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By Gauri Dasa<\/strong><\/p>\n Some years ago, George Harrison was already giving the world the gift of spiritual inspiration through his music when he donated the Bhaktivedanta Manor to Srila Prabhupada.<\/p>\n My sweet Lord . . .<\/p>\n I really want to see you George Harrison released \u201cMy Sweet Lord,\u201d his first solo single, in America in November 1970. Internationally, sales soon exceeded five million copies.<\/p>\n The biographer Simon Leng calls the release of \u201cMy Sweet Lord\u201d one of the \u201cboldest steps in the history of popular music,\u201d because it risked ruining Harrison\u2019s career.<\/p>\n In I, Me, Mine, George writes, \u201cI thought a lot about whether to do \u201cMy Sweet Lord\u201d or not, because I would be committing myself publicly, and I anticipated that a lot of people might . . . fear the words \u2018Lord\u2019 and \u2018God\u2019\u2014makes them angry for some strange reason.\u201d<\/p>\n Leng, in The Music of George Harrison, characterizes the song as \u201cgospel incantation with a Vedic chant\u201d and a \u201ctriumph\u201d because it was \u201cobviously genuine. . . . The power of the song comes from the emotion it transmits. . . . His tone was beguilingly sweet, but also sad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy Sweet Lord\u2019s\u201d repetitive, emotional appeal, laced with self-pity, certainly is \u201cbeguilingly sweet, but also sad.\u201d For the song expresses an aesthetic quality characteristic of Vaishnava theology. That quality, technically known as viraha bhakti, is a soul-stirring love for God arising from the anguish of distance and separation. Such love in separation is a precursor of unfettered unity, for God responds and makes Himself known by His embrace.<\/p>\n Srila Rupa Goswami (c. 1550 CE) describes the sweet-sad melange of separation from God in this comment: \u201cIf one develops love of Godhead, love of Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, all the bitter and sweet influences of this love will manifest in one\u2019s heart. Such love of Godhead acts in two ways. The poisonous effects of love of Godhead defeat the severe and fresh poison of the serpent. Yet there is simultaneously transcendental bliss, which pours down and defeats the pride of nectar and diminishes its value.\u201d (quoted in Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 2.52)<\/p>\n The bittersweet aesthetic of \u201cMy Sweet Lord\u201d touched the hearts of millions. Love in separation is one of many aesthetic qualities in Vaishnava theology, and some of these qualities are illustrated in George\u2019s other lyrics. In making observations about George\u2019s songs, I am not arguing that he attained the highest states of bhakti, nor do I want to pass judgment on anyone. George was seriously spiritual-minded. The Vaishnava journey to Krishna, in progressive stages of love, is reflected in his songs. He struggled in life, found some balance, and never departed from his convictions. Westerners especially can easily learn something about the theology of bhakti as George expressed it.<\/p>\n They say I\u2019m not what I used to be How did George\u2019s interest in Eastern spirituality grow? At the height of the Beatles\u2019 fame, George\u2019s LSD experiments and interest in Indian music drew him into an experience of the all-pervasiveness of God in music (nada brahma). His friendship with the sitarist Ravi Shankar led him to India.<\/p>\n John Barham, another student of Shankar\u2019s, recalled, \u201cThe meditative aspect of some Indian music touched George in a way that no other music did, and this did influence the development of his own identity in a profound way.\u201d<\/p>\n Upon returning to record with the Beatles, George\u2019s realizations were set to an Indian rhythm and melody in \u201cWithin You Without You\u201d on the Sgt. Pepper album (1967): \u201cWhen you see we\u2019re all one, and life flows on within you and without you.\u201d<\/p>\n That August, George attended a lecture in London by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and then went on a retreat with him in Wales. Next, along with the other Beatles, George stayed in Rishikesh with Maharishi for three months. By July of 1968, George\u2019s quest was portrayed in the film Yellow Submarine: He was the mystical Beatle, wearing wooden beads and seated in a lotus position.