MINNEAPOLIS – A shocking new study conducted by Rupanuga Vedic College shows that karmis absolutely love synthesizer kirtans.
The findings may contribute to understanding how wildly popular synthesizer kirtans have become at ISKCON festivals like Ratha-yatras, says RVC representative Yazananda das.
“When we, as Hare Krishnas, put down the archaic mrdangas and kartals and pick up a Yamaha DX7, the karmis go wild!”
This “wild” behavior was prevalent at the recent Festival of India in Baltimore, Maryland. During the Ratha-yatra procession, where it is nearly impossible to carry synthesizers, traditional instruments failed to whip the crowd into anything more than a slightly rowdy “swami step.” But after the parade, inside the Festival grounds, Depech das plugged in his Roland Juno 106, played a few notes and the crowd, composed mostly of karmis, leaped to their feet and immediately began chanting and dancing.
“It was as if Mahaprabhu himself was pushing that demo key,” said Durgan-durgan das, a new initiate.
Almost as popular as the synthesizer kirtans, the devotee band Four Old Dudes in Dhotis have been ripping up the ISKCON festival circuit.
“I’ve seen Metallica play the Whiskey in ‘84, but that doesn’t come close to seeing Four Old Dudes in Dhotis kicking ass on a Festival of India stage,” said Howard Numan, president of the Four Old Dudes Fanclub.
Like Depech das who has been lugging his synth rack to festivals since the mid-80’s, Four Old Dudes in Dhotis have been playing Ratha Yatra festivals since shortly after ISKCON Found-Acarya, Srila Prabhupada, passed away.
There has been some controversy over whether Srila Prabhupada would ever have approved of such nontraditional music being played by devotees at festivals, but this recent study by RVC has put many minds at ease.
“Our own studies show that karmis love synthesizer kirtans. It is making so many devotees all over the world,” said Yazananda. Adding, “Just listen to the blissful beat of the DDD-1 drum machine! How could Srila Prabhupada not be pleased?”
One participant of the Woodstock ‘99-like crowd spoke for most in attendance as he climbed up the speaker tower and shouted, “When he pushes the demo button on his Korg TR76, I totally lose control!”
He then stage dived into a veritable sea of karmis dancing and chanting to the beats pumped out by Depech das’s Yamaha PSS-150 as he accented the kirtana with innumerable synth claps and brass attacks.
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31 responses so far ↓
1 jaganat // Jun 27, 2008 at 9:56 am
Someone could please tone down that larsen?, it is disturbing my simple living small lecture to the guest! Thanks…
2 The Light of Day // Jun 27, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I love rock n roll.
3 Swami Iconoclast // Jun 27, 2008 at 8:28 pm
This website is blasphemous and offensive! We must not turn Krishna consciousness into a joke. The infallible teachings of Prabhupada the perfect guru of the world cannot be mocked.
4 Kenny // Jun 27, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Swami, why do you keep reading it if it’s so offensive?
5 Devak // Jun 27, 2008 at 10:41 pm
INDIA
June 27
Dear Swami:
May your most graciousness please not be offended by this wesite.
Be advised that we are doing everything we can do to honor the memory of Prabhupadas’s great example of how to live a clean and holy life.
As for myself, I have given up food for Krsna. I’m am actually living on just a glass or two of water each day. What have you done for Krsna?
HH Devak…..each day I make my way to God Head. I may be a bit thin by then but so what.
PS: Jaganat….I can’t understand your lectures with that fake Bengali accent. Drop it right now!
6 Swami Iconoclast // Jun 27, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Swami Iconoclast has abstained from rational inquiry to promote Prabhupada, the perfect guru. Swami can accept views from Prabhupada pertaining to women, society, science, etc. that mundane fools and rascals find illogical and absurd.
7 Kenny // Jun 27, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Seriously? You’re referring to yourself in the third person? Awesome! That’s the kind of person who everyone takes seriously.
