October 2, 2024 • 39 mins
Govind Das discusses the path of Bhakti yoga.
Govind Das is a California-based kirtan singer, yoga teacher and as his spiritual name suggests, "servant of the divine". He is the co-director/owner of Bhakti Yoga Shala. Govind Das's commitment to Bhakti yoga and the ideals of love, service, and devotion is the essence which is reflected and transmitted through his music and teachings. His intention is to share yoga in the spirit of celebrating life and developing a personal and intimate connection with Source. Along with all things yoga, he is a surfer and loves to play basketball. Govind Das leads evenings of kirtan, bhakti yoga workshops, presents at festivals and leads transformative retreats throughout the world. His wife Jacqueline Michelle is his musical partner as well as partner in life. https://bhaktiyogashala.com
Host Bonnie Burkert melds the worlds of media and higher consciousness, sharing tools for transformation to find our highest truth and live our brightest life. https://www.instagram.com/yogi_bon/
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/truth-be-told-paranormal--3589860/support.
Govind Das is a California-based kirtan singer, yoga teacher and as his spiritual name suggests, "servant of the divine". He is the co-director/owner of Bhakti Yoga Shala. Govind Das's commitment to Bhakti yoga and the ideals of love, service, and devotion is the essence which is reflected and transmitted through his music and teachings. His intention is to share yoga in the spirit of celebrating life and developing a personal and intimate connection with Source. Along with all things yoga, he is a surfer and loves to play basketball. Govind Das leads evenings of kirtan, bhakti yoga workshops, presents at festivals and leads transformative retreats throughout the world. His wife Jacqueline Michelle is his musical partner as well as partner in life. https://bhaktiyogashala.com
Host Bonnie Burkert melds the worlds of media and higher consciousness, sharing tools for transformation to find our highest truth and live our brightest life. https://www.instagram.com/yogi_bon/
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/truth-be-told-paranormal--3589860/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Nation, and I'm Bonnie Burker here to share tools for
transformation to live your highest truth. One thing that's true
for me, and you've heard me say this on other
shows when I've had certain guests that are specialists in
this is I like to chant. I have found that
it helps me get to meditation. So invoking a probably
(00:32):
if I chanted on just any random word, would it
feel the same as if I chanted to Shiva or
Lakshmi or or Krishna. I don't know, And but we'll
talk about that as I have back on the show again,
a special welcome to go ind Us.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Great to see you. Now I must stay, I must stay. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
So the last I was listening to the last episode
that you came on, and we were talking about the
ancient paths of yoga and really kind of taking a
deep look at the sort of early early civilizations understanding
of you know, that part of the world, their understanding
(01:16):
of yoga and time. So what I want to talk
to you about today is more specific to something that
I know you for and that we're excited to see
you at. And it's an upcoming event in Los Angeles
on October fifth at Beta Yoga. You'll be holding a kirton.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yes, we will. It's going to be a very special night.
I'll be there with my wife, Jacqueline Michelle and our
dear friend from Colorado, Sheila Bringey and as well too.
It is, I believe, the very first night of nov
Rotri and love Rotri is nine. Love means nine, Rochri
(01:56):
means nights. It's essentially nine nights of devoted focus and
prayer and worship of the goddess. So it's a very
special holiday. It actually happens twice a year. This is
the fall Novrtri, and we're going to have a wonderful
on that night at Vida Yoga in I believe it's
(02:18):
Culver City, Vida Yoga's new location that's on Los Cienaga Boulevard.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Right, Thanks so much for bringing I'm bringing up Nevrate
because I'd like to learn more about that. So you
mentioned that istri, and so you mentioned it happens twice
a year. So what's the distinction between the event is
it is it fall in spring? And what is the decision?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Fall and spring? Nov Rotrie exactly, and typically this one
and I don't know why, but this Novrotri is is
typically has a little bit more focus of more people
specifically are celebrating and and doing the rituals during this
(03:05):
particular time.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
But again, I'm really sorry. I don't know why that is.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
So you mentioned the goddess. Now I think I've done
a little bit of homework on this and I saw
specifically the goddess, Hindu goddess Durga mentioned in association with this.
Now are we tying in? You know, it's fine. Having
been to a cure tom with you recently, we were
calling the names of it's like the different goddesses, but
(03:34):
technically it's really all different aspects of the goddess. Correct.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
You are absolutely right, You are absolutely.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Right, So break that down a little bit for us.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Yes, Well, you know, see, people commonly think of these
these this Vedic tradition, the spiritual tradition from India as
what's called polytheistic, and on some level it is because
there are many different names of gods and goddesses. But ultimately,
(04:07):
as Mike Gurdunin paroly Baba said, Subek Subek, it means
only one. There's just one god, and this is known
when you know this, it's it's a monotheistic tradition. But
it shows it's that one God shows its face in
(04:31):
many different ways. So yes, one god, or we could
say one goddess, but there are many different faces of
that one goddess. And the three goddesses that are essentially
worshiped during Navrachi are Sutaswati, who is the goddess of
(04:53):
music and the arts and language and increasing our knowledge
and all forms of of dance and expression. This is Sudaswati.
Then there's Lushmi, who's the goddess certainly that most of
us know, is the goddess of abundance and prosperity and
(05:17):
beauty and grace, not only physical prosperity and abundance, but
spiritual prosperity and abundance as well too. And then of
course the last goddess that we're talking about, or the
first goddess that we were talking about, is Durga and
is this warrior ass she's like part warrior esque goddess
(05:40):
that slays and fights the demons of the ego. And
then she's also part like all loving, tender divine mother
that's just like all nurturing to her children. And who
are her children? Us? We are her children. So these
but from those that the one, it expands into many,
(06:04):
but then draws back into the one. So it takes
sort of what could we say, like an expanded mind
and openness just to start to have an understanding and
relation because it's so different than our Western.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Spiritual traditions that most of us have grown up in.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Interesting, indeed, I love this, and I'm kind of thinking
about I had an experience going I went to India
and there were, you know, beautiful temples, and we learned
about the different deities and there were statues and paintings
and you know, all of that, and got very very
into it. And then I on my way home, I
stopped in London and I took a couple of days,
(06:45):
and I decided I wanted to go to Westminster Cathedral
because I think William was it. William had just gotten married.
William and Kate had just gotten married. So I was
on my mind and I saw all the different saints
that they that were painted and celebrated in sculptures in Westminster,
and I was thinking, like, hmmm, how is it really
(07:09):
that different than what I just saw in India? There
were just as many holy you know people or or saints.
