"Kirtan" means "भक्ति-bhakti" Yoga.

Coexist Kirtan Center is non-partisan, non-sectarian, non-profit Pennsylvania corporation headquartered in Pittsburgh. Our purpose is to create a movement of compassion, cooperation, and world peace through education, interfaith dialogue, negotiation, and conflict resolution between creeds, sects, colors, casts, ethnic groups, and nations, catalyzed by popularizing the process of kirtan - congregational mantra-meditation, which is the only yoga process recommended for this particular age in authorized transcendental Vedic literature e.g., Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, & Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Since the 60's and 70's, various yoga fads have become all the rage in this country. ("Hot Yoga", "Lamb Yoga", "Heavy Metal Yoga", etc.), All of these are speculations - fanciful concoctions, and none are authorized or recommended in the ancient yoga scriptures like Bhagavad-gita. 

No one can successfully practice the bona-fide yoga process nowadays. The sitting postures and breathing exercises are a mechanical method of focusing the mind on the ātmā (soul) and the Paramātmā (supersoul, or localized aspect of the Supreme - both of which are located in the heart area of every living being.) Etymologically, the word yoga comes from the word "yoke," or connect the soul with the supersoul. First of all, nobody knows that connection with Visnu is the goal of yoga, and even if you did, how can you concentrate listening to heavy metal music or while your face is being licked by a lamb? In this age we have no attention span, because we're to addicted to watching Tic-Tok videos for our overloaded sensory entertainment.

This process provides direct connection with the soul/supersoul in the heart. "Kirtan" is congregational (call and response) mantra meditation on the Holy Names of Kṛṣṇa (God) - or ANY other name of God. Lord Caitanya, a powerful incarnation of the Supreme for this age (yuga-avatar), who appeared in West Bengal and spread this saṅkīrtana (congregational chanting) movement all across the subcontinent of India only 537 years ago. 

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada successfully executed the request of his guru Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati to bring this yoga process to the English speaking world, in 1966 he started chanting publicly in a park in New York city's lower eastside, it spread world-wide it is available in every town and villiage. This has initiated a temporary golden age during which the conditioned souls in this degraded Iron age of Kali (quarrel & hypocrisy) can float on the ocean of Love of God for the next 10,000 years.

"O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Krishna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names." -Siksastakam (3)

Coexist Kirtan Center hosts weekly zoom reading/discussions of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and special "kirtan" programs with and a free veggie feast on special holidays @ "Shick" (AKA Scott) and Jennifer Manley's residence at 231 Hollywood St., Pittsburgh, PA 15205-3432.

Check out our Facebook group page, and join get notifications of upcoming Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam zoom sessions, kirtan dates, pictures, videos, stories, & realizations.

This is my humble attempt to follow in the footsteps of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who wrote in the preface to his translation and commentary of the Bhagavatam,

"We must know the present need of human society. And what is that need? Human society is no longer bounded by geographical limits to particular countries or communities. Human society is broader than in the Middle Ages, and the world tendency is toward one state or one human society. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, of the entire energy of living beings. The need is felt by great thinkers to make this a successful ideology. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will fill this need in human society. It begins, therefore, with the aphorism of Vedānta philosophy janmādy asya yatah to establish the ideal of a common cause."

That "common cause" is not just a egalitarian utopian scheme manufactured in the tiny brains of some human being, but is actually the Cause of all causes, the One God, Who is the creator and therefore the Owner of everything. Therefore we must use what He has so kindly given us in His service, not for our own sense gratification or political agenda. He is the best well-wishing friend of all living entities. That is the essence of "the peace formula."

In this age of Kali, filled with quarrel, hypocrisy, deep partisan political divisiveness and hateful violent religious extremism, this idea is urgently needed, because, as Prabhupada says, "it is a cultural presentation for the re-spiritualization of the entire human society."

Om🕉 tat sat

Peace☮