just a thought

[Guest guest]

Dear All:

 

About a year and a half ago I went to see a hindustani sitar concert.

The Musicians were highly professional, and the sitar player (young

middle-aged) was what we usually called a " virtuoso " (I prefer not to

mention any names), coming from a family of highly respected

musicians. He could jump the notes up and down at light-speed and make

also the most incredible soft nuances. All of this mixed with smiles

and glimpses to the public, that in several ocassions broke the

silence with cheers and aplauses. His understanding of each raga he

played was also profound and his creativity, excellent. At the end of

the evening it was a standing ovation, we were all charged with a

certain kind of electricity... I noticed that this energy, although

intense, was short lived... after a few hours, all gone...

Fairly recently I came across a woderfull DVD of a concert of an

hindustani master, old person already (actually he died two months

after that memorable concert, not because of his age but for some

health problems).

The first thing I noticed was... " hapiness " , it even radiated

throughout the stage and " infected " the other musicians as well.

Evidently, this was a very different kind of musical experience I was

having here. The virtuosism was there, undeniable, but it was at the

service of the music, and for that reason, was hardly evident. Little

by little one was filled also with a lot of energy, but of a different

kind than the one described before at the concert a year and a half

ago. It seemed that in this latter case, this Master musician did not

need to prove anything, neither to himself nor to the public, music

was more like an extension of his " breathing " , his " words " and his

" heart " , not even a " necessity " any more.

It has been almost eight months since viewing this DVD and I am still

lulled by those happy and profound sounds, they help me like the

Scriptures; on the other side, what do I remember from the precedent

experience with the Master Sitar player?... the standing ovation, for

one, and then maybe, if I force myself, some moments of diligent

fingers dancing like acrobats on a tight rope at fulminous speed.

I believe that, with these two experiences, I understood something

that is applicable to many areas of our lives.

 

Now, what in the world do all this story have to do with Advaita

Vedanta in the context of this list and the recent postings?

Well, somehow, and to my understanding, we mainly deal with thoughts

and concepts, the notes, ragas and talas of our " vedantic music " ...

These thoughts, ideas and concepts may serve many purposes, for some,

an affirmation of knowledge, for others a display of virtuosism, or

clearing one's own doubts through questions and statements, and for

even many others just sharing the experiental understanding that was

gained through many efforts and sadhanas with an underlying " feeling "

of happiness, ease, love and... simplicity.

And yes, there is a place for everyone in the big picture, as there is

a place for every form of musical performance within the world of

music, although we may or may not " resonate " with this or that

performance.

 

Myself, for one, keep remembering that beautiful old Master moving his

hands, closing his eyes, and singing... while smiling.

 

PraNams to All,

Mouna

[Guest guest]

--- Mouna <maunna wrote:

>simplicity.

> And yes, there is a place for everyone in the big

> picture, as there is

> a place for every form of musical performance within

> the world of

> music, although we may or may not " resonate " with

> this or that

> performance.

 

Yes Mouna - in any creative work with order and melody

- the Lord manifests with His splendor and beauty. In

fact, when one surrenders and performs, His divine

music flows - that is the symbolism of flute in the

hands of Krishna - If we surrender like a flute in his

hands, He breaths the divine music through us.

Otherwise only jarring notes will come. Yes, Music

captures even the attention of an innocent child - who

has no knowledge of the ragas and taalas. Yes life

itself becomes a divine music, provided we become like

a flute in His hands and thus completely surrender to

that great musician, who can orchestrate and bring out

the enchanting music out of us.

 

Surrender to that great musician is the Key for the

divine music to flow from us.

 

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

[Guest guest]

hariH OM! sri mouna,

 

heartening to hear appreciation for [presumably] hindustani sitar

music. are you referring to ustad vilayat khan on the cd? my

personal favorite was nikhil banerjee, who also played with

incredible depth of feeling.

 

i myself have been playing sitar since 1969, and through a friend met

pandit ravi shankar as well as ustad allah rahka, around 1972. i had

the great fortune of having pt shankar give me a brief, impromptu--

although immeasurably valuable--entry-level lesson re the devotional

aspect of the guru-shishya relationship. this helped conjur a vital

devotional attitude as well as underscoring the need for self-

discipline. despite that i was only subsequently self-taught and

thereof only superficially learned to play in the classical

tradition, i nevertheless learned a lot about the effectiveness of

persuing a given discipline by engaging the vitally important act of

balancing the mind and heart.

 

this helps shed light on the vedanta marga, insofar as engaging the

CRITICAL bhakti aspect on the quest for moksha. this needs to be

emphasized for those whose predilection is jnanayog because they tend

to be somewhat prejudiced against vaishnava-s for example...which is

understandable simply becase the latter are making the opposite

mistake [in failing to engage the counterpoint knowledge aspect of

the path, hence wind up being closed-minded, fanatical, and hence

exclusive in attitude].

 

[all] schools should bear in mind: one of the supremely important

lessons of gotama buddha is embracing the middle way; and adopting a

balanced approach in the quest for Self-realization cannot be over-

emphasized.

 

namaste,

frank

 

_______

 

advaitin , " Mouna " <maunna wrote:

>

> Dear All:

 

[...]

 

It seemed that in this latter case, this Master musician did not

> need to prove anything, neither to himself nor to the public, music

> was more like an extension of his " breathing " , his " words " and his

> " heart " , not even a " necessity " any more.

> It has been almost eight months since viewing this DVD and I am

still

> lulled by those happy and profound sounds, they help me like the

> Scriptures; on the other side, what do I remember from the precedent

> experience with the Master Sitar player?... the standing ovation,

for

> one, and then maybe, if I force myself, some moments of diligent

> fingers dancing like acrobats on a tight rope at fulminous speed.

> I believe that, with these two experiences, I understood something

> that is applicable to many areas of our lives.

>

> Now, what in the world do all this story have to do with Advaita

> Vedanta in the context of this list and the recent postings?

> Well, somehow, and to my understanding, we mainly deal with thoughts

> and concepts, the notes, ragas and talas of our " vedantic music " ...

> These thoughts, ideas and concepts may serve many purposes, for

some,

> an affirmation of knowledge, for others a display of virtuosism, or

> clearing one's own doubts through questions and statements, and for

> even many others just sharing the experiental understanding that was

> gained through many efforts and sadhanas with an

underlying " feeling "

> of happiness, ease, love and... simplicity.

> And yes, there is a place for everyone in the big picture, as there

is

> a place for every form of musical performance within the world of

> music, although we may or may not " resonate " with this or that

> performance.

>

> Myself, for one, keep remembering that beautiful old Master moving

his

> hands, closing his eyes, and singing... while smiling.

>

> PraNams to All,

> Mouna

>