SRILA PRABHUPADA

in Tompkins Square Park

so originally this harinama started in the west by Srila Prabhupada and he used to just go and he played a bongo drum, not even a mrdanga, we had no kartalas, simply a bongo drum and people would come and they would play all kinds of exotic instruments, and if you hear some of the early recordings of Srila Prabhupada in Tompkins Square Park, you hear all kinds of amazing xylophones and whistles and all kinds of instruments and that is the beauty of this Hare Krishna kirtan; we are not limited to simply kartalas, mridanga, harmonium; no! all musical instruments when played to glorify the Holy Name are acceptable, so if you’re out there and somebody is playing guitar and you’re in a park and they’re playing guitar, invite them over, !come play”; if they’re playing whistles or flutes or whatever, they are banging on a box, invite them over! say “Come on, come, chant and play with us, everybody can be engaged in this Hare Krishna movement, everyone could be engaged in harinam sankritan, and that is the beauty, it’s there for everyone