Hari Aum.
As this year draws to a close, it is good time to reflect upon the past twelve months-- upon the highs and lows, the challenges and achievements, and of course, most importantly, the present state of our spiritual lives.
I will be completely frank and admit that my spiritual life feels a bit dull at the moment. I'm in a stage of doing my mantra japa like taking a medication-- I do it because I know it is good for me, not because I feel particularly enthusiastic.
I feel tired spiritually. The last few years have been horrible frankly (to an extent anyway, not entirely-- there have been many good things too) and, as a result, I have gone through a phase of being angry and upset with Narayana-- now I am simply exhausted (too tired to even be angry! :) Nonetheless, much as I am annoyed with Him, I have found that I cannot let Him go.
I have obtained a shaligram form of Narayana-- He is said to be represented by this stone. As I regard Him as being somewhat stony in nature these days (what with wars, pandemics, and all sorts of other problems that He heaps upon humanity), I felt it would be apt to worship Him in this form.
I have the sacred Tulsi plant with me at home-- this plant is a representation of the Divine Mother in the form of a devotee of Narayana (She is also known as 'Vrinda' and 'Vishnupriya'). It is because of this devotee that Narayana is said to have assumed the form of this stone. There is a legend that says She became upset with Him on account of an incident and declared that His heart was of stone, and that therefore, that He should become one- and He is said to have obliged! Anyway, worship of the sacred shaligram along with Tulsi devi is said to be good for cultivating devotion. I am therefore performing this worship in a very simple way daily (either by offering water with some mantras or doing a mini-puja).
These days, more than japa, it is dance that creates spiritual feelings in me-- specifically, Bharatanatyam dance. As mentioned in previous posts, I have taken this subject up again in the past couple of years (after a break of around thirty years-- learned it as a child). When I dance, I feel close to the Divine in a way that few other activities make me feel these days.
I invoke the Divine as I enter the dance floor along with the other students (this is an ancient tradition). And in my head, I ask Krishna to be present and dance with me. It is a good feeling. I do not think of Him continuously when dancing as my mind has to be focussed on the music and the steps. But I dedicate my dancing to Him (and I feel He accepts this, even when I'm not having the best day).
On that note, I want to remind readers that it is not for nothing that our Gurus and spiritual tradition declares that music is easiest and most effective way to attain the Divine in this yuga.
Nada yoga means the 'yoga of sound'. This includes singing, playing of instruments and mantra recitation.
Natya yoga includes the yoga of dance and drama. It involves contemplation of the Divine when performing dance and acting.
These two forms of yoga are extremely powerful in the view of our Gurus as a means to achieve union with the Divine. This is the reason why the great rishi, Bharata muni, composed the wonderful Natya shastra (the ancient book of music and dance). Over many centuries, this has evolved into eight beautiful and intricate classical dance forms that are practiced in India today-- including Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Manipuri, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali and Sattriya.
We also have two highly developed forms of classical music (vocal and instrumental) in India, including Carnatic (developed in South India) and Hindustani (evolved in North India). We have a range of beautiful instruments, including but not limited to the drums (tabla, mridangam), flute (bansuri, venu), veena and sitar (the violin has also been incorporated into Carnatic music in the past century).
One of the best gifts we can give ourselves, for both spiritual and material welfare, is to take up one or more of these beautiful subjects-- dance, vocal and instrumental music.
If people made more music in the world, and danced a bit more too, it is likely that there would be less suffering and less hostility on our planet-- and conversely, there would likely be more peace, more happiness, better health and a greater sense of fulfilment in life. (One is reminded here of the famous quotation by Shakespeare: "The man that hath no music in himself, nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils"-- this seems to be true!).
Music and dance should not be mere hobbies in my view-- something that is placed at the lowest level on our list of priorities in life (just as our spiritual life should not be).
No, as our deities themselves indicate, these are the essence of life, the heart of 'rasa' (or 'juice' in life).
The images of Sri Krishna playing the flute, of Mother Sarasvati playing the veena, and of Lord Shiva dancing remind us of this great truth. Music and dance can truly connect us to the realm of the Divine.
