12 Hour Kirtan in Berlin

By Mangala

Without a temple for almost a year now the devotee community in Berlin is struggling to keep the spirits up and hearts together. What could be better in such a situation than a 12 hour kirtan? Eagerly the devotees gathered to chant congregationally and recharge their spiritual batteries. In Sacinandana Swami’s words: the 12 hour kirtan was a real “jump start” for our devotion. During the chanting we followed three pieces of advice Sacinandana Swami gave us:

1) Stop thinking and start singing! Let go – relax – life has become very easy now: simply sing and hear.

2) Sing from your identity as a spiritual entity, a spiritual soul. Forget your material designations – woman, man, old or young – and sing from your spiritual heart.

3) Chant with feelings of longing for the Lord.

The 12 hours went by as if time had wings – and soon we were back in our daily lives, but with our souls pulsating with new life and surcharged with feelings of connectedness to the merciful, kind, grateful, soft-hearted, attractive and heart-soothing divine couple.