Mantra-rock dance

The Bengali Vaishnava monk Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (also known as “Bhaktivedanta Swami” or simply “Prabhupada”) arrived from India to New York in 1965 with the goal of bringing Gaudiya Vaisnavism to the Western public. He ended up in America at a very opportune time for his mission, when many young people were interested in Indian culture and Hinduism , looking for new forms of "expanding consciousness of spirituality." ^[11] In 1966, Prabhupada opened the first Krishna temple in New York and founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness . At the end of 1966, he asked his student Mukunda and his wife Janaki to establish a Hare Krishna temple in California. ^{[12] [13] [14]} Upon arriving on the West Coast , Mukunda and Janaki met their old friends, two pairs of young people interested in Indian spirituality. These were Sam Spierstra and Melanie Nagel , and Roger Siegel and Joan Campanella . With their assistance, Mukunda rented a former storehouse in the Haight-Ashbury area ^{[15] [16]} (which at that time was America’s largest hippie counterculture center) and opened the Radha Krishna Temple - the first Hare Krishna temple on the West Coast. ^{[12] [17]}

Mukunda and other Hare Krishnas organized a concert with the participation of Prabhupada to introduce the Hate Krishna hate-Ashbury to the Hare Krishna mantra and raise funds to support the San Francisco temple. ^[9] Hayagriva and some other Prabhupada students from the New York Temple found it unacceptable for their spiritual teacher to participate in a concert with “roaring electric guitars, rattling drums, eye-catching floodlights and hundreds of drugged hippies.” ^[18] They believed that in such a place no one could "hear his pure message." ^[18] Despite their objections, Pradhupada, who was in New York at that time, agreed to take part in the Mantra-Rock Dance. ^{[7] [approx. one]}

Sam Spierstra was personally acquainted with the manager of the Grateful Dead Rock Scully , which helped him agree on the participation of this famous San Francisco band in Mantra-Rock Dance. ^{[19] [20]} With the help of Scully and the Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company was invited to participate in the concert. Both bands agreed to perform at a concert for a minimum fee of $ 250. At the initiative of Melanie Nagel, Moby Grape , the still unknown group, was also invited to the concert at that time. ^{[21] [approx. 2]}

Hipster poet Allen Ginsberg agreed not only to take part in Mantra-Rock Dance, but also to introduce Prabhupada to a concert audience. ^{[22] [23]} Ginsberg met Prabhupada a few months earlier in New York. ^[12] He periodically attended Prabhupada’s lectures and kirtans at a New York temple and used his connections to help Prabhupada extend his US visa. ^{[24] [approx. 3]} Even before meeting with Prabhupada, Ginsberg visited the homeland of Krishna in Vrindavan , where he learned about the spiritual practice of chanting “Hare Krishna”. After returning to America, he actively engaged in popularizing the singing of this mantra, making kirtan a part of his philosophy. ^[22] Ginsberg told his audience that singing “Hare Krishna” would certainly bring them to an ecstatic state. ^[25] The poet was pleased that Prabhupada tried to spread the practice of chanting “Hare Krishna” in the United States, but was not in agreement with the Puritan spiritual standards established by the Bengali guru for his students. Like Ginsberg, other counterculture ideologists of the time ( Timothy Leary , Gary Snyder, and Alan Watts ) also found the Prabhupada-preached dogma and practice of singing “Hare Krishna” attractive. ^{[approx. four]}

Choosing the right venue for the concert, the organizers considered two possible options: the Fillmore audience and the Avalon dance hall. Their choice rested on Avalon, since his impresario, Chet Helms , agreed to provide the premises on conditions favorable to the Hare Krishnas, according to which all the proceeds from the concert, in addition to the musicians' fees, expenses related to maintaining order, and some other costs, should have go in favor of the san franciscan temple. ^[26]

The design of the advertising poster was made by one of the first students of Prabhupada Harvey Cohen. Information on the upcoming concert was posted on a psychedelic poster under the image of Prabhupada and requested to bring "pillows, drums, bells, cymbals." ^[27] In order to arouse interest in the upcoming Haight-Ashbury hippie concert, Mukunda published an article in the popular underground psychedelic newspaper San Francisco Oracle titled New Science. ^[28] The article stated that Haight Ashbury would soon visit Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who would conduct daily spiritual programs in the small temple with lectures on the Bhagavad-gita , discussions, singing, playing musical instruments and dancing. At the end of the article, Mukunda noted that the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra and dancing “more effective than hatha or raja yoga , or listening to Ali Akbar Khan under the influence of LSD ...” ^[29]

Prabhupada flew from New York to San Francisco on January 17, 1967. At the airport he was expected by a bright reception, organized with the participation of Allen Ginsberg. Together with Ginsberg, Mukunda and other followers, Prabhupadu was met by a crowd of more than 50 hippies singing “Hare Krishna”. ^[12] Roger Siegel subsequently described this episode as follows:

A few days after Prabhupada arrived, the San Francisco Chronicle , the largest newspaper in San Francisco , published an article entitled “Swami in the Hippie Kingdom — the saint opens a temple in San Francisco”. ^{[31] The} article began as follows: "A holy man from India, whom his friend beatnik poet Allen Ginsberg calls one of the most conservative representatives of his religion, began his missionary work yesterday in the San Francisco hippie paradise." ^[31] A newspaper correspondent asked Prabhupada whether he accepts hippies in his movement, to which he replied: “Hippies or someone else - I do not make any distinctions. Welcome to everyone. ” ^[32]

Mantra-Rock Dance was scheduled for Sunday evening, January 29, 1967. Chet Helms considered that the day and time for the concert were chosen poorly, ^[33] but his fears did not materialize: so many people gathered at the entrance to Avalon on the evening of January 29, that there was a queue for tickets for a whole block. A ticket cost two and a half dollars and was sold at the entrance. ^[34] More than 3,000 people arrived at 8 o’clock and Avalon was filled to capacity. ^{[35] [36]} LSD pioneers Timothy Leary and Ousley Stanley also attended the concert. ^[7] Leary paid for the ticket, while Ousley Stanley was skipped for free. ^[37] Before the concert began, the Hare Krishnas distributed prasadam from orange slices to the public. ^[5] Despite the ban on drug use, many of those who came smoked weed and took LSD. ^{[35] [38]} The role of bodyguards at the concert was performed by the “ Angels of Hell ”. ^{[5] The} biographer of Prabhupada Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami described the audience who came that evening as follows:

The first to enter the scene were the Hare Krishnas and chanted the Hare Krishna mantra on an Indian motif. ^[39] Men were dressed in the mantle of the magician Merlin, ^[39] and women were dressed in a sari . Some of the musicians played along with the Hare Krishnas on their instruments. Incense was smoked on the stage and in all corners of the room. Most of those present were under the influence of drugs, but despite this, the hall was calm. Multi-colored lights burned all around, bright colored highlights flashed across the ceiling, walls and floor. ^[39] Slides depicting Krishna and episodes from his life were projected onto the walls: “Krishna and Arjuna racing on a chariot; Krsna, stealing oil; Krishna, the killing demon who took the form of a tornado; Krsna playing the flute. " ^[40] Following the Hare Krishnas, Moby Grape entered the scene. ^[39] Their performance was met with an approving roar. ^[40]

Prabhupada arrived at Avalon at 10 o’clock. He was dressed in the saffron robes of a Hindu monk , a garland of gardenias hung on his neck. ^[40] When he appeared, the Hare Krishnas blew their sinks as a sign of greeting, and one of the musicians began to beat the drum roll. ^[40] The crowd parted, hummed and applauded in greeting. ^[9] Accompanied by Allen Ginsberg, Prabhupada went on stage, sat down on a pillow specially prepared for him and asked Ginsberg to say a few words about the mantra. ^[40] The poet told the audience about his understanding of the Hare Krishna mantra and what she personally gave him. Ginsberg introduced Prabhupada to the public and thanked the elderly swami for leaving his peaceful and quiet life in India with the goal of bringing the Hare Krishna mantra to where it was most lacking - to the Lower East Side . Ginsberg translated the meaning of the Sanskrit term mantra as "liberation of the mind." “For those who are moving away from LSD, they want to stabilize their consciousness and prepare it for new“ flights ”,” he recommended the “early morning kirtans” in the San Francisco Hare Krishna temple. ^{[9] [41]}

