LSD vs. Kirtan

I came across this interesting and kind of amusingly delightful talk from 1969 about LSD and kirtan, by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the poet Allen Ginsberg. (I assume you've heard of LSD before, kirtan is Sanskrit for devotional music/chanting of mantras.) Towards the end they go a bit deeper into the topic of spiritual sound and what is it that makes meditation transcendental.
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Allen: Do you remember a man named Richard Alpert?
Prabhupada: No.
Allen: He used to work with Timothy Leary in Harvard many years ago. Then he worked in India and found a teacher and is now a disciple of Hanumanji, a devotee of Hanuman. We were talking about maya [illusion] and the present condition of America and he said that his teacher in India told him that LSD was a Christ of the Kali-Yuga [the current age, 'Age of Quarrel'] for Westerners in that as the Kali-Yuga got thicker and thicker that also salvation would have to be easier and easier and --
Prabhupada: That is a very nice testament, that in the Kali-Yuga salvation is very easier. That is the version of Srimad-Bhagavatam [a Vedic text] also. But that process is this kirtan, not LSD.
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Allen: Well, the reasoning there was that for those who would only accept salvation in purely material form, in chemical form finally, completely material form, Krishna had the humor to emerge as a pill.
Prabhupada: The thing is that when it is material form, then where is the salvation? It is illusion.
Allen: The subjective affect is to cut out attachment. During the --
Prabhupada: If you have attachment for something material, then where is this cutting attachment? LSD is a material chemical. So if you have to take shelter of LSD, then you take help from matter. So how are you free from matter?
Allen: The subjective experience is that while in the state of intoxication of LSD, you realize that LSD is a material pill, and that it does not really matter.
Prabhupada: That is risky. That is risky.
Allen: So, if LSD is a material attachment, which it is, I think, then is not the sound, the sabda [sound vibration], also a material attachment?
Prabhupada: No. Sabda is spiritual. Originally, just like in Bible it is said, "Let there be creation." This is sound. This is spiritual sound. Creation was not there. The sound produced the creation. Therefore sound is originally spiritual. And from sound, sky developed, from sky air developed, from air fire developed, from fire water developed, from water land developed.
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Allen: Sound is the first element?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Allen: What was the first sound, traditionally?
Prabhupada: The Vedas say OM. So, at least we can understand from your Bible that God said, "Let there be creation," so this is sound, and there is creation. God and His sound are nondifferent ... Absolute. I say, "Mr. Ginsberg." This sound and you are a little different. But God is not different from His energy. Sakti saktimatorabheda. Shakti [energy] and shaktimat [the energetic] are nondifferent. Just like fire and heat. They are nondifferent, but heat is not fire. You cannot differentiate heat from fire or fire from heat. But fire is not heat.
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Chanting in a group, definition of kirtan! Soulful peeps from NYC, photo by William Covintree.

Allen: Well, the sound Krishna --
Prabhupada: Yes, is not different from Krishna.
Allen: Under all circumstances?
Prabhupada: All circumstances, yes. But it is a question of my appreciation, of my realization. That depends on my purity. Otherwise this Krishna sound and Krishna are nondifferent. Therefore, if we vibrate the sound Krishna, then immediately we are in contact with Krishna, and Krishna is pure spirit and immediately I become spiritualized, just like if you touch electricity, immediately you are electrified. And the more you become electrified, the more you become Krishnized. So when you are fully Krishnized, then you are on the Krishna platform. Tvaktadeham punarjanma naiti mameti kaunteya. Then when you are fully Krishnized, you no more come back to this material existence. You remain with Krishna. The impersonalists say "merging." That is less intelligent. Merging does not mean losing individuality. Just like a green bird enters a green tree. It appears to be merging, but the bird has not lost his individuality. There is still individuality.

How I Feel About Drugs and Spirituality

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Often when I talk with people about meditation the question of drugs comes up. Many describe how the psychedelics help them open their mind to new perspectives, push the boundaries of their understanding, and reach higher and higher meditative states. (Check out this website with drawings from a guy who took LSD and made portraits throughout the trip - they get interesting!) Obviously, your perception changes on drugs. And after the drug leaves your system, your perception pretty much returns to how it was before the experience.

Our senses cannot perceive spirit

The problem with drugs and spirituality is that spirit is different from matter. Although spirit has variety, it is anti-matter and not perceivable by our material senses - sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell. We do not really have an entrance into spirit with anything we experience this world through; our senses, mind, or even the intelligence. Spiritual realizations and experiences are blessings that are given to us when we demonstrate sincere desire and effort to receive them. They are not something we can gatecrash our way into by any material means. Matter simply cannot "reach" spirit.