I mean to me, it became very there were a
lot of similarities.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yes, well, you know, there's there's a there's this very
old saying the paths are many, but the truth is one.
Or maybe as well it said all rivers lead to
the same ocean. So yes, you know, I believe what
(07:50):
you see in India can certainly be seen in other
spiritual traditions as well too, maybe with different names, but
it's there's definitely connection points between the two.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
It's a beautiful saying. I love that. Definitely share that
out to the world and I feel that in a
way that point that you were making maybe help people
understand a little bit more about the chanting that we do.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
That.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I know you for the Kirtan and Govindas has wonderful events.
I had a chance to see you in Topanga recently
Bakti Fest for many many many years. I know you're
heading to India soon all over and you and Jacquela
Michelle are are beautiful singers. And even if you don't
know exactly what Durga does, I mean you know now
(08:46):
because we learn from you. But just to sing along
with everybody, I just thought you might want to describe
a little bit of leading kirtan through all these years,
what it might be like for some people that are
interested and experimenting with it but don't feel like they
know the mantras.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Well, music and sound and vibration. It's been used in
pretty much every single spiritual culture that I know of Christianity,
you know, Judaism, the Muslim faith, the call to prayer,
(09:28):
so the Buddhists, chanting, every spiritual tradition that I truly
that I.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Know of Native Americans, you know were indigenous tribal.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah, think of the Native Americans, the Native Americans and
the chanting and the flutes, and so the South America,
the Peruvian, the shaman all over. Everybody uses music because
music is this it's like this vehicle to connect with
our hearts, to connect with that higher power. That's something greater,
(10:04):
and it's quite mystical. We can scientifically try to figure
out why, but I think it's even beyond that. There's
just this power to song and to music and to
chanting that goes beyond what our normal language and words
(10:25):
can touch. So, and we know music has this way
of uniting people and bringing people from different faiths and
skin colors and parts of the world together. Music has
this incredible unitive quality. I mean, that's just something I've
been sharing about so much in our Curetons lately. Is
(10:49):
you know, there's just so much division in the world
right now, and obviously we feel it with the election
coming up, and you know, you come into a cuton
and the voices are uniting, the hearts are coming together.
The next thing we know, we're smiling and clapping and
dancing and spinning and twirling with someone we've never even
(11:11):
met before, but we feel like they're our best friends.
And it's so it has this way of dissolving our
judgments and our differences and helping us to remember that
we're that we all are connected, and anything, especially in
(11:35):
this particular time that can help us remember that, I
think is a is a beautiful gift. So that is
a very powerful aspect of Kirton. So, you know, for
people that are new, what I usually say is, you know,
this is the way that every spiritual tradition uses music.
(11:56):
This is what the Yogis have. This has been the
Sudies montren. This has been the soundtrack of yoga for
thousands of years. These ancient mantras have been sung and
chanted as a call to the divine for grace and
for mercy and in gratitude and and love and enjoy.
(12:21):
So I think it takes an open mind just to
try something different. But what I usually say to newer people,
don't even try to figure it out. Just let the
let the experience, invite it in, Let it in, let it,
let it move through. You see, if we can get
out of our constant intellectualizing and just come into our hearts,
(12:47):
even just for a moment, you know, and that's where
it happens. If we can go from here to here,
that's when we can really understand what kirton is about.
And it's vibration, it's frequency. These mantras that we're chanting,
they are called the names of the Divine, and not
(13:12):
only in yoga, not only in Buckta yoga, but all
over the world. It's said that the names of the
divine have this incredible power to clean and clear out
our hearts, to purify our minds, to bestow good fortune
and grace upon us, to purify our karma. So that's
(13:32):
what we're doing in the practice of Kirtan. And yes,
I understand, you know. The the question that we talk
about is, you know, maybe someone dedicated to Jesus or Christianity,
or devoted to their Jewish faith or Muslim faith, Like, well,
(13:54):
am I cheating on Jesus?
Speaker 4 (13:57):
You know?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Am I cheating on Allah? If I'm acting these names
from you know that come from India.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
And my feeling, and this is just my personal feeling
is Look, it's just one God.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
I love this relay. It's this reference to the sun.
There's only one sun that rises and sets every day.
Right in America, we call the sun the sun. If
we go just south of the border here two hours
away from where we live in Los Angeles, what do
they call the sun? They call it soul, But it's
(14:36):
the same sun. If you go to Italy, I believe
they call it solel Right, if you go another quarter
across the world into Asia and to India, it's called Suria,
but it's the same sun, one God that's known by
many different names in different places. So with that understanding
(15:04):
for me, and again that's for me personally, I can
chant the name of the divine in a tradition that
maybe is different than I was brought up with, because
I understand it's just one God, just subech, only one.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Perfect, absolutely exactly what we need to be reminded of
the sun. There's just one God. Now I love that. So,
you know, I told you at the beginning of the call,
I wanted to ask a little bit about your background
and how did you get so smart? I mean, how
did you figure all this out? How how did you
(15:47):
become illuminated with this wisdom that you share so eloquently
and you make it fun and easy to understand.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Thank you. I you know, it's I wasn't born into this.
You know, my parents weren't hippies. They didn't do yoga.
They you know, I grew up on the East coast
(16:16):
in Maryland and there was not even a yoga center
in the city the town that I grew up in.
You know, if sometimes me and my wife we teach
yoga to the kids at my daughter's school, and every
so often, you know, once a year, we do this
International Kids Yoga Day in front of the whole school.
(16:38):
We teach the yoga and I say, all right, kids,
there's six hundred kids here. I say how many of
y'all have done yoga before? And guess what about ninety
five percent of the kids raised their hands.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Wow, that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
When we were kids. If someone had asked that in
our elementary school, it would have been probably less than
one percent of the kids.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Would have done yoga to lapped yoga. What's that?
Speaker 2 (17:02):
What's yoga? Yogurts? What are you talking about? But things
have changed in our world a lot. Yoga. The popularity
in the last fifty years of yoga has spread like wildfire.
So I didn't grow up with it. You know. In college,
(17:26):
I started using psychedelics, mushrooms, mainly smoking some ganja, and
my mind really opened and I started to experience things
like like just feeling that oneness, that interconnectedness, feeling the
actually the presence of the Divine through these in these
(17:52):
altered states, which I believe is what you know, many
indigenous traditions used plant medicine for as sacrament to go
into those altered states to have that sense of communion.
So it worked on me when I use those substances.