8 Swami Iconoclast // Jun 28, 2008 at 2:38 am
Yes, take Swami seriously
9 Devak // Jun 28, 2008 at 2:02 pm
INDIA
June 28
Dear Your Grace Swami Iconoclast:
PAMHO
I only have a few minutes left at this Internet cafe and my Rupies are running low. Please tell us just exactly why we should take you seriously. What have you done for Krsna lately? Have you had a falldown this past week? This past hour?
I am trying to get back in Lord Krsna’s favor after my last falldown. As you can see I am doing all I can to please the deities. I even walk everywhere instead of taking taxi.
YS
Former guru Devak……
10 Sekhmetsatra // Jun 28, 2008 at 7:38 pm
DURGAN DURGAN DAS!!!!!!!*faints* HARI HARI BOL!!!!!!!!! where can i buy this cd?
11 Swami Iconoclast // Jun 28, 2008 at 7:48 pm
To take Swami seriously is to take seriously the infallible and objective scientific facts presented by Prabhupada the perfect guru.
12 Devak // Jun 28, 2008 at 10:12 pm
INDIA
June 28, 2008
Dearest HH Swami Iconoclast:
Just a short note here. I do question the fact that your eyes fall upon this wonderful site that famous Devotee Eric has so graciously provided.
Do your chelas know that you frequent this site in the dead of night when no one is watching you?
There are many things that can cause one on the spiritual path to have dirty things in the mind. This site is not one of them. I was told this by my new guru.
I suggest you continue to repeat the maha mantram to cleanse the dirty things from your mind. If not that, at least you can make some garlands.
Hare Krsna
Devak……no more expensive mrdangas and harmoniums…now I just use big plastic cans and my harmonica.
13 Radhanama // Jun 29, 2008 at 3:49 am
Durgan Durgan das and Depech das!!! So AMAZING!!
Radhanama aka Flock of Seagulls das
14 Swami Iconoclast // Jun 29, 2008 at 4:49 am
Devak, thank you for your advice. When one possesses infallible teachings from a perfect guru, one has no fear of contamination.
15 Devak // Jun 30, 2008 at 1:32 am
INDIA
June 30, 2008
Dear Swamiji Icon:
You have no fear of contamination? Are you kidding me? Please just go Varanasi and stand there at the ghats. This is a sacred place that I have been to and I did go to step into the Holy River Ganges.
I tell you that river is contaminated from one end to the other. Do you think that Lord Krsna can protect you from contamination if you perchance drink that water? If you do, go to Dr. immediately. I can recommend a good one.
I say, go to Ganges, look at the water but do not put that water into your body.
Drink only bottled water in sacred India. Be sure to check and see if the bottle cap has been loosed and refilled. Don’t buy it of it is a bit loose. If you have to drink, have some Coca Cola instead if there is no water.
Devak…….washing my hands when I come home from shopping.
16 syama // Aug 5, 2008 at 11:49 am
intresting word ‘Karmi’ it denotes one who is engaged in karma yoga which Prabhpada calls ‘action in krsna conciousness’
so an often condescending word karmi is actually describing one who is actually engaged in krsna conciousness 100% , an exalted position most likely superior to those who bandy the word around!
none- devotee is a better word
17 Appreciative Reader // Aug 5, 2008 at 12:10 pm
In my opinion (which I admit has been a bit more acerbic lately than usual), “non-devotee” is an obnoxious, elitist, condescending, cultish word whose definition indicates that members of ISKCON are the only devotees of God and everyone else outside of the organization is not. ISKCON jargon is full of these kind of words and they make us sound like a bunch of weirdos.
18 Nandini // Aug 5, 2008 at 1:11 pm
syama,
By calling karma yoga Krsna Cosnciousness, Srila Prabhupada widened the scope for participation by the otherwise lesser interested sections of society in the pursuit of bhakti proper. The truth is, karma yoga is not the aim of bhakti, therefore not complete as a final definition of Krishna Consciousness. Karma yoga in fact can be a hindrance to bhakti. In the case of Arjuna for example, Krishna urged him to act despite the seemingly adharmic nature of the action. It was for the purpose of establishing the independent nature of bhakti that Krishna led Arjuna beyond the concept of dharma, of karma yoga.
