HOW TO LEAD MANGALA ARATI

Once I, T. Brown, approached Uncle Gismo, who was seated in Samadhi next to his thing-a-majig, and asked him how to lead Mangala-arati.

Sri Gismo Uvaca (The Blessed Uncle Gismo Said): In ISKCON there are three ways to lead Mangala-arati: The right way, the wrong way and the ASA way. Even the ASA way has varieties but now, I shall describe one. (Sound of heavenly 'Uuus and Aaaas')

First, with love!

If you haven't got pure love then at least do it clean. I mean the Kartals and drum should never be louder than the Bhajana, Gurv-astakam. The frame should not detract from the picture. The frame should stand unnoticed but magnify aspects of the picture.

Learn the translation, word-by-word, the grammar. If with meaning you sing, your heart will certainly ring.

It's not two parallel mono-logs.It is a dialog. Got it?  Both sides should listen to the other, not just chant.

2/3 of the time should be Maha-mantra: HK HK --- KK HH ... Skc, Pn... HK HK... and Haraye namah ... Just the first and third line of that song. Look for the explanation at the end of 'CC, Adi-lila, Chapter on "Lord Caitanya in His Youth"'.

Your hands should not separate from your body by more than four inches and foam can come from your mouth only as long as it is of good quality and digestible like cotton candy.

Any other questions?

T.B. - Seems like enough for now.

U.G. - Haaa Rummfff. (One of the Professor's 'bija-mantras'.