When I was young. I came out of college and
(18:17):
I moved to California and I started getting into meditation,
started getting into yoga, and it just it was so
right for me. It was like, this is how I
this is how I want to spend my life. This
(18:38):
is what I want to dedicate my life to. And
then I was handed this tape of Ramdas. If you're
not familiar with Ramdas, here's an image of Ramdas. Oh yes,
And it was like that the words that he was
(19:01):
spoking hit home so deep. That was like, that's the
path that I want to follow. And so he was
mostly speaking about his Guru, who is Nimkrooli Baba. Maybe
you've seen an image of him before I have, yes.
And he was also speaking about Hanuman Oka. Hanuman is
(19:27):
this monkey god, this divine monkey who's the embodiment of
service and devotion and love. And one pointed focus on
making our connection to the divine the most important thing
in our lives. So I heard ram Das talking about
this path of Bukdi Buckdi yoga, the path of love,
(19:49):
the path of the heart, the path of devotion, and
that was it. It was like my path I just
became clear. And that was when I was about twenty
four years old. Now I'm fifty.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Three, so almost thirty years now, I can't.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Even believe it.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
And uh.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
And I've just like been to India twenty five times.
The first time I heard Kirton it was like, that's it.
That's how I want to spend this life, singing kirtan chanting,
singing to the divine, singing my love and gratitude for
(20:31):
the miracle of this life. This is how I want
to spend this life. This is the most important thing
to me. So, you know, with going to India with
you know, spending time with Rahmdas and Krishnadas and going
to Nimkroli Baba's ashrams and being with Jaiutal and many
(20:54):
other elders in this on this particular path and in
this Pacific tradition, you know, I feel like it's really
just sitting at their feet the blessings have come and
just so infinitely grateful for those great ones, because that's
(21:14):
how we greet We get it, We get it from
those that have walked the path before us.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Right, It's wonderful to have the teachers. Yeah, I mean
you're describing. I mean it's interesting because they say that
we're in this time where we don't need gurus the
way maybe that tradition is evolving. Do you know what
I'm saying about that you've heard maybe heard that somewhere.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Along I hear that I hear that from people a lot,
but I can't say I necessarily agree with it.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Okay, tell us tell us your thoughts around that.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Well, you know, there's this popular opinion in our sort
of new age world that you you are your own guru.
You are your own guru. True, And I get that
because any external guru, any of these beings, they are
(22:14):
ultimately designed to point us to the Guru that lives
within our hearts. From the Yoga tradition, the sut Guru
lives within our hearts as the true self, that is
the ultimate Guru. And the role of any external guru
is to point us towards that Guru that lives within.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
But if we don't have these external gurus, we're just
going to be wandering around, like you know, with with
thinking that very easily our ego can trick us into
thinking that we know what's right. Well, there are these
these beings that have incarnated on the earth.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
That are what are called Siddha's fully enlightened beings. Bodhi
Suck was here literally just to help others. That's why
they've incarnated. So that's how we learn is from from
from the grace and the wisdom that these these saints
(23:24):
that you were talking about, these great saints that you
saw in the cathedral, that the saints and in all
of these traditions, I'm specifically related to have relationship with
these saints. In the Yogic tradition. You can see even
behind me a bunch of these. You know, Ramana, Maharshi,
par Mahansa, Yoga, Nanda Ama who's still living. You know,
(23:45):
Rama Krishna, nim proly Baba. As I mentioned before, these
they have shared the pure essence of the Vedas, the truth,
the knowledge that comes from this five ten thousand year
old spiritual tradition of India. So you know, without them,
(24:06):
what are we just going to make things up and
think that we know. No, we have to be humble
and followers. Sham Das this was my Maybe you knew.
Shamdas came to Bucktyfest many many times. Yes, right here
on this far, this is where these fingers are. He
(24:27):
passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident in India. I
think it was like close to ten years ago. And
he always said, just be a follower, don't try to
be the master, don't try to be the guru. Just
(24:48):
be the follower, follow those that know, follow those that
have real wisdom, be servants of them, because there's only know.
In our modern day world, there's this, this whole thing.
We want to be the master, the master of this,
but there's only one true master, and that's of course, God, Vuru,
(25:13):
whatever you want to call it. You know, whatever name
you call, as we've talked about, there's so many names.
That's the ultimate master, and let's follow that highest wisdom.
So that's that's my specific feeling.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
And to.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Deny that there are great beings that have incarnated on
the path and in this world that truly know, that
are enlightened, great beings like the Buddhas and of the
world like, it's cutting us off from that endless stream
of wisdom that has been passed down generation through generation
(25:52):
throughout time. So that's my feeling.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Look that you're right, and I get it, and I've
thin as I think it through. I mean, in a
lot of ways, I do love the call to turn
inwards and hear the inner voice, which meditation and I think,
as mentioned before, this mantra work can get us to
that meditation, to hear the voice and the internal guidance.
(26:20):
Yet at the same time, I think you made such
an important point. Don't let it turn into any kind
of an arrogance that you stop learning or stop seeking
further truth to continue to transcend.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
I love that. And look, and the reason I believe
why there's this sort of almost anti guru movement is
one because of sort of a faulty understanding, and two
because there's been so many gurus that have come from
(26:56):
India to the West that have taken advantage of this
students and disciples, whether it's sexual misconduct that we've heard
about endlessly, and financial you know misconduct as well too,
and on and on, and when I talk about the
(27:19):
faulty understanding, because people don't you know, essentially, you surrender
to the guru. That's how the guru works. You must
surrender to the guru. But what are you surrendering to
the Guru. You're surrendering your ego, your ego itself to
(27:40):
the higher wisdom, the higher self. And if it is
a true, sincere guru, that Guru doesn't want anything from you.
The only thing that Guru is doing is pointing you
back to the Guru that lives within yourself as that
high wisdom. That's the nature of the burdu so and
(28:08):
from that perspective, that's what we surrender to. We surrender
to that energy that is pointing us back to the
truth that lives within us.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Uh huh wahe Guru, namaste all those words. No, it's
I couldn't agree more. It's it's a beautiful it's a
beautiful tradition and it's a beautiful perspective on the times
we're in because this is a very very old the
teacher student relationship is long standing, and I think it's
(28:42):
a it's actually you're really inviting us to re explore
that in a different way. I mean, none of us
are above needing to learn more, and we certainly don't
want to be closed off to people that are shiny,
as I like to say, the people that come with
advanced knowledge that we can learn from as I am
(29:03):
learning from you.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
So from you, I get so much from I just
love you so much, Bonnie. You just have such a
sweet kindness from you that emanates from you. So thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
So I like to talk about tools for transformation always, right,
So we're definitely talking about you know a lot of
there's just so many layers to even just what your
your devotional path has been all right, and how those
could be tools for people. But I thought it might
be fun to actually speak about some of the actual
mantras that one might hear when in a kureton with
(29:42):
you or others, and maybe you know we mentioned maybe
you want to start with some of the ones to
god us and Navarati and and what it's like for
you as you're picking a You know, I come from
the music business, so I'm going there. I'm saying your
set list as you put you together your set list?