Rupa Gosvami gives the definition of pure bhakti:
anyabhilasitam sunyam
jnana karmadyanavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu
silanam bhaktir uttama
” Uttama bhakti, or unalloyed devotion unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, involves the rendering of devotional service in a way that is favourable to the Lord. This devotional service should be free from any extraneous motive and devoid of fruitive karma, impersonal jnana and all other selfish desires.”
There are many religions in the world that can teach jivas to remain faithfull to dharma and act progressively towards liberation. But only Krsna Consciousness opens the path to unalloyed, pure loving service to Krishna as exemplified by mother Yasoda and the gopis of Vrindavana. Srila Prabhupada no doubt had this kind of Krsna Consciousness in mind when he stablished his mission.
19 syama // Aug 5, 2008 at 4:11 pm
good point appreciative reader I didn’t like to say none devotee iether really but I dislike the word karmi even more
20 Kenny // Aug 5, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Maybe the word “karmi” was used because devotees use it quite a lot.
I’m not a huge fan of “nondevotee” for the same reason AR stated. And like Syama, I really really dislike the word “karmi.”
What’s the alternative though? I personally feel “karmi” is a pretty nasty word and definitely obnoxious and elitist. Even more so than “nondevotee.”
So what’s the alternative? I don’t know. My alternative to “karmi” was “nondevotee.”
Maybe we could just use “other folk” or something.
21 Appreciative Reader // Aug 5, 2008 at 4:46 pm
P.S. Just for the record…..I agree with Kenny that “karmi” is even worse. I was only commenting on the word “non-devotee” because it was one I’d been thinking about recently.
But if you consider so many of the words that ISKCON members use, they really reveal some seriously warped thinking, attitudes and mentality.
22 Kenny // Aug 5, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Some do, you’re right. Like how “spaced out” can basically be used to get out of nearly any situation.
“I’m sorry, prabhu, I like totally spaced it out!”
And you’re off scott-free, usually no questions asked!
ISKCON devotees do have some strange ways of putting things. But the “us vs. them” thing seems to be dying away.
Unfortunately, it appears that it’s being replaced with “so, how much money will the Indian community give us and what philosophical sacrifices will we carelessly make to get it?”
23 Boy-R-D dasa (not the chef) // Aug 5, 2008 at 6:48 pm
How about Nigga?
24 Boy-R-D dasa (not the chef) // Aug 5, 2008 at 6:51 pm
We always called em “karmis” before they joined and “blooped” after they left. Then one day low and behold – I became a karmi and blooped too.
What is really cool about being a blooped karmi is going to the temple on Janmasti. All those poor devotees fasting till midnight, and I can eat all the pizza and maha I want.
25 Boy-R-D dasa (not the chef) // Aug 5, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Jasmastami for Nandini
26 Boy-R-D dasa (not the chef) // Aug 5, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Got to wear my reading glasses – Janmastami
27 Rati // Aug 5, 2008 at 7:41 pm
How about people who aren’t cult members as an alternative?
28 Nandini // Aug 5, 2008 at 7:54 pm
How about “mudblood”? Or “the others”, or “those we don’t speak of”, or… never mind…
Oh I got it: The UNSURREDERED!!
29 Boy-R-D dasa (not the chef) // Aug 5, 2008 at 11:16 pm
I like the “others”. But devotees don’t go to the movies or watch T.V. (wink wink) so they might not be able to relate.
I remember when Indradyumna Swami was giving a lecture at a big temple festival a couple of years back. He told us “devotees don’t go to the movies”. I asked if that included home entertainment systems?
30 Nandini // Aug 6, 2008 at 7:41 am
A ‘ couple of years back’? Boy-R-D, you are in your fifties and you still go to Indradyumna Swami’s lectures? Move on man, no wonder you are so disenchanted (wink wink).
31 Boy-R-D dasa (not the chef) // Aug 6, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I go to the temple twice a year – Xmas and Easter – er I mean Janmastami and Gaura Purnima. I try to go when I can. If I could move on don’t you think I would, but I can’t, that’s why I keep coming back, looking for somthin. I just keep growing a thicker and thicker skin.