<\/p>\n In London in November 1969, George met a small group of Hare Krishna devotees. Gathering the group in Apple\u2019s Abbey Road studio, he recorded the single \u201cHare Krishna Mantra,\u201d which quickly became the number one song in Britain and several other countries. Then George met Srila Prabhupada in England and received his encouragement to write songs about Krishna.<\/p>\n George next donated twenty thousand dollars to publish Srila Prabhupada\u2019s book Krishna, a narration of Krishna\u2019s transcendental life from the Bhagavata Purana\u2019s Tenth Canto. In the foreword, George mentions reconciling all things in Krishna, or God.<\/p>\n Interviewed about the success of \u201cMy Sweet Lord\u201d and his triple album All Things Must Pass (1970), George said, \u201cI want to be God conscious. That\u2019s really my only ambition, and everything else in life is incidental.\u201d<\/p>\n It appears from the lyrics in the album Dark Horse (1974) that George, though making spiritual progress, relapsed and had to struggle with unwanted habits. He writes about this with stark honesty in these songs. However, from then on he apparently found a steady balance between worldly existence and his commitment to a spiritual path. His resolve became firmer. This is evident from his final songs and from his widow Olivia\u2019s descriptions.<\/p>\n George’s spiritual resolution rarely decreased for the rest of his life, Olivia said about her late husband: \u201cThe issue of possessions, attachment, and identification with the ego were in the forefront of our awareness, and George was always quick to point out that in reality there is no I, me, or mine. George was relentless at keeping our spiritual aim.\u201d<\/p>\n In the obituaries, his most often recurring quote was \u201cEverything else can wait, but the search for God . . .\u201d The doctrinal focus of the Bhagavad-gita is devotional service to Sri Krishna, and the devotion of intense love and separation (viraha bhakti) is found in the Chaitanya Vaishnavas\u2019 most influential devotional text, the Bhagavata Purana (Srimad-Bhagavatam) , and in the South Indian songs of the \u00fclvars.<\/p>\n In Philosophy and Theistic Mysticism of the Alvars, S.M.S. Chari presents Srila Ramanuja\u2019s understanding of devotion in four phases. The first phase, bhakti, is sincere devotion, with a keen desire to see God. When bhakti is nurtured and made steady through meditation and practice, as outlined in the Gita, it is called para-bhakti, the second phase. Then come initial experiences of God, temporary glimpses of God within\u2014the third phase, para-jnana. Having had glimpses, the devotee feels an intense anguish of separation and ardently yearns for a full, uninterrupted vision of God. This fourth phase, called parama-bhakti, in due course delivers one from worldly existence through direct realization of God. The joy of union and the anguish of separation alternate, arousing unceasing and ever-increasing ecstasy and contemplation.<\/p>\n Prominent followers of Sri Chaitanya reflected on His life and teachings with extensive references to the Bhagavata Purana. The first of them to identify chronological stages of devotional achievement was Rupa Goswami, who outlined nine stages: faith (shraddha), the association of saints (sadhu-sanga), devotional practices (bhajana-kriya), purification (anartha-nivritti), resolve (nishtha), relish ( ruci), attachment (asakti), love (bhava), and pure love (prema). (Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu 1.4.15\u201416) Two centuries after Rupa, Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti wrote Madhurya Kadambini to elaborate on Rupa\u2019s stages. Later, in Sri Bhajana-rahasya Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (c. 1850) correlated the nine stages with the eight verses of Chaitanya’s Sikshashtaka. With respect to their descriptions of the Vaishnava path to Krishna, we now turn to George\u2019s songs.