{"id":20448,"date":"2015-10-14T15:46:02","date_gmt":"2015-10-14T15:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=20448"},"modified":"2015-10-14T15:46:02","modified_gmt":"2015-10-14T15:46:02","slug":"from-the-beatles-to-elvis-presley-these-musical-devotees-have-brushed-with-fame-meet-the-hare-krishnas-of-hong-kong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=20448","title":{"rendered":"From the Beatles to Elvis Presley, these musical devotees have brushed with fame: meet the Hare Krishnas of Hong Kong"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-1hwidsmdZHk\/Vh53AXAWhxI\/AAAAAAAAVHY\/rurA_o34qVI\/s0\/2015-10-14_17-38-36.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-62cbDG0FTPI\/Vh53Gk9n24I\/AAAAAAAAVHg\/AiTHnXWlAoc\/s0\/2015-10-14_17-39-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-V-Q32C6rbsw\/Vh53NhwRYbI\/AAAAAAAAVHo\/P0YClx-yU64\/s0\/2015-10-14_17-39-31.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-fHofSNmzsck\/Vh53UQvsKgI\/AAAAAAAAVHw\/1BlGXFRyK4A\/s0\/2015-10-14_17-39-58.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Posted by Vrajendra Kumar dasa, ISKCON Hong Kong<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel-pane pane-entity-field pane-node-field-images pane-first pos-0\">\n<div class=\"pane-content\">\n<div style=\"position: relative;\" id=\"scmp_gallery\" class=\"scmp_gallery galleryview scmp_gallery-simple gallery-processed\">\n<div class=\"gallery-slides\" style=\"width: 486px; height: 302px;\">\n<div class=\"gallery-frame\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; display: block; z-index: 2; opacity: 1;\" class=\"gallery-slide\" id=\"slide-0-field_images-1866548\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cdn1.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/980w\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish2.jpg?itok=C6Q42trf\" title=\"Govinda Swami, a senior member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, during his recent visit to Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee\" class=\"colorbox init-colorbox-processed-processed cboxElement\" rel=\"gallery-[field_images-1866548]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"\" ilo-full-src=\"http:\/\/cdn3.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486x302\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish2.jpg?itok=sDD4oyXE\" data-ignore=\"true\" src=\"http:\/\/cdn3.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486x302\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish2.jpg?itok=sDD4oyXE\" class=\"lazyload-processed loaded\" typeof=\"foaf:Image\" data-original=\"http:\/\/cdn3.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486x302\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish2.jpg?itok=sDD4oyXE\" alt=\"Govinda Swami, a senior member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, during his recent visit to Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee\" title=\"Govinda Swami, a senior member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, during his recent visit to Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee\" height=\"302\" width=\"486\"><\/a>        <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-caption\" style=\"width: 486px;\">\n<div class=\"caption-inner\">Govinda Swami, a senior member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, during his recent visit to Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"panel-separator\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"panel-pane pane-entity-field pane-node-body pos-1\">\n<div class=\"pane-content\">\n<div class=\"field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden clearfix\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"field-item even first last\" property=\"content:encoded\">\n<p>With a famous DJ as a father, and a grandfather who worked as a missionary in Africa, it\u2019s not surprising Govinda Swami chose a path that balances music with religion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy dad was a disc jockey in Tennessee. He was Elvis\u2019 first producer and managed him for a while,\u201d he says matter-of-factly about his father Bob Neal\u2019s relationship with the rock \u2019n\u2019 roll star. Music producer Neal also helped launch the careers of Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. \u201cElvis often visited the house; he would babysit me. He called me \u2018younger brother Sean\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Today, Sean Neal is better known as Govinda Swami and is a senior member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), founded in 1966 in New York by Srila Prabhupada.<\/p>\n<p>He joined in 1971 and his devotion to the movement has taken the 64-year-old around the world, including to Hong Kong, where last month he held <em>kirtans <\/em>\u2013 a form of devotional chanting \u2013 at ISKCON\u2019s temple in Tsim Sha Tsui.<\/p>\n<p>First introduced to Hong Kong in 1972, the movement was officially registered here in 1981.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-caption-container image-caption-container-none\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 486px; float: none; clear: none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 486px; height: 320px;\" ilo-full-src=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486w\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish5.jpg?itok=ZhjB4V7z\" data-ignore=\"true\" src=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486w\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish5.jpg?itok=ZhjB4V7z\" alt=\"\" class=\"image-486w caption lazyload-processed magic-processed loaded\" data-original=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486w\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish5.jpg?itok=ZhjB4V7z\" title=\"Receiving a blessing on the way into the temple. Photo: Dickson Lee\"><span style=\"display:block;\" class=\"image-caption\">Receiving a blessing on the way into the temple. Photo: Dickson Lee<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s uncertain how many Hare Krishnas reside in Hong Kong because the temple is open to the public, says locally based devotee Vrishabhanu Kumari.