(30:02):
Is it spontaneous? Do you know what you're going to
play for us? I mean, you work with a band.
The times I've seen you, it can be a jam,
but it can also be really sweet and blissful and calming.
So I thought it might be funy to talk a
little bit about your music and the mantras that you
weave into that music and vice versa.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Sure, you know, yes, when we play with When I'm
playing with a band, and whether that's small or big,
there has to be some understanding of what we're going
to chance. So there is rehearsing, and I think a
(30:45):
little different than a pop band or a rock band,
where there's all of these different parts that have to
be rehearsed. Kirtan is at least my expression of kirton
is much simpler. And as we know, it's so repetitive
as well too. So for instance, enchanting to the Divine Mother,
(31:13):
we've been chanting. You know, this one mantra that is
just sort of sums up all cured tongue to the
divine Mother is Jayamah. Right, Jaya means victory, and Ma
is this universal word for Mother Jamah victory to the Mother.
And when we say victory to the Mother is as
(31:35):
we said earlier, like we were talking about what I
find so beautiful that comes from the Eastern traditions, is
one of the ways that we can relate to God
is as God is goddess that she is, that all
pervasive divine force of the universe. So we have these names,
(32:01):
but this one almost generic name for all of these
goddesses is Ma Jamah victory tom. But when we say jama,
we're not only speaking to the goddess out there. But
how about Mother Earth? In India, Mother Earth is considered
a goddess Boomy Davy. She's known as And what about
(32:23):
all creatures that live on this earth, whether it's humans
or dogs, or cats or snakes, or how about the
trees and the rivers and the oceans and on and
on and on. So when we chant jam, we're praising
and offering love to all that is.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
In that.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Feminine energy, because at least from the Yogic perspective of
everything that has form in this world has is that
manifestation of the Goddess herself. So and not only our
bodies in the earth, but how about like Mother Mother
(33:10):
Moon we talk about as well too. Definitely, So jay Ma,
I just love this chant you know, because it because
it encompasses all of that, and you close your eyes
and you sing, and you can just kind of surf
and weave through all of these different expressions of the
(33:31):
Divine Mother. So and then what we we've been doing
as well too in this one is is chanting to
the different goddesses like Jaya, Khalim, Jaya, Durga, Ma, Jaya, Lukshmi, Ma, Sutas.
We talked about these different aspects of the goddess and
(33:52):
different faces of the Goddess. So these are chants to
the Divine Mother. I owe always love chanting Tousita and
Rama as well. Too, And you know, some of the
mantras that we chant are more traditional compositions that have
been passed down through the generations in India. And then
(34:13):
I love to compose these mantras as well too. And
then you know, pretty much every kirtan we chant what's
called the Maha mantra, the Haidi Krishna Maha mantra, which
is Hadi Krishna Krishna Krishna hoday hari Ramamrama hoday Hoadi,
which is probably the mantra that's penetrated deepest into our
(34:35):
Western culture than any of the Kirtan mantras. You know,
whether you heard it as we joke about as at
the airports when you were young, that the monks would sing,
or maybe you heard it through George Harrison, my sweet Lord,
or you heard it, you know as well, maybe in
the movie Airplane. The Maha mantra, this hard Krishna mantra
(35:00):
has penetrated so so deeply in our culture. And and
I always joke that, you know, the first time I
remember it was at an airport and we were I
was with my parents and they grabbed my hands tightly
and they said, let's get out of here. Quickly and
walked as quick as they could in the opposite direction,
you know, because they thought it was weird, or.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
They knew that you were going to be very interested.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
But maybe it was their worst night there, you know,
but now I'm even chatting, maybe that was their worst night.
Their kid would chant it. But hey, what you resist persists, right?
But and again, what are all of these mantras? My
belief truly is that they are just love. They are
love in a form of vibra, frequency of love, a
(35:52):
vibration of love. So if we can just keep them
on our lips, in our mind and in our hearts,
they can help us resonate in that same frequency and
in that same vibration. That's what mantra is all about.
You know the meaning of this word mantra is you know,
(36:14):
to mn us is the mind trah. It means to protect.
So when we chant mantra, we're protecting the mind. Well
what are we protecting the mind from all of the
crazy places that our mind typically goes into? And if
we are brought back over and over and over again
(36:36):
to the present moment, which is ultimately all we have
right here and then now.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
It works for me fantastic, beautiful. I hope everybody has
a chance to see Govindas and live in person somewhere
along the way and you're in your worldly travels, you know,
catch a kirtan with Govindas and Jacqueline Michelle.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Thank you and please come and those of you' all
in Los Angeles. We have a very special event coming
up at Veda Yoga on October fifth. As we spoke
about a bit with our friend Shila Bringey who's going
to also be leading chats that night, who is just divine.
I mean, her music is so beautiful. So it's going
(37:21):
to be at Veda Yoga at on Los Sienaga.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
On October fifth. I'm here to back you up on
that absolutely, and I mean it's really a true I
feel like in a way, these Kirton, these chant concerts,
if you will, whatever you'd like to do, the mantra music,
it's almost it's like the new Yoga, which I joke
about because yoga, unfortunately that's referencing yoga is the exercise yoga.
(37:47):
You and I both know yoga far far transcends the
matt the down dog, the sun salutation. So again, come
and have that experience wherever you may be. And your
music is on Spotify. I know I was listening. And
your website is Bakti Yoga Shala s h a l
(38:08):
a dot com so people can find out more about
you and all the different places you'll be. So this
has been super enlightening, you know, part two, So I
think we're gonna have to do a part three. There's
so much to talk about, but I'm very grateful for
you and I can't wait to see you super soon.
So thank you so much, and I must stay.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Thank you so much, Bonnie, Thanks everybody.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
Isn't it beautiful to talk about? Just again? This is
a tool mantra. Singing the mantras of the divine can
be a tool for you in meditation. If you have
any questions, please know I'm here to answer them for you.