I have heard so many stories how people feel drugs have benefited them on their journey. But also I have heard even more stories of how at some point they realized that this is not necessary - it is actually more of a distraction. Basically, if spirituality is what you really want, you don't need drugs. If what you want is fascinating experiences of the reality melting before your eyes and trips that knock your socks off and then some, drugs may do that for you.

There is an element of selfishness in drug use

I don't have a problem with people doing what they want as long as common sense is involved. But I have a problem with people saying that drugs and spirituality go together. I understand that anything can inspire someone to begin or deepen their journey and that's fine. But an element of selfishness easily sneaks into drug use even if your intention is to widen your perspectives and grow as a person. 

You are indulging in something external and material with the expectations that this will give you something great. All you need is within you already, maybe dormant, but it's still there. And by thinking that you need drugs to access the truth, you are actually covering the truth that much more.

Galileo Galilei says it well

I don't know how popular this post will make me in certain scenes :) I don't mean to get on anybody's case, I'm just sharing my thoughts on a question I hear often. What do you think?

This pic is not perfectly related but just to lighten up: I met these guys a while back and they didn't mind me taking a kind of a funny pic of them with their...party gear. I thought the quote just somehow goes well with it.

15 Interesting Facts About Me Me Me

I saw a list on Haley's blog about 30 things to talk about on 30 different days. It looked interesting and I decided to do it. Here is Day 1: 

Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts

Hi! My name is Bhakti. I am a spirit soul, currently residing within the heart of this 26-year-old body that could use some more exercise. I have obviously not perfected the realization about my spiritual nature, but I'm working on it, and see results daily :D I meditate every morning - I chant the Hare Krishna mantra for about an hour and a half. It goes like this:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

Srila Prabhupada, my spiritual master, translates it as: "Dear Lord [Krishna] and energy of the Lord [Hare], please engage me in Your divine service [Rama]." The idea is to stop hopelessly trying to enjoy dead matter that the world around us is made out of, and to tune into the non-material reality beyond this temporary world via devotional exchanges of love with God and His servants, who essentially mean all of us. Not God, doh ;) there is only One, right? But consciousness is the symptom of a soul. So all people, animals, plants, etc. that are conscious have a soul inside and that means we are all tiny parts of the Supreme Consciousness. And what do parts do? They serve the Whole. So we're all servants of something, and most naturally situated, I would say, when recognizing God as the main person to whom direct our energy and service. From there, it flows everywhere - like, when you water the root of a tree, the whole tree flourishes.

Whoah. Yep that sounds like me on LSD. Lovely to meet you. Ok I'm straight edge, I got you there didn't I? :D 

See Fact #9

15 interesting facts:

1. The name my parents gave me is Anni Marjatta. 

2. My middle name Marjatta literally translates to Berryless. No berries for me.

3. I love blueberries. The real ones, that grow wild in Finnish forests and actually stain your fingers and teeth with purple. Not the big puffy ones that are grown in America. Although I love those too. ORGANIC.

4. I believe there is life on every planet, and between the planets.

5. I'm afraid of animals period.

6. I got married after hanging out with my husband for 2 months. We got engaged after hanging out for a couple of weeks. It's been three happy years now. (edit: we're not together anymore....)

7. I used to have thick crazy dreadlocks. One sunny day I took a friend and a pair of scissors to a park, introduced the two to each other and became really, really short haired.

8. I haven't lived in a house for years now. I live in a Ford cargo van that my hubby converted to run on waste vegetable oil instead of diesel. Ecological and well yes, cramped. (edit: used to, live in Philly now..lol..)

9. During my period I put a special background picture on my desktop that's all pink and says: "It's Raining Cupcakes". It makes me feel sane.

10. I help write a monthly newsletter for Krishna Path and would love you to sign up if you're interested!

11. I'm a pretty good skateboarder as long as I don't need to impress anyone with multiple tricks.

12. I write down everything I eat.

13. The longest I have driven was 17 hours. No caffeine, just iPod and me. I knew Madonna was good for something :D

14. When I was a kid I used to sneak into an old people's nursing home in my town and steal borrow ice cream from the freezer in their cafe.

15. Almost every morning for the past 8 years I've taken a cold shower.

I would gone more wild with my facts but realize my mom reads my blog so this is it folks. Sorry mom for helping myself to the ice cream cones in the nursing home next-door to our house. Please don't tell them :)

Me at Wal-mart parking lot where I woke up and spent this morning: