George Harrison Eric Clapton and the maha-mantra.
“Even though I was not overawed by the Beatles, I was aware that this was a very special moment in time for anyone that was there. Their music had gradually been evolving over the years and the album (Sargeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band) was expected by everyone to be their masterpiece. It was also supposedly written under the influence of acid, the sounds of ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ and ‘A Day in the Life.’ It was an amazing experience to be listening to it in the condition we were in. They had begun to explore Indian mysticism, perhaps as a result of George’s influence and at some point the chanting of ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare’ began to be heard in the club… we were all dancing to the rhythm. I have to admit we were pretty moved by the whole thing.”
(Clapton, An Autobiography)
George Harrison: “Once I was on an airplane that was in an electric storm. It was hit by lightning three times, and a Boeing 707 went over the top of us, missing by inches. I thought the back end of the plane had blown off. I was on my way from Los Angeles to New York to organize the Bangladesh concert. As soon as the plane began bouncing around, I started chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The whole thing went on for about an hour and a half or two hours, the plane dropping hundreds of feet and bouncing all over in the storm, all the lights out and all these explosions, and everybody terrified. I ended up with my feet pressed against the seat in front, my seat belt as tight as it could be, gripping on the thing, and yelling Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare at the top of my voice. I know for me, the difference between making it and not making it was actually chanting the mantra. Peter Sellers also swore that chanting Hare Krishna saved him from a plane crash once.”
(George Harrison, Chant and be Happy)
“George and I sat in adjacent seats on the plane ride back to New York from Hollywood and I think that was another occasion when death was staring at us. The plane ran into a violent thunderstorm as we approached the city, tossing the craft around like a rowboat on the ocean during The Perfect Storm. ‘Hari Krishna, Hari Krishna, Hari Krishna’? George kept chanting as thunderbolts exploded all around the jet like ack-ack fire.”
(Al Aronowitz, The Blacklisted Journalist)
Padmapani Das