So be in touch with us at Truth Be Told
and Truth be Told Transformation. Don't forget. Tony's got his
show on live Fridays at three pm Pacific. If you
(38:55):
want to join the chat room to say hello to him,
look for episodes from Robert and also Queer from the
Other Side. Did I get the name right? Tony's here
in the studio with me thank you as always, and
another opportunity. In addition to October fifth, October fourth is
planned to spend the weekend with Truth Be Told, Team
(39:16):
Truth Be Told Team Club Paranormal coldby Rebel. We'll be
having a psychic experience up in Santa Clarita, so you
can go to Parapodfest dot com for Parapodfestival dot com
for all the details. And that's Friday the fourth and
up in Santa Clarita at the at the Main Theater. Okay,
(39:39):
so again, any questions you can find us at Truthbetold
dot com and Club Pair Parapodfestival dot com. We're really
excited to see you in person. We appreciate all the listens,
the likes, the love and until the next time, shine on.
Nation, and I'm Bonnie Burker here to share tools for
transformation to live your highest truth. One thing that's true
for me, and you've heard me say this on other
shows when I've had certain guests that are specialists in
this is I like to chant. I have found that
it helps me get to meditation. So invoking a probably
(00:32):
if I chanted on just any random word, would it
feel the same as if I chanted to Shiva or
Lakshmi or or Krishna. I don't know, And but we'll
talk about that as I have back on the show again,
a special welcome to go ind Us.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Great to see you. Now I must stay, I must stay. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
So the last I was listening to the last episode
that you came on, and we were talking about the
ancient paths of yoga and really kind of taking a
deep look at the sort of early early civilizations understanding
of you know, that part of the world, their understanding
(01:16):
of yoga and time. So what I want to talk
to you about today is more specific to something that
I know you for and that we're excited to see
you at. And it's an upcoming event in Los Angeles
on October fifth at Beta Yoga. You'll be holding a kirton.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yes, we will. It's going to be a very special night.
I'll be there with my wife, Jacqueline Michelle and our
dear friend from Colorado, Sheila Bringey and as well too.
It is, I believe, the very first night of nov
Rotri and love Rotri is nine. Love means nine, Rochri
(01:56):
means nights. It's essentially nine nights of devoted focus and
prayer and worship of the goddess. So it's a very
special holiday. It actually happens twice a year. This is
the fall Novrtri, and we're going to have a wonderful
on that night at Vida Yoga in I believe it's
(02:18):
Culver City, Vida Yoga's new location that's on Los Cienaga Boulevard.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Right, Thanks so much for bringing I'm bringing up Nevrate
because I'd like to learn more about that. So you
mentioned that istri, and so you mentioned it happens twice
a year. So what's the distinction between the event is
it is it fall in spring? And what is the decision?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Fall and spring? Nov Rotrie exactly, and typically this one
and I don't know why, but this Novrotri is is
typically has a little bit more focus of more people
specifically are celebrating and and doing the rituals during this
(03:05):
particular time.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
But again, I'm really sorry. I don't know why that is.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
So you mentioned the goddess. Now I think I've done
a little bit of homework on this and I saw
specifically the goddess, Hindu goddess Durga mentioned in association with this.
Now are we tying in? You know, it's fine. Having
been to a cure tom with you recently, we were
calling the names of it's like the different goddesses, but
(03:34):
technically it's really all different aspects of the goddess. Correct.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
You are absolutely right, You are absolutely.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Right, So break that down a little bit for us.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Yes, Well, you know, see, people commonly think of these
these this Vedic tradition, the spiritual tradition from India as
what's called polytheistic, and on some level it is because
there are many different names of gods and goddesses. But ultimately,
(04:07):
as Mike Gurdunin paroly Baba said, Subek Subek, it means
only one. There's just one god, and this is known
when you know this, it's it's a monotheistic tradition. But
it shows it's that one God shows its face in
(04:31):
many different ways. So yes, one god, or we could
say one goddess, but there are many different faces of
that one goddess. And the three goddesses that are essentially
worshiped during Navrachi are Sutaswati, who is the goddess of
(04:53):
music and the arts and language and increasing our knowledge
and all forms of of dance and expression. This is Sudaswati.
Then there's Lushmi, who's the goddess certainly that most of
us know, is the goddess of abundance and prosperity and
(05:17):
beauty and grace, not only physical prosperity and abundance, but
spiritual prosperity and abundance as well too. And then of
course the last goddess that we're talking about, or the
first goddess that we were talking about, is Durga and
is this warrior ass she's like part warrior esque goddess
(05:40):
that slays and fights the demons of the ego. And
then she's also part like all loving, tender divine mother
that's just like all nurturing to her children. And who
are her children? Us? We are her children. So these
but from those that the one, it expands into many,
(06:04):
but then draws back into the one. So it takes
sort of what could we say, like an expanded mind
and openness just to start to have an understanding and
relation because it's so different than our Western.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Spiritual traditions that most of us have grown up in.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Interesting, indeed, I love this, and I'm kind of thinking
about I had an experience going I went to India
and there were, you know, beautiful temples, and we learned
about the different deities and there were statues and paintings
and you know, all of that, and got very very
into it. And then I on my way home, I
stopped in London and I took a couple of days,
(06:45):
and I decided I wanted to go to Westminster Cathedral
because I think William was it. William had just gotten married.
William and Kate had just gotten married. So I was
on my mind and I saw all the different saints
that they that were painted and celebrated in sculptures in Westminster,
and I was thinking, like, hmmm, how is it really
(07:09):
that different than what I just saw in India? There
were just as many holy you know people or or saints.
I mean to me, it became very there were a
lot of similarities.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yes, well, you know, there's there's a there's this very
old saying the paths are many, but the truth is one.
Or maybe as well it said all rivers lead to
the same ocean. So yes, you know, I believe what
(07:50):
you see in India can certainly be seen in other
spiritual traditions as well too, maybe with different names, but
it's there's definitely connection points between the two.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
It's a beautiful saying. I love that. Definitely share that
out to the world and I feel that in a
way that point that you were making maybe help people
understand a little bit more about the chanting that we do.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
That.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I know you for the Kirtan and Govindas has wonderful events.