Without music and dance, life degenerates into a dreary existence, filled only with daily chores and work. The mind is not elevated beyond the mundane thoughts related to eating, sleeping and the ordinary activities of daily life.
With the help of music and dance, the mind experiences 'bhava' (spiritual emotions) and 'rasa' (spiritual experience). These two form the wings of the bird of spirituality, the bird that is able to soar freely into the sky of spirituality, up towards the Divine. (I hope to write another post sometime soon on the subject of bhava and rasa--very important concepts in music and dance, and in spirituality, particularly the path of bhakti yoga-- I am learning about this currently in the context of dance).
In the meantime, my dear friends, I do recommend that (if you are not doing so already) you consider starting a journey of exploration of the beautiful world of bhava and rasa by taking up either music or dance or both. Consider the paths of nada yoga and natya yoga to deepen your bhakti yoga practice in the New Year.
Do not be daunted by the lack of time or even by the seeming challenges of studying these classical arts. Do not worry if you have not visited these subjects for decades (many of us learn as children and then give up when we start working).
Just like with the practice of mantra japa (or indeed, when we start a patient on any medication in the world of medicine), follow the approach of 'start low and go slow'. Take up just a little bit (perhaps just ten minutes a day) and do it regularly a few times a week.
It does not matter if there are gaps in practice (there inevitably will be sometimes due to other commitments, illness, travel and so on)-- just keep going would be my advice. Just as we do, with mantra japa.
It does not matter whether or not you feel that you have the skill or talent for these subjects-- you will not know, until you try. And it is practice that matters more than talent or aptitude. (I have come across many people who say "Oh I cannot dance at all" or "My voice is not good"-- mostly, this is completely untrue. There may be a lack of confidence, a lack of self-belief, but not a lack of ability--even if there is a lack of ability, so what? One loses nothing in trying-- except maybe a little time and resources!).
Also, today's children seem to spend a large amount of time idling away on screens-- smartphones, computers and televisions. It really is most unhealthy. I would suggest that we encourage our children to spend more time learning a beautiful skill such as music or dance, rather than wasting large amounts of time doing nothing useful on a screen. This will be far better for their mental and physical health in the long run (medical research shows that music and dance are excellent for health, while too much screen time is detrimental).
(In the past year I have introduced my six year old daughter to Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam. I had told her that there is no pressure at all to study these subjects but gave her the opportunity to explore them-- she has now herself become fond of these and wants to continue her studies. I do not feel there should be any element of pressure when it comes to studying these subjects, but if possible, it would be good to give children the opportunity to explore them).
Speaking of pressure, I feel under some pressure currently as my dance teacher is expecting my year group to learn a very dynamic and energetic piece of Bharatanatyam dance known as a Thillana. We are meant to perform one of these on stage in a matter of weeks (only started learning this a few weeks ago!) and the panic is definitely setting in-- we are beginners and Thillanas are quite challenging (however, our teacher seems to like to keep us on our toes, quite literally!).
So I am currently attempting to memorise and practice the beautiful 'Paras Thillana' for our upcoming performance (this 'raga' or melody, is said to evoke feelings of bhakti (devotion) and 'sringara' (love). (In my mind, I am doing this as a 'tapasya' dedicated to Krishna-- am doing some extra Krishna mantra recitation to obtain His Grace to help me perform this with a decent level of skill! The jumps, spins and speedy moves are not at all easy for me as a relative beginner and I feel Divine grace will undoubtedly be needed to survive this! I am also reluctantly dragging myself to the local gym on a more regular basis in an attempt to build more stamina to be able to survive this year of dance that began in September-- as it is going to be filled with challenging pieces!)
You can see a lovely performance of the Paras Thillana here by the well-known dance Guru Shrimati Leela Samson (we are dancing to this music; our choreography has some similarities to this but our teacher has created his own interpretation of the music which is also quite beautiful).
This is another very nice rendition of the same Tillana by a talented younger dancer:
I would like to conclude this post by wishing you a wonderful festive season/Christmas. May your New Year be filled with the joy of music and dance and with the rasa of bhakti in all its beautiful forms.
Om Tulsidevyai Namah.
Om Shyamasundaraya Namah.
Om Namo Narayanaya.
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
