When Bhagavan Das Comes to Town Yogis Listen

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending Satsang (basically, a gathering of like-minded folks seeking Truth) at Starseed Yoga studio (http://www.starseedyoga.com). The topic was “The Flame of Living Love: What is the Guru?” Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the kirtan later that evening but I heard it was awesome. After all, it’s not every day that a sixties “counter-cultural icon” such as Bhagavan Das comes to town.

            According to Starseed’s Director, Amy Para, this was the third time in two years that Bhagavan Das has graced the studio. This was the first time he engaged in Satsang, however, so this was a chance for yogis and yoginis to hear this great guru speak on a number of subjects. He even took questions from the audience, and answered everything from how to tell if you need a guru to what to do if you have a panic attack.

             In case you’re not familiar with Bhagavan Das, who in his late sixties looks a bit like a slim Nick Nolte with a long white beard, he was the first to bring kirtan to America. When JFK was shot, Bhagavan Das (then Kermit Michael Riggs) was 18. He decided that something was very wrong with the state of things here and went to India where for six years he lived the life of a sadhu and studied with Guru Neem Karoli Baba. Later, Bhagavan Das went on to mentor another famous guru, Ram Dass (author of Be Here Now), and became an accomplished musician; he has sung with Bob Dylan, opened for the Grateful Dead, and toured with the poet Allen Ginsberg.

 The man has had a fascinating life, and an inspiring musical career. In fact, he opened and closed the Satsang with music  (playing the ektara with vocal accompaniment by his beautiful wife, Kali). His voice was resonant, deep, and rich; he really casts a spell; a spiritual spell, that is.

            I enjoyed listening to Bhagavan Das’s words of wisdom: He advised yogis to meditate and follow the path of devotion, and noted that these are difficult times, and they’re going to get a lot more difficult.

            He’s also a master of one-liners. “The guru is one who eats your karma—that’s why they get fat,” was an observation that brought laughter. “If you don’t live in reality, reality will come and live in you.” And, “We are living in a very difficult time, but it’s also a great time of awakening.”  Or, this one: “We get lost in the sitcom of our life.”

            Listening to Bhagavan Das was an honor and a unique opportunity to learn from a guru who has devoted his life to spirituality and to motivating others to walk the spiritual path. As Michelle, a Clifton yogini who attended the later kirtan observes, “There was a group of around 50 of us singing loving and passionate prayers to our Divine Mother, Shiva, and Krishna. It was a joy to spend the evening with Bhagavan Das and Kali.”

      I suggest that the next time he’s in town you mosey on over to Starseed, where in the presence of Bhagavan Das, you’ll undoubtedly find yourself inspired and humbled as you ride the sound current like you never have before.