I had a chance to see you in Topanga recently
Bakti Fest for many many many years. I know you're
heading to India soon all over and you and Jacquela
Michelle are are beautiful singers. And even if you don't
know exactly what Durga does, I mean you know now
(08:46):
because we learn from you. But just to sing along
with everybody, I just thought you might want to describe
a little bit of leading kirtan through all these years,
what it might be like for some people that are
interested and experimenting with it but don't feel like they
know the mantras.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Well, music and sound and vibration. It's been used in
pretty much every single spiritual culture that I know of Christianity,
you know, Judaism, the Muslim faith, the call to prayer,
(09:28):
so the Buddhists, chanting, every spiritual tradition that I truly
that I.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Know of Native Americans, you know were indigenous tribal.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah, think of the Native Americans, the Native Americans and
the chanting and the flutes, and so the South America,
the Peruvian, the shaman all over. Everybody uses music because
music is this it's like this vehicle to connect with
our hearts, to connect with that higher power. That's something greater,
(10:04):
and it's quite mystical. We can scientifically try to figure
out why, but I think it's even beyond that. There's
just this power to song and to music and to
chanting that goes beyond what our normal language and words
(10:25):
can touch. So, and we know music has this way
of uniting people and bringing people from different faiths and
skin colors and parts of the world together. Music has
this incredible unitive quality. I mean, that's just something I've
been sharing about so much in our Curetons lately. Is
(10:49):
you know, there's just so much division in the world
right now, and obviously we feel it with the election
coming up, and you know, you come into a cuton
and the voices are uniting, the hearts are coming together.
The next thing we know, we're smiling and clapping and
dancing and spinning and twirling with someone we've never even
(11:11):
met before, but we feel like they're our best friends.
And it's so it has this way of dissolving our
judgments and our differences and helping us to remember that
we're that we all are connected, and anything, especially in
(11:35):
this particular time that can help us remember that, I
think is a is a beautiful gift. So that is
a very powerful aspect of Kirton. So, you know, for
people that are new, what I usually say is, you know,
this is the way that every spiritual tradition uses music.
(11:56):
This is what the Yogis have. This has been the
Sudies montren. This has been the soundtrack of yoga for
thousands of years. These ancient mantras have been sung and
chanted as a call to the divine for grace and
for mercy and in gratitude and and love and enjoy.
(12:21):
So I think it takes an open mind just to
try something different. But what I usually say to newer people,
don't even try to figure it out. Just let the
let the experience, invite it in, Let it in, let it,
let it move through. You see, if we can get
out of our constant intellectualizing and just come into our hearts,
(12:47):
even just for a moment, you know, and that's where
it happens. If we can go from here to here,
that's when we can really understand what kirton is about.
And it's vibration, it's frequency. These mantras that we're chanting,
they are called the names of the Divine, and not
(13:12):
only in yoga, not only in Buckta yoga, but all
over the world. It's said that the names of the
divine have this incredible power to clean and clear out
our hearts, to purify our minds, to bestow good fortune
and grace upon us, to purify our karma. So that's
(13:32):
what we're doing in the practice of Kirtan. And yes,
I understand, you know. The the question that we talk
about is, you know, maybe someone dedicated to Jesus or Christianity,
or devoted to their Jewish faith or Muslim faith, Like, well,
(13:54):
am I cheating on Jesus?
Speaker 4 (13:57):
You know?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Am I cheating on Allah? If I'm acting these names
from you know that come from India.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
And my feeling, and this is just my personal feeling
is Look, it's just one God.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
I love this relay. It's this reference to the sun.
There's only one sun that rises and sets every day.
Right in America, we call the sun the sun. If
we go just south of the border here two hours
away from where we live in Los Angeles, what do
they call the sun? They call it soul, But it's
(14:36):
the same sun. If you go to Italy, I believe
they call it solel Right, if you go another quarter
across the world into Asia and to India, it's called Suria,
but it's the same sun, one God that's known by
many different names in different places. So with that understanding
(15:04):
for me, and again that's for me personally, I can
chant the name of the divine in a tradition that
maybe is different than I was brought up with, because
I understand it's just one God, just subech, only one.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Perfect, absolutely exactly what we need to be reminded of
the sun. There's just one God. Now I love that. So,
you know, I told you at the beginning of the call,
I wanted to ask a little bit about your background
and how did you get so smart? I mean, how
did you figure all this out? How how did you
(15:47):
become illuminated with this wisdom that you share so eloquently
and you make it fun and easy to understand.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Thank you. I you know, it's I wasn't born into this.
You know, my parents weren't hippies. They didn't do yoga.
They you know, I grew up on the East coast
(16:16):
in Maryland and there was not even a yoga center
in the city the town that I grew up in.
You know, if sometimes me and my wife we teach
yoga to the kids at my daughter's school, and every
so often, you know, once a year, we do this
International Kids Yoga Day in front of the whole school.
(16:38):
We teach the yoga and I say, all right, kids,
there's six hundred kids here. I say how many of
y'all have done yoga before? And guess what about ninety
five percent of the kids raised their hands.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Wow, that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
When we were kids. If someone had asked that in
our elementary school, it would have been probably less than
one percent of the kids.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Would have done yoga to lapped yoga. What's that?
Speaker 2 (17:02):
What's yoga? Yogurts? What are you talking about? But things
have changed in our world a lot. Yoga. The popularity
in the last fifty years of yoga has spread like wildfire.
So I didn't grow up with it. You know. In college,
(17:26):
I started using psychedelics, mushrooms, mainly smoking some ganja, and
my mind really opened and I started to experience things
like like just feeling that oneness, that interconnectedness, feeling the
actually the presence of the Divine through these in these
(17:52):
altered states, which I believe is what you know, many
indigenous traditions used plant medicine for as sacrament to go
into those altered states to have that sense of communion.
So it worked on me when I use those substances.
When I was young. I came out of college and
(18:17):
I moved to California and I started getting into meditation,
started getting into yoga, and it just it was so
right for me. It was like, this is how I
this is how I want to spend my life. This
(18:38):
is what I want to dedicate my life to. And
then I was handed this tape of Ramdas. If you're
not familiar with Ramdas, here's an image of Ramdas. Oh yes,
And it was like that the words that he was
(19:01):
spoking hit home so deep. That was like, that's the
path that I want to follow. And so he was
mostly speaking about his Guru, who is Nimkrooli Baba. Maybe
you've seen an image of him before I have, yes.
And he was also speaking about Hanuman Oka. Hanuman is
(19:27):
this monkey god, this divine monkey who's the embodiment of
service and devotion and love. And one pointed focus on
making our connection to the divine the most important thing
in our lives. So I heard ram Das talking about
this path of Bukdi Buckdi yoga, the path of love,
(19:49):
the path of the heart, the path of devotion, and
that was it. It was like my path I just
became clear. And that was when I was about twenty
four years old. Now I'm fifty.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Three, so almost thirty years now, I can't.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Even believe it.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
And uh.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
And I've just like been to India twenty five times.
