On Being Crazy

That's right, look at me, all of you, peeking over your Housewife Stabbed In Queens, and your stock market scores, and your baseball scores, and your Viet Nam scores; Just keep looking at me, as I sit across from you, fingering these ripe, red beads, chanting Hare Krishna.

Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. Don't snicker, please. Consider me— I love.

Is it so very strange for a lover to sing his Beloved's Name?— especially when by singing flowers sprout out of his eyes and planets fall out of his mouth?

I hope I am disturbing you with these round, golden chimes that I ring to the sound of His Names. Madam, you have now stopped fretting about your declining body. And, my dear girl, you have stopped wondering if he's going to ask you. Young man, you have stopped worrying about no knowing who you are. And you, sir, have now stopped escaping into last nights' vapid sexual promise.

Now you are all hearing HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA a lullaby bringing warm tides of peace. I am singing for us all Glories to Govinda on our way to work. How beautiful amid the subway roar vibrate the Names of God! HARE KRISHNA HARE RAMA. The living of your spiritual life has begun now with this instant of listening, thousands of births rendered unnecessary, cancelled with this rebirth. Understand God LIVES in the Transcendental, and singing His Name uncovers the transcendental spark of Him that is each of us, and we are purified to see Him everywhere, and to learn how to love Him.

So, sing with me. Sing the names of the Lord. Sing. what better way to praise Him? Oh no, don't fall back into your everydaythesame newspapers, Please, look at me—HARE KRISHNA listen—HARE RAMA watch me, I'm dancing out the door, singing HARE KRISHNA HARE RAMA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE down the platform, dancing my way to work…. You're right, I'm crazy, blissfully, from love of Krishna and the joy of chanting His Names.

Here I am rattling Krishna's spinal cord in this cloth bag, and they think I'm crazy!

—Brahmananda Das Brahmacary (Bruce Scharf)