enthuses. “Their hearts were so much changed they wanted to really do something spiritually profound.”
Students during the mridanga practices
Next year’s Kirtan Course at Radhadesh has already been scheduled for June 29th to August 28th 2015 – ten days longer than this year’s — and kirtan singer Madhava has been added to the roster of illustrious visiting teachers. Many have already registered.
Sacinandana Swami is excited about the effects the course could have.
“In the old times, in Europe at least, the central object in every cultured house was a piano,” he says. “People would gather in the evenings and sing together. But the modern entertainment industry has stolen the music from the lips and the hearts of the people. Kirtan gives them back the music of the soul. And everyone enjoys it! That’s how our movement can spread in leaps and bounds – through the yuga dharma. We want to empower people to do that.”
Next Kirtan Course event: read more and registrations
Abighail Rocchi
Student’s diary 2014
Written by Abighail Rocchi.
Week 1
The first week laid the foundation for chanting the holy name: the importance of faith and prayer, focusing the mind and avoiding offences, and forming a relationship with the holy name.Week 2
The second week was fully practical. Three hours on the mridanga in the morning, and an hour each of karatals and harmonium in the afternoon.Week 3
The third week, with Kadamba Kanana Swami, was spent learning about the history and tradition of kirtan, and how music is part of the spiritual world. Students surveyed ISKCON’s pioneer kirtaniyas (Yamuna-devi, Acyutananda, Vishnujana Swami) and recent kirtaniyas (Govinda Swami, Aindra, and Madhava). Kadamba Kanana Swami stressed the importance of listening to the congregation and being attentive to its mood, and including everyone. Students got an opportunity to compose a melody to the maha-mantra, which they sang in the temple room the following evening.Week 4
The fourth week’s visiting teacher was Jahnavi Harrison, who took the students through readings and songs of Saranagati, by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. The week’s objectives were to (1) connect with the author by reading extracts from a biography (2) learn about songs from all six sections of Saranagati (3) feel comfortable reading Bengali transliterations and (4) discover how the songs enhance the maha-mantra. To conclude the week the students made a virtual pilgrimage to the samadhi tomb of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur via film footage, and wrote prayers of gratitude to offer to him. Each student received a packet with some dust from the floor of his chanting room and other small items. Students also heard a short class by Lokanatha Swami about the importance of proper Sanskrit pronunciation when singing. The weekend included the Radhadesh Summer festival, and students were involved: throwing colors in the Holi arena, going onstage with Lokanatha Swami and Kadamba Kanana Swami, and presenting onstage with Jahnavi what they'd learned so far.Week 5
The fifth week Krishna Ksetra Prabhu taught about sonic theory and Indian musical traditions. The practical lessons continued with regular ensemble classes and more opportunities to sing in the temple room in the evening. During all the weeks of the course, students served the community of Radhadesh by helping weed the gardens, making garlands, and sometimes cooking (an Italian student made pizza).Weeks 6 & 7
The last two weeks were busy: theory classes by Mahendra Prabhu, a home program, a wedding, a trip to Goloka Dham in Germany, the Janmastami festival, a play on Srila Prabhupada’s appearance day, and voice and harmonium classes with Hari-bhakti Prabhu. Mahendra took students through references to kirtan in the Gita, the Bhagavatam, and more. The introduction and the conclusion of the Bhagavatam are the same: hearing and chanting destroy all suffering. The soul’s natural function is to express love for and glorify Krishna, and this is kirtan!
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