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn terms of regular practitioners, I\u2019d say we have about 100 to 150, split between Chinese, Indians and a few Westerners \u2013 Americans, Aussies, British and Europeans, and a healthy mix of people in their golden years, young couples, youth and tiny tots,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>One of the basic requirements for a devotee is daily chanting of the <em>maha mantra<\/em> (<em>maha <\/em>means \u201cgreat\u201d; <em>mantra <\/em>means \u201csound that liberates the mind\u201d). The chant is supposed to cleanse the heart of greed, envy, lust, anger and other obstacles to peace. Chanting and singing \u2013 and meditation \u2013 help achieve a higher state of consciousness. The music is said to help bring about spiritual awakening.<\/p>\n<p><u><em><strong>WATCH Hare Krishna in Hong Kong<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" data-ignore=\"true\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Es96EP4_wuU\" class=\"lazyload-processed loaded\" allowfullscreen=\"\" data-original=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Es96EP4_wuU\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"273\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"486\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>To become fully initiated, says Kumari, devotees must train in various ancient texts, chanting and <em>kirtan<\/em>, as well as service. Devotees must also recite the mantra (at least 16 rounds daily) and follow the four regulative principles \u2013 no meat, no illicit sex, no gambling and no intoxicants.<\/p>\n<p>The devotee can reach out to any \u201cinitiating gurus\u201d they feel connected to, says Kumari. \u201cThe process of seeking out the guru is one of the most important steps for progressing in spiritual life and devotees are encouraged to take their time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Most impressions of the Hare Krishnas have been moulded by movement\u2019s often distorted portrayal in media and popular Western culture. In the 1960s and early 1970s, it became confused with the hippie subculture \u2013 in the 1967 hippie musical <em>Hair<\/em>, for instance, the Hare Krishna mantra is used in a song.<\/p>\n<p>But its biggest mainstream exposure came via The Beatles, who came into contact with Hare Krishnas in 1969. Some of the Fab Four wrote songs that reference the movement, including George Harrison\u2019s <em>My Sweet Lord<\/em> and John Lennon\u2019s <em>Give Peace a Chance<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Musicians including Boy George, Tenacious D, Thievery Corporation, Fleetwood Mac, Marc Bolan and Stevie Wonder have songs referencing the mantra. It has also featured in TV shows from <em>Mad Men<\/em> to <em>The Simpsons<\/em>, in films (in <em>Blade Runner<\/em>, Hare Krishna devotees are seen singing in the street) and even gets a mention in the game <em>Grand Theft Auto<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Today the movement\u2019s image is not of shaven-headed, garland-wearing devotees dancing in the streets, but is more toned down. And in Hong Kong, it reflects the city\u2019s international demographic, as can be seen at the sixth-floor temple on Chatham Road South, in a room aglow from the gold statues and frescos on its walls.<\/p>\n<div class=\"blockquote-quote\">We hold many activities, from teaching the public about Vedic scripture to promoting a healthy and spiritual lifestyle. We have a slogan \u2013 \u2018simple living and high thinking\u2019<\/div>\n<div class=\"blockquote-author\">Josephine Ng, Hare Krishna enthusiast<\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s a Sunday, the first night of Mid-Autumn Festival, and the swelling crowd is excited about Govinda Swami\u2019s visit.<\/p>\n<p>Hongkonger Vicki Ip, 26, glides past bunches of cut chrysanthemums in a blue sari and sits on a mat. Fellow Hongkonger Tiffany Chan, in a floral silk sari, sits beside her. Their foreheads are marked with <em>tilaka<\/em>, a mix of clay and water.<\/p>\n<p>In front of them, sitting in the lotus position, is Indonesian-born fashion designer Ika Butoni. Holding her prayer beads, used for keeping count while reciting or chanting, Butoni says her interest in the movement stemmed from her business partner and friend Hans Keilman, who died this year from liver cancer. Dutch-born Keilman was the design coordinator for ISKCON\u2019s flagship Indian temples in Vrindavana, Uttar Pradesh, and Juhu in Mumbai in the 1970s. An architect by trade, he first encountered the movement at a nightspot in Amsterdam where they were chanting Hare Krishna onstage with Eric Clapton\u2019s backing band.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI love the dancing, the music and holding the beads \u2013 I find them calming,\u201d says Butoni.<\/p>\n<p>Butoni also plans to get involved with Food For Life, an annual project started by founder Prabhupada in the \u201970s after he saw poor children in India fight dogs for scraps of food. His vision was that anyone within a 10-mile radius of a Hare Krishna temple should not go hungry.