In the Chaitanya Bhagavata, Sri Vrindavan das Thakura attempts to offer some analogies describing the glories of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The moon, Brihaspati and Kamadeva are all rejected as suitable comparisons to the Golden Avatara. Ultimately, Sri Vrindavan das Thakura concedes that the only appropriate comparison is Sri Gopal Himself.
This weekend I attended the 24 hr kirtan in New Vrindavan. From the very beginning of this festival I was trying to compare it to a previous experience only to come up with a blank. I also tried to compare it to some monumental occasions in secular or pop culture like (please forgive me) Woodstock, the advent of the internet, and so many other events. As you can guess the comparisons (at least those that were mundane) all came up short and extremely inadequate.
This 24 hr kirtan was an experience that one always looks forward to and, at least in mundane culture, never reaches. Anyone who is convinced that chanting the maha mantra in the association of sincere Vaisnavas is the best use of human energy should make every attempt to take part in a 24 hr kirtan.
While there were many ecstasies at this yajna there were also many challenges. My mind kept trying to remind me that there were so many other things that I could be doing. My mind would say "Ok you have chanted for several hours now why don't you give something else a try now. Maybe you could go for a walk in the park or you have not checked your email in over a week, why don't you do that?!" However because there were so many sincere Vaisnavas and extremely qualified and devotional singers all day and night we were able to follow our conviction to chant all day and night.
I am hoping that this (24hr kirtan) will become a common activity for our movement. I can see how bonding it is to sit together for hours on end and simply absorb ourselves in kirtan. There were people there that I have never seen or spoken a word to and yet I feel like I could trust them with my life.
So many things could be said about this experience. True realization, however, must accompanied by experience in order to truly be designated as realization. I am hoping that these 24 hr kirtan festivals will become a foundational experience for all of the sincere Vaisnavas in our movement. If you get a chance to attend another 24 hr kirtan yajna please do not hesitate to do whatever it takes to attend with full commitment and attention.
Here is a link to some of the soundbytes from last years 24hr program at NV. My favorites are the first one from Akincina Krishna and the last one by Madhava, but still, they are all worth listening to over and over...
