In late 2004 I visited India for a 8 month period of scriptural study and pilgrimage. Many life-changing and memorable experiences were had, of which I would like to share one in particular.
For 5 of the 8 months I stayed in a town called Mayapur whilst studying various Vedic texts – the Bhagavad Gita being but one. 4 hours north of Calcutta in West Bengal, Mayapur is lovely rural town. It is famous for being the town where Sri Caitanya, an avatar of Krishna, appeared in the 16th century. Caitanya was regarded as a social reformer, poet and learned scholar. His greatest contribution, however, was to establish a form of worship known as harinam-sankirtana – congregational chanting of names of God.
The principles and practices as taught by Sri Caitanya are what led to the formation of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) – more commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement. ISKCON was established in New York in 1966 by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a renunciant from India. Prabhupada had arrived in America one year earlier upon instruction from his spiritual master to spread the teachings of Caitanya around the world. In the years that followed, up until his passing in 1977, Prabhupada opened over 100 temples world-wide and had a following of thousands.
One night whilst in Mayapur, two friends and I decided to sit on the flat-roof of our apartment to meditate. I looked around as we sat down under a blanket of stars. As I looked to my right I could see the tall spire of the temple marking the birthplace of Sri Caitanya. To my left I could see the large temple (samadhi) erected in memory of Prabhupada. The river Ganges, flowing only half a mile away, provided a cooling breeze.
My friends and I sat there for 30 minutes quietly chanting the Hare Krishna mantra to the accompaniment of traditional Bengali musical instruments. In that moment I felt a complete sense of happiness and contentment. It was, perhaps, the most perfect moment of my life.