The first time I heard Kirton it was like, that's it.
That's how I want to spend this life, singing kirtan chanting,
singing to the divine, singing my love and gratitude for
(20:31):
the miracle of this life. This is how I want
to spend this life. This is the most important thing
to me. So, you know, with going to India with
you know, spending time with Rahmdas and Krishnadas and going
to Nimkroli Baba's ashrams and being with Jaiutal and many
(20:54):
other elders in this on this particular path and in
this Pacific tradition, you know, I feel like it's really
just sitting at their feet the blessings have come and
just so infinitely grateful for those great ones, because that's
(21:14):
how we greet We get it, We get it from
those that have walked the path before us.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Right, It's wonderful to have the teachers. Yeah, I mean
you're describing. I mean it's interesting because they say that
we're in this time where we don't need gurus the
way maybe that tradition is evolving. Do you know what
I'm saying about that you've heard maybe heard that somewhere.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Along I hear that I hear that from people a lot,
but I can't say I necessarily agree with it.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Okay, tell us tell us your thoughts around that.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Well, you know, there's this popular opinion in our sort
of new age world that you you are your own guru.
You are your own guru. True, And I get that
because any external guru, any of these beings, they are
(22:14):
ultimately designed to point us to the Guru that lives
within our hearts. From the Yoga tradition, the sut Guru
lives within our hearts as the true self, that is
the ultimate Guru. And the role of any external guru
is to point us towards that Guru that lives within.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
But if we don't have these external gurus, we're just
going to be wandering around, like you know, with with
thinking that very easily our ego can trick us into
thinking that we know what's right. Well, there are these
these beings that have incarnated on the earth.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
That are what are called Siddha's fully enlightened beings. Bodhi
Suck was here literally just to help others. That's why
they've incarnated. So that's how we learn is from from
from the grace and the wisdom that these these saints
(23:24):
that you were talking about, these great saints that you
saw in the cathedral, that the saints and in all
of these traditions, I'm specifically related to have relationship with
these saints. In the Yogic tradition. You can see even
behind me a bunch of these. You know, Ramana, Maharshi,
par Mahansa, Yoga, Nanda Ama who's still living. You know,
(23:45):
Rama Krishna, nim proly Baba. As I mentioned before, these
they have shared the pure essence of the Vedas, the truth,
the knowledge that comes from this five ten thousand year
old spiritual tradition of India. So you know, without them,
(24:06):
what are we just going to make things up and
think that we know. No, we have to be humble
and followers. Sham Das this was my Maybe you knew.
Shamdas came to Bucktyfest many many times. Yes, right here
on this far, this is where these fingers are. He
(24:27):
passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident in India. I
think it was like close to ten years ago. And
he always said, just be a follower, don't try to
be the master, don't try to be the guru. Just
(24:48):
be the follower, follow those that know, follow those that
have real wisdom, be servants of them, because there's only know.
In our modern day world, there's this, this whole thing.
We want to be the master, the master of this,
but there's only one true master, and that's of course, God, Vuru,
(25:13):
whatever you want to call it. You know, whatever name
you call, as we've talked about, there's so many names.
That's the ultimate master, and let's follow that highest wisdom.
So that's that's my specific feeling.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
And to.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Deny that there are great beings that have incarnated on
the path and in this world that truly know, that
are enlightened, great beings like the Buddhas and of the
world like, it's cutting us off from that endless stream
of wisdom that has been passed down generation through generation
(25:52):
throughout time. So that's my feeling.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Look that you're right, and I get it, and I've
thin as I think it through. I mean, in a
lot of ways, I do love the call to turn
inwards and hear the inner voice, which meditation and I think,
as mentioned before, this mantra work can get us to
that meditation, to hear the voice and the internal guidance.
(26:20):
Yet at the same time, I think you made such
an important point. Don't let it turn into any kind
of an arrogance that you stop learning or stop seeking
further truth to continue to transcend.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
I love that. And look, and the reason I believe
why there's this sort of almost anti guru movement is
one because of sort of a faulty understanding, and two
because there's been so many gurus that have come from
(26:56):
India to the West that have taken advantage of this
students and disciples, whether it's sexual misconduct that we've heard
about endlessly, and financial you know misconduct as well too,
and on and on, and when I talk about the
(27:19):
faulty understanding, because people don't you know, essentially, you surrender
to the guru. That's how the guru works. You must
surrender to the guru. But what are you surrendering to
the Guru. You're surrendering your ego, your ego itself to
(27:40):
the higher wisdom, the higher self. And if it is
a true, sincere guru, that Guru doesn't want anything from you.
The only thing that Guru is doing is pointing you
back to the Guru that lives within yourself as that
high wisdom. That's the nature of the burdu so and
(28:08):
from that perspective, that's what we surrender to. We surrender
to that energy that is pointing us back to the
truth that lives within us.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Uh huh wahe Guru, namaste all those words. No, it's
I couldn't agree more. It's it's a beautiful it's a
beautiful tradition and it's a beautiful perspective on the times
we're in because this is a very very old the
teacher student relationship is long standing, and I think it's
(28:42):
a it's actually you're really inviting us to re explore
that in a different way. I mean, none of us
are above needing to learn more, and we certainly don't
want to be closed off to people that are shiny,
as I like to say, the people that come with
advanced knowledge that we can learn from as I am
(29:03):
learning from you.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
So from you, I get so much from I just
love you so much, Bonnie. You just have such a
sweet kindness from you that emanates from you. So thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
So I like to talk about tools for transformation always, right,
So we're definitely talking about you know a lot of
there's just so many layers to even just what your
your devotional path has been all right, and how those
could be tools for people. But I thought it might
be fun to actually speak about some of the actual
mantras that one might hear when in a kureton with
(29:42):
you or others, and maybe you know we mentioned maybe
you want to start with some of the ones to
god us and Navarati and and what it's like for
you as you're picking a You know, I come from
the music business, so I'm going there. I'm saying your
set list as you put you together your set list?
(30:02):
Is it spontaneous? Do you know what you're going to
play for us? I mean, you work with a band.
The times I've seen you, it can be a jam,
but it can also be really sweet and blissful and calming.
