Wednesday, November 17, 2010

What is Kirtan?

Short answer? Call-and-response chanting, of course. Deep, meaningful, poetic answer?  Read on....

Kirtan is a celebration of life.  As many people walk the earth, as many animals, trees, and flowers, as many rocks, lakes, rivers, grains of sand, and stars in the sky- this is how many forms of the Divine are in existance.  It doesn't matter which forms we celebrate, because they are all perfectly complete in their Divinity.

When I'm with a person, and I look into their eyes, I see a sparkle, a shimmer, a spark of the Divine light that comes from the heart, and I remember that I'm seeing a reflection of God in another.  When I'm alone, in darkness and silence, and I close my eyes, I look inward to my heart and I feel the presence of the Divine.  I feel safe and joyful and loved, and I recognize that these feelings don't come from me, but from a bigger, Universal energy of which I am a small, but important part.  I feel the presence of God in my heart.

Some would have you believe that there is only one way to worship God- only one path to enlightenment or salvation.  But Kirtan is not a religion or a dogma- it is a celebration through sound of the many forms of the Divine.  It recognizes that we all vibrate together as manifestations of that Universal energy.  And as we chant the names of the Divine together, we raise our vibration and we return to that state of love, peace, and bliss, the state of freedom which is our true nature.

See you at kirtan,
Cheryl

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