MUSIC - FOOD FOR THE SOUL

I was listening to a Ghazal by Hariharan -‘JHOOM LE’ a beautiful ghazal from the Ghazal Album Kaash. Hariharan’s soulful music never fails to amaze me. I am not so familiar with Ghazals , but this one surely makes me feel the peace and tranquility.

Musical notes dance if we can watch them. Some go to watch a dance to watch the movements in the dance. I consider the notes – swaras of music themselves performing a dance. They twist and turn and slide and glide.

Swaras themselves are so expressive that each note has its own bhava, its own distinctive character and grace. It also depends on the performer, who will be able to bring out the best of the notes. Be it a vocalist or instrumentalist. If we can watch the fluid movements of these notes, we will truly understand the meaning of dance itself!

What wonder to be mesmerized by music and her greatest gift, her musicians! What astounding creators they are! They create such emotions in a person. Good music fills you up completely but at the same time leaves you with a longing for more.

Music – Food for the Soul……

Super Brain Yoga

I received an e-mail from a friend about 'Super Brain Yoga'. Watching it I am amazed that this is what we kids were asked to do as a punishment. Most of the Indian children would have gone through with this.

Another interesting thing about this particular act which is called “Thoppukaranam” in Tamil which refers to the action one does in front of the deity Lord Ganesh. When we approach this particular deity who symbolizes Knowledge, we will automatically knock with our knuckles on the temples of our head and then perform the Thoppukaranam. (holding the earlobes with opposite hands and alternately squatting and standing up as shown in the video below.

I was truly surprised that an act which was so insignificant and also related to punishment happens to have such an astounding result when it is done. India has so much wonderful mysteries to be unfolded. These little simple things in life are made part of the daily life of an Indian from childhood. They are told to adhere to many things without questioning, which may look superstitious but in fact turn out to be beneficial to us. When practiced consistently they become such valuable habits. Today I learned that this simple act actually is amazing and of great value to me.



Superbrain Yoga® is a simple and effective technique to energize and recharge the brain. It is based on the principles of subtle energy and ear acupuncture. This powerful technique is explained in Master Choa Kok Sui's latest book Superbrain Yoga®.

Mahatma Gandhi's Prayer

“AS SOON AS WE LOSE THE MORAL BASIS, WE CEASE TO BE RELIGIOUS.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS RELIGION OVER-RIDING MORALITY.

MAN, FOR INSTANCE, CANNOT BE UNTRUTHFUL, CRUEL OR INCONTINENT
AND CLAIM TO HAVE GOD ON THEIR SIDE.”

– Mahatma Gandhi




Listened to this wonderful song (prayer) which was Mahatma Gandhi's favourite piece. The song brings about such sublime sweetness. This video above is a rendition by the violin Maestro Dr.L.Subramaniam.

Conceived, Composed and Produced by Dr. L. Subramaniam. A new melody and feeling for Gandhi's favourite song.

Features Pandit Jasraj, Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam, Sultan Khan, Pankaj Udhas, Hariharan, Remo Fernandes, Bindu Subramaniam, Narayana Subramaniam.


Another Beautiful Version






Kirtan Vaishnava Janato

Translation

One who is a vaishnav
Knows the pain of others
Does good to others, esp. to those ones who are in misery
Does not let pride enter his mind
A Vaishnav, Tolerates and praises the the entire world
Does not say bad things about anyone
Keeps his/her words, actions and thoughts pure
O Vaishnav, your mother is blessed (dhanya-dhanya)
A Vaishnav sees everything equally, rejects greed and avarice
Considers some one else’s wife/daughter as his mother
The toungue may get tired, but will never speak lies
Does not even touch someone else’s property

A Vaishnav does not succumb to worldly attachments
Who has devoted himself to stauch detachment to worldly
pleasures
Who has been edicted to the elixir coming by the name of Ram
For whom all the religious sites are in the mind
Who has no greed and deciet
Who has renounced lust of all types and anger
The poet Narsi will like to see such a person
By who’s virtue, the entire family gets salvation

Footprints

Many people have various passions. I too have many passions in my life. But today my utmost passion has become to “learn”. Yes to become a student of life. I have taken a full circle and come back to the same place. We may call it a zero or a circle. Sometimes we go around looking for things everywhere when it lies so close to us.

Life is a beautiful school. It is how we look at it. All these years I struggled trying to catch the elusive. But when I recognize Grace and when I am able to trust, I find that I am carried in the arms of this compassionate power.

This reminds me of the story of a person walking along a beach. He saw two pairs of footprints embedded on the sands of the beach and after a while there was only one pair of footprints along the beach. He looked at God and said, “Look, when I was fine and happy, you walked alongside me but when I needed you the most, you abandoned me and I had to walk all alone”.

God looked at him and said, “You have misunderstood the truth”. “When you were doing well and were fine, I walked with you”. “There can you see those two pairs of footprints? And when you needed me the most, I carried you in my arms and those footprints are not yours but mine”.

Sometimes we have the tendency to forget the reality and everything becomes a struggle. Somehow when I can learn how to flow with the river and not against the current, I enjoy the journey. This journey of mine has been long and windy. I have had good times and bad times. But when the good times come, it overshadows all the pain and suffering and fills the heart that one can feel the heart dancing. Yes dancing because such joy is possible in this life.

I have to thank my teacher for helping me to see this joy and to feel the dance of life.

“The Beauty of Life is Life itself”. - Prem Rawat

"PEACE IS THE PERFUME OF GOD"

"PEACE IS THE PERFUME OF GOD"

A beautiful video of wisdom and clarity from Prem Rawat's Message of Peace.




Prem Rawat (Maharaji) speaking at an event in Tel-Aviv, Israel, on February 12, 2009.