So I thought it might be funy to talk a
little bit about your music and the mantras that you
weave into that music and vice versa.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Sure, you know, yes, when we play with When I'm
playing with a band, and whether that's small or big,
there has to be some understanding of what we're going
to chance. So there is rehearsing, and I think a
(30:45):
little different than a pop band or a rock band,
where there's all of these different parts that have to
be rehearsed. Kirtan is at least my expression of kirton
is much simpler. And as we know, it's so repetitive
as well too. So for instance, enchanting to the Divine Mother,
(31:13):
we've been chanting. You know, this one mantra that is
just sort of sums up all cured tongue to the
divine Mother is Jayamah. Right, Jaya means victory, and Ma
is this universal word for Mother Jamah victory to the Mother.
And when we say victory to the Mother is as
(31:35):
we said earlier, like we were talking about what I
find so beautiful that comes from the Eastern traditions, is
one of the ways that we can relate to God
is as God is goddess that she is, that all
pervasive divine force of the universe. So we have these names,
(32:01):
but this one almost generic name for all of these
goddesses is Ma Jamah victory tom. But when we say jama,
we're not only speaking to the goddess out there. But
how about Mother Earth? In India, Mother Earth is considered
a goddess Boomy Davy. She's known as And what about
(32:23):
all creatures that live on this earth, whether it's humans
or dogs, or cats or snakes, or how about the
trees and the rivers and the oceans and on and
on and on. So when we chant jam, we're praising
and offering love to all that is.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
In that.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Feminine energy, because at least from the Yogic perspective of
everything that has form in this world has is that
manifestation of the Goddess herself. So and not only our
bodies in the earth, but how about like Mother Mother
(33:10):
Moon we talk about as well too. Definitely, So jay Ma,
I just love this chant you know, because it because
it encompasses all of that, and you close your eyes
and you sing, and you can just kind of surf
and weave through all of these different expressions of the
(33:31):
Divine Mother. So and then what we we've been doing
as well too in this one is is chanting to
the different goddesses like Jaya, Khalim, Jaya, Durga, Ma, Jaya, Lukshmi, Ma, Sutas.
We talked about these different aspects of the goddess and
(33:52):
different faces of the Goddess. So these are chants to
the Divine Mother. I owe always love chanting Tousita and
Rama as well. Too, And you know, some of the
mantras that we chant are more traditional compositions that have
been passed down through the generations in India. And then
(34:13):
I love to compose these mantras as well too. And
then you know, pretty much every kirtan we chant what's
called the Maha mantra, the Haidi Krishna Maha mantra, which
is Hadi Krishna Krishna Krishna hoday hari Ramamrama hoday Hoadi,
which is probably the mantra that's penetrated deepest into our
(34:35):
Western culture than any of the Kirtan mantras. You know,
whether you heard it as we joke about as at
the airports when you were young, that the monks would sing,
or maybe you heard it through George Harrison, my sweet Lord,
or you heard it, you know as well, maybe in
the movie Airplane. The Maha mantra, this hard Krishna mantra
(35:00):
has penetrated so so deeply in our culture. And and
I always joke that, you know, the first time I
remember it was at an airport and we were I
was with my parents and they grabbed my hands tightly
and they said, let's get out of here. Quickly and
walked as quick as they could in the opposite direction,
you know, because they thought it was weird, or.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
They knew that you were going to be very interested.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
But maybe it was their worst night there, you know,
but now I'm even chatting, maybe that was their worst night.
Their kid would chant it. But hey, what you resist persists, right?
But and again, what are all of these mantras? My
belief truly is that they are just love. They are
love in a form of vibra, frequency of love, a
(35:52):
vibration of love. So if we can just keep them
on our lips, in our mind and in our hearts,
they can help us resonate in that same frequency and
in that same vibration. That's what mantra is all about.
You know the meaning of this word mantra is you know,
(36:14):
to mn us is the mind trah. It means to protect.
So when we chant mantra, we're protecting the mind. Well
what are we protecting the mind from all of the
crazy places that our mind typically goes into? And if
we are brought back over and over and over again
(36:36):
to the present moment, which is ultimately all we have
right here and then now.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
It works for me fantastic, beautiful. I hope everybody has
a chance to see Govindas and live in person somewhere
along the way and you're in your worldly travels, you know,
catch a kirtan with Govindas and Jacqueline Michelle.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Thank you and please come and those of you' all
in Los Angeles. We have a very special event coming
up at Veda Yoga on October fifth. As we spoke
about a bit with our friend Shila Bringey who's going
to also be leading chats that night, who is just divine.
I mean, her music is so beautiful. So it's going
(37:21):
to be at Veda Yoga at on Los Sienaga.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
On October fifth. I'm here to back you up on
that absolutely, and I mean it's really a true I
feel like in a way, these Kirton, these chant concerts,
if you will, whatever you'd like to do, the mantra music,
it's almost it's like the new Yoga, which I joke
about because yoga, unfortunately that's referencing yoga is the exercise yoga.
(37:47):
You and I both know yoga far far transcends the
matt the down dog, the sun salutation. So again, come
and have that experience wherever you may be. And your
music is on Spotify. I know I was listening. And
your website is Bakti Yoga Shala s h a l
(38:08):
a dot com so people can find out more about
you and all the different places you'll be. So this
has been super enlightening, you know, part two, So I
think we're gonna have to do a part three. There's
so much to talk about, but I'm very grateful for
you and I can't wait to see you super soon.
So thank you so much, and I must stay.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Thank you so much, Bonnie, Thanks everybody.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
Isn't it beautiful to talk about? Just again? This is
a tool mantra. Singing the mantras of the divine can
be a tool for you in meditation. If you have
any questions, please know I'm here to answer them for you.
So be in touch with us at Truth Be Told
and Truth be Told Transformation. Don't forget. Tony's got his
show on live Fridays at three pm Pacific. If you
(38:55):
want to join the chat room to say hello to him,
look for episodes from Robert and also Queer from the
Other Side. Did I get the name right? Tony's here
in the studio with me thank you as always, and
another opportunity. In addition to October fifth, October fourth is
planned to spend the weekend with Truth Be Told, Team
(39:16):
Truth Be Told Team Club Paranormal coldby Rebel. We'll be
having a psychic experience up in Santa Clarita, so you
can go to Parapodfest dot com for Parapodfestival dot com
for all the details. And that's Friday the fourth and
up in Santa Clarita at the at the Main Theater. Okay,
(39:39):
so again, any questions you can find us at Truthbetold
dot com and Club Pair Parapodfestival dot com. We're really
excited to see you in person. We appreciate all the listens,
the likes, the love and until the next time, shine on.
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