<\/p>\n \u201cAwaken and See\u201d<\/p>\n The earliest sign of bhakti, says Rupa, is faith: a trust or interest in the path. Vishvanatha mentions a firm trust in devotional scriptures and a genuine desire to practice their prescriptions. Bhaktivinoda presents the first act of faith as remembering God by the continued repetition of His names, which subdues ignorance.<\/p>\n In George\u2019s songs, faith appears in \u201cAwaiting on You All,\u201d wherein George humorously excludes any requirements other than chanting: \u201cYou don\u2019t need no passport. And you don\u2019t need no visas.\u201d<\/p>\n He asks you to \u201copen up your heart\u201d to recognize that we are \u201cpolluted\u201d and \u201cfallen\u201d and take the solution: \u201cNow here\u2019s a way for you to get clean.\u201d<\/p>\n By chanting the names of the Lord and you\u2019ll be free. The words \u201cawaken and see\u201d express George\u2019s early faith and encouragement to others. The song embodies his understanding of scriptural lessons he learned from Srila Prabhupada, both in person and through his books.<\/p>\n \u201cI Look for the Pure in Heart\u201d<\/p>\n Next Rupa speaks of three stages: saintly association, practice, and purification. He explains that saints and gurus are respectfully approached for instruction on proper conduct. This is also important to Vishvanatha, who explains how unsteadiness is overcome as obstacles are surmounted. Bhaktivinoda includes in his second division both good association and overcoming obstacles. For him, the separation of the soul from Krishna and its misidentification with matter (maya) are unwanted. Other obstacles (weakness of heart, offenses) can be overcome by chanting, by following a guru\u2019s direction, and by receiving the mercy of saints. He advises shunning bad company and desires for fame.<\/p>\n George\u2019s rejection of fame and possessions is identifiable in \u201cI, Me, Mine,\u201d the last song the Beatles recorded. George, in \u201cHelp Me Lord,\u201d petitions God to snuff out his mundane desires.<\/p>\n In \u201cBeware of Darkness,\u201d he warns, \u201cWatch out now, take care, beware of the thoughts that linger, winding up inside your head. . . . each unconscious sufferer wanders aimlessly; beware of Maya.\u201d<\/p>\n In \u201cThe Day the World Gets \u2018Round,\u201d he describes a deluded world and the foolishness of people, while himself aspiring for good company: \u201cI look for the pure of heart, and the ones who have made a start. . . . But Lord, there are just a few, who bow before you.\u201d Steady resolve and resolute practice constitute Rupa\u2019s fifth stage. Vishvanatha says that although impurities are still somewhat present, they no longer distract one from direct devotional practices, and one develops qualities favorable to the practice, such as humility. Bhaktivinoda emphasizes the necessity of self-surrender, eagerness for bhakti, and profound humility.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is All,\u201d George\u2019s final track on Living in the Material World, illustrates these qualities: \u201cThat is all I\u2019m living for, your love and nothing more, and that is all . . . that is all I want to do, to give my love to you. . . . Please let me love you more, and that is all.\u201d<\/p>\n In \u201cGive Me Love,\u201d a full commitment is expressed: \u201cTrying to touch and reach you with heart and soul.\u201d<\/p>\n George\u2019s humility is evident in \u201cHear Me Lord\u201d: \u201cplease, please hear me, Lord, . . . forgive me, . . . help me rise a little higher.\u201d Rupa\u2019s sixth stage, relish, implies a taste of the nectar derived from resolute practices. For Vishvanatha, relish results from taking the \u201cgolden medallion\u201d of bhakti deep into the heart. An unimaginable bliss, \u201ctaste\u201d acts like a dance instructress who takes the devotee by the hands. At this stage Bhaktivinoda emphasizes total uninterest in worldly affairs, owing to a taste for the holy name. With one\u2019s attention undivided, worldly interests dwarf before bhakti\u2019s sweetness.<\/p>\n During a visit to Vrindavan, the sacred village where Krishna grew up, George illustrated bhakti\u2019s sweetness in a song he wrote there: \u201cIt is \u2018He\u2019 (Jai Sri Krishna).\u201d The song mainly repeats and relishes names of Krishna and Radha, His consort.