Ginsberg then passed the word to Prabhupada, who briefly told the story of the Hare Krishna mantra and invited the poet to sing it from the stage. Asking the audience to “just pause into the sound vibration and calm down,” ^[5] Ginsberg began to play harmonium and to the accompaniment of a sitar , tambours and drums sang “Hare Krishna” on an Indian motif. The projector highlighted the mantra text on the wall. ^[42] Gradually, the public began to sing along. One of the Hare Krishnas, a former drummer, pounded on the drums. ^{[42] The} pace of kirtana increased and singing spanned the entire hall. Prabhupada got up from his seat, raised his hands and began to dance, gesturing for those present to join. ^[43] Many jumped from their seats, and, following the example of Prabhupada, started to dance with their hands raised up. Members of the Grateful Dead , Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Moby Grape, too, became infected with enthusiasm and played musical instruments. ^{[44] [45]} Prabhupada sang into the microphone and his voice, amplified by powerful speakers, rang through the hall. ^{[43] The} pace of kirtana continuously increased and Prabhupada became wet with sweat. Kirtanananda, who was behind the scenes, asked to stop acting, claiming that Prabhupada was "too old for such things," and that "it could end badly." ^[43] However, the pace of kirtan became faster and faster. Soon, "it was almost impossible to make out the words of the mantra drowned in the amplified music of the speakers and the chorus of thousands of voices." ^[43] Allen Ginsberg subsequently recalled:

Singing lasted almost two hours. In conclusion, all those present prostrated themselves on the floor (as is customary during worship in Hare Krishna temples) and Prabhupada recited prayers in Sanskrit. After Prabhupada withdrew, Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janice Joplin stepped on the scene. They continued the concert by singing The House of the Rising Sun and Ball 'n' Chain . ^{[5] [46]}

Timothy Leary called Mantra-Rock Dance “a beautiful night”, ^[38] and Allen Ginsberg - “the peak of Haight Ashbury’s spiritual enthusiasm.” ^[9] Historian Robert Ellwood described the concert as the “final“ flight ”of the hippie era. ^{[9] [47]}

After performing at Mantra-Rock Dance, a breakthrough occurred in the career of Moby Grape . Soon the band performed at Avalon with The Doors and signed a contract with Columbia Records . ^[four]

Mantra-Rock Dance raised $ 2,000, which went to the aid of the Hare Krishna temple in San Francisco. At the concert, many learned about the existence of the temple and began to attend kirtans and lectures held daily in it. Prabhupada's performance at Mantra-Rock Dance made a deep impression on the hippies of Haight Ashbury. A Krishna guru has become a cult hero for many of them, and this does not matter how they relate to the philosophy and moral principles that he preached. ^[48] The practice of singing “Hare Krishna” and dancing was more or less accepted by all layers of the counterculture, including the “ Angels of Hell ” ^[49] . This provided the hippies with a “free community”, reconciled them ^[48] and gave them a viable alternative to drugs. ^{[50] The} popularity of Hare Krishnas among hippies gradually increased, and soon the appearance of the Hare Krishnas singing and spreading prasadas became one of the hallmarks of the Haight Ashbury scene. ^{[7] [35]}

When the main group of San Francisco Hare Krishnas became more serious in their spiritual practices, Prabhupada ordained them as disciples, giving them names in Sanskrit. ^{[approx. 5]} He called the New San Francisco Temple “The New Jagannatha Puri,” and installed statues of the deities Jagannatha , Baladeva, and Subhadra in it for worship. ^[15] Small wooden copies of these deities immediately became a “psychedelic hit”: many of the local hippies wore them strung around their necks. ^[51]

Mantra-Rock Dance has attracted keen interest in the American public and media to the Hare Krishnas. ^[7] In particular, Prabhupada appeared on The Les Crane Show on ABC , and also talked about Krishna consciousness on the KPFK radio program hosted by American comedian Peter Bergman . ^[52] Prabhupada disciples were also invited to talk about their activities at the KFRC San Francisco radio station . ^[53]

On August 18, 2007, former members of the concert in Berkeley organized celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the Mantra-Rock Dance. ^[54]

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Sources

• Allen Ginsberg Meets Prabhupada at San Francisco Airport on YouTube
• "Mantra-Rock Dance" revisited: commemoration of the 40th anniversary at the People's Park in Berkeley, California