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-caption-container image-caption-container-none\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 486px; float: none; clear: none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 486px; height: 324px;\" ilo-full-src=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486w\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish3.jpg?itok=YofK6RJM\" data-ignore=\"true\" src=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486w\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish3.jpg?itok=YofK6RJM\" alt=\"\" class=\"image-486w caption lazyload-processed magic-processed loaded\" data-original=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486w\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish3.jpg?itok=YofK6RJM\" title=\"Josephine Ng, oncologist and Hare Krishna devotee. Photo: Dickson Lee\"><span style=\"display:block;\" class=\"image-caption\">Josephine Ng, oncologist and Hare Krishna devotee. Photo: Dickson Lee<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Food For Life is one of the many events hosted by the movement, says oncologist Josephine Ng, a member since 2010.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe hold many activities, from teaching the public about Vedic scripture to promoting a healthy and spiritual lifestyle. We have a slogan \u2013 \u2018simple living and high thinking\u2019. We also promote organic farming and natural cures,\u201d says Ng, adding the movement provides respite from working for sick and dying people.<\/p>\n<p>Other activities include yoga classes, street chanting, distribution of <em>prasadam <\/em>(vegetarian food with religious significance), educational programmes and concerts.<\/p>\n<p>At the temple, Govinda Swami, dressed in flowing saffron-coloured robes, enters the room. Some devotees meet him with bows while others clasp their hands in prayer position. He sits, <em>kartals <\/em>(cymbals) in his hand, and starts the <em>kirtan<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Govinda Swami and his musicians have mesmerised devotees worldwide, including at famous events such as Woodstock in Poland and concerts with orchestras from Russia to South Africa. He recently returned from the mainland, where he was a guest of the yoga community.<\/p>\n<p>Vrindavan Kirtan Das, 21, starts with slow beats on the <em>mridanga <\/em>drum, a traditional instrument that\u2019s said to be an incarnation of Krishna\u2019s brother Lord Balarama. Das was born into the movement and has been travelling the globe with his drum since he was 15.<\/p>\n<p>Making up the trio is New Yorker Akincana Krishna Das on the harmonium. Sitting in front of him is his Russian wife, who stands out from the crowd not just because of her height and canary-yellow sari but because she is one of the few Westerners in the group.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-caption-container image-caption-container-none\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 486px; float: none; clear: none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 486px; height: 323px;\" ilo-full-src=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486w\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish4.jpg?itok=CcMh2R8-\" data-ignore=\"true\" src=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486w\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish4.jpg?itok=CcMh2R8-\" alt=\"\" class=\"image-486w caption lazyload-processed magic-processed loaded\" data-original=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/486w\/public\/2015\/10\/12\/krish4.jpg?itok=CcMh2R8-\" title=\"Hare Krishna devotees in Hong Kong celebrate the Janamashtmi festival, the birthday of Lord Krishna.\"><span style=\"display:block;\" class=\"image-caption\">Hare Krishna devotees in Hong Kong celebrate the Janamashtmi festival, the birthday of Lord Krishna.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The <em>kirtan <\/em>starts with slow rhythmic beats building momentum until \u2013 two hours later \u2013 the audience, young and old, are dancing, singing and chanting, arms waving in the air. It\u2019s almost rave-like, but with all ages. Here, everyone is on a natural high \u2013 a concoction of music and dance is their drug.<\/p>\n<p>At the end of the session, the vegetarian <em>prasadam <\/em>\u2013 literally meaning \u201cmercy\u201d \u2013 is served. The next day, Govinda Swami does it all over again at Pure Yoga in Central. He also makes home visits before his final session at the Tsim Sha Tsui temple.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a yoga <em>kirtan <\/em>concert by Spanish singer Atmarama Dasa on October 22,\u201d says Ng. \u201cWould you like to join?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With endorphins soaring from hours spent chanting and dancing, it\u2019s an invitation that\u2019s hard to resist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Source: http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/lifestyle\/article\/1866548\/devotees-spending-time-hare-krishna-movement-hong-kong<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-1YX5iJCkXCw\/Vh53pTn_LQI\/AAAAAAAAVH4\/isMc0gdLAv8\/s0\/2015-10-14_17-41-25.jpg\" alt=\"Hare Krishna\"\/><strong>By Kylie Knott<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> A full page story featuring an article on the Hong Kong ISKCON temple, along with an interview with His Holiness Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami was recently published in the South China Morning Post, a renowned English newspaper in Hong Kong,  After a two week tour of China performing kirtan in a number of public events Govinda Swami&#8217;s last stop was the city of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong temple organized 3 public kirtans programs for Maharaja and his kirtan group, all of which received a very favorable response. The reporter herself attended the kirtan event held in the Hong Kong temple and it was at that event that she received news for her story.<!--more--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20448"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20451,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20448\/revisions\/20451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}