<\/p>\n The tempo and lyrics delight the listener: \u201cHe whose sweetness flows to anyone of those that care to look his way, see his smile. . . . He who is complete, three worlds at his feet, cause of every star. It is \u2018He\u2019: Jai Sri Krishna.\u201d<\/p>\n George also used \u201csweet\u201d to describe God in \u201cMy Sweet Lord,\u201d accompanied by the significant, repetitive sound of \u201cHmm,\u201d as if encouraging listeners to taste the sweetness.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are the breath of life\u201d<\/p>\n In Rupa\u2019s seventh stage, strong attachment appears. Vishvanatha says that although \u201ctaste\u201d has Krishna as its subject, the subject becomes profoundly Krishna at the stage of attachment. This attachment reaches an \u201cextreme depth,\u201d and it polishes the mirror of the heart so that the Lord\u2019s reflection is almost visible. Such absorption requires no effort, whereas remaining conscientious about normal worldly dealings does.<\/p>\n The devotee may call out, \u201cWill I ever see Krishna? Where shall I go? What shall I do to attain my desired object?\u201d<\/p>\n Bhaktivinoda explains that this stage is attained by chanting without offenses and makes one feel insignificant and full of anguish. George\u2019s song \u201cLife Itself\u201d suggests some awareness of this sort of attachment:<\/p>\n You are the One In Ramanuja\u2019s third and fourth stages, glimpses of God are achieved and relieve a devotee\u2019s feeling of separation from God. The joy of union and the anguish of separation alternate. This is also represented in George\u2019s lyrics:<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a long long long time. Devotional heights akin to a madness of extreme emotion and unusual bodily symptoms are not identifiable in George\u2019s songs. As described in Rupa\u2019s eighth and ninth stages, there is a meltdown of the heart and mind, as God\u2019s beauty overwhelms the devotee. Such love exhibits possessiveness of God and marks the stage of prema. God, powerless before such love, reveals Himself in all His beauty and charm.<\/p>\n Both Vishvanatha and Bhaktivinoda cite examples and verses that convey the nature of these stages. The condition is best portrayed in the life of Chaitanya: Paralyzed and then shaking, sweating, and turning pallid, Chaitanya wept and uttered indistinct sounds. His bodily hairs stood on end. He laughed, wept, danced about, and sang. He jumped up and ran about, and the next moment fell on the ground unconsciousness.<\/p>\n George remained detached from the wealth and fame that surrounded him. His catalogue of songs honestly illustrates what he learned about the devotional path and could express in the grammar of a contemporary rock star.<\/p>\n
\nReally want to be with you
\nReally want to see you, Lord,
\nbut it takes so long, my Lord.<\/p>\n
\nAll the same, I\u2019m happier than the willow tree . . .
\nI know something so dear to me
\nBeyond words, beautiful feeling in my soul.
\n\u2014 from \u201cMystical One\u201d (1982)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/dandavats.com\/wp-content\/uploads4\/2014-11-05_13-38-58.jpg\")
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\nThe Vaishnava Path<\/p>\n
\nThe Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYour Love and Nothing More\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHe Whose Sweetness Flows\u201d<\/p>\n
\nYou are my love
\nYou send the rain and bring the sun You stand alone and speak the truth
\nYou are the breath of life itself,
\nOh yes you are, you are the One.
\nI need you more each step I take
\nYou are the love in life itself . . .
\nYou are the one that I’d die for
\nAnd you’re all that is real
\nYou are the essence of that which
\nWe taste, touch and feel . . .
\nYou are my friend and when life’s through
\nYou are the light in death itself, oh yes you are.<\/p>\n
\nHow could I ever have lost you?
\nWhen I loved you?
\nIt took a long, long, long time.?
\nNow I\u2019m so happy I found you?
\nHow I love you
\nSo many tears I was searching
\n. . . How I want you
\nOh, I love you
\nYou know that I need you
\nOh, I love you<\/p>\n
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By Gauri Dasa<\/strong><\/p>\n