Duration: 13 minutes.

Buddha – The Radiant One

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.

-- Buddha


I am unable to remove the picture of this “Buddha”. Somehow I find myself irresistibly drawn towards this picture. The Radiant Buddha as I would like to address him, exudes such peace and tranquility.

This portrait does not belong to me but to cyberspace. Knowing this reality, I still feel that I want to hold on to it. The portrait of the young Budha, sitting under a tree and meditating , makes me feel the serenity, radiance, peace and calmness.

This want to possess also reminds me of how everything I try to hold on to my life, truly does not really belong to me but to this Universe. Just as all these words, the pictures and whatever I write on the blog does not really belong to me, this whole thing that I call mine too does not belong to me. I am given a chance, an opportunity to enjoy and to embrace them for a period of time.

You may call me silly or sentimental, but I decided to maintain the portrait of the Radiant Buddha for remembrance on my home page. He inspires me to be tranquil, contented and radiant. A reminder to me that I need to feel contentment in my life too ………….

Breathing Therapy

Something interesting I received in an e-mail from a friend.

"Our noses have left and right nostrils. Are these nostrils having the same function for inhaling (breathe in) and exhaling (breathe out)?

Actually it's not the same and we can feel the difference. Accordingly, the right side represents the sun and the left side represents the moon.

When having headache, try to close your right nostril and use your left nostril to do breathing for about 5 min.

The headache will be gone. If you feel too tired, do it the opposite way. Close your left nostril and breathe through your right nostril. After a while, you will feel refreshed again.

Because the right side belongs to heat, so it gets hot easily. The left side gets cold easily..

Women breathe mainly with their left nostril, so they get calm down easily.

Men breathe mostly with their right nostril, so they get angry easily.

When we wake up, do we notice which nostril breathes faster? Is it the left side or the right side?

If the left nostril breathes faster, you will feel very tired. Close your left nostril and use your right nostril for breathing and you will get refresh quickly.

You can teach your kids about it. The effect of breathing therapy is much better for adults.

I used to have painful headache. When consulted a doctor, he told me jokingly," You will be all right if you get married!" The doctor did not bullshit me as he had his theory and supported with testimony.

During that time, I used to have headache every night and I was not able to study. I took medicine but I was not cured.

One night as I sat down to medidate, I closed my right nostril and breathed with my left nostril. In less than a week, it seemed that my headache problem had left me! I continued doing it for about a month and since then there was no recurrence of headache in me.

This is my own experience. I used to tell others who also suffer headache to try this method as it was effective for me. It also works for those who have tried as well. This is a natural therapy, unlike taking medicines for a long time may have side effect. So, why don't you try it out?

Practice the correct ways of breathing (breathe in and breathe out) and your body will be in a very relaxing condition".

Heal the Soul

When we are hurt, in pain or in anger, we are not able to think or deal with things in a logical manner. The pain and anger will overshadow our way of thinking and dealing with certain situations in our life. Each time I feel pain or anger arising within me, I turn towards an antidote. It could be a poem, it could be a joke, it could be watching nature or it could be music.

Something which brings calmness and serenity to us, helps us to cool down before we are able to deal with certain situations. There are times when things have to be dealt with immediately. Those aside when we have to deal with people especially, I see that I need to take a moment, collect myself before I can utter or do something that I may regret.

I tried to watch a video of the post-mortem report of Kugan, the boy murdered in police custody and I could not continue. Such pain and sadness arose in me that I had to take a break and went to youtube and found this song. I listened to the song for a few times before I was able to compose myself and continue with the day. Music does heal the soul.

Angel from Heaven

Mattie's peotry is theraupatic to me. What do I know of Mattie other than that he was a young American poet and peacemaker. Yes, I have only seen him on The Oprah Show. Yet he has touched me in a way, very few people could ever do. Who are you Mattie ? My Angel from Heaven ?


Heartsongs by Mattie Stephanek

I have a song, deep in my heart,
And only I can hear it.
If I close my eyes and sit very still
It is so easy to listen to my song.
When my eyes are open and
I am so busy and moving and busy,
If I take time and listen very hard,
I can still hear my Heartsong.

It makes me feel happy.
Happier than ever.
Happier than everywhere
And everything and everyone
In the whole wide world
Happy like thinking about
Going to Heaven when I die.
My Heartsong sounds like this:

I love you! I love you!
How happy you can be!
How happy you can make
The whole world be!

And sometimes it's other
Tunes and words, too,
But it always sings the
Same special feeling to me.
It makes me think of
Jamie, and Katie and Stevie,
And other wonderful things.
This is my special song.

But do you know what?
All people have a special song
Inside their hearts!
Everyone in the whole wide world
Has a special Heartsong.
If you believe in magical, musical hearts,
And if you believe you can be happy,
Then you, too, will hear your song.

Recipe For Peace

"I want to be a poet, a peacemaker and a philosopher who played."

-Mattie Stephanek-


Mattie left us with this beautiful concept of peace, which he wrote May 12, 2002
(12 years old)


Peace is possible.
Make peace an attitude.
Want it.
Make peace a habit.
Live it.
Make peace a reality.
Share it.
Peace is possible.
Make peace matter.
Our matter.
Make peace a priority.
Our priority.
Make peace a choice.
Our choice.
Peace is possible.
We must
Think gently,
Speak gently,
Live gently.
Peace is possible.
Be happy with who you are.
Be happy with who others are.
Be happy that we Are.
Peace is possible.
Role model acceptance.
Love others.
Role model forgiveness.
Encourage others.
Role model tolerance.
Treasure others.
Peace is possible.
Peace is possible.
Peace is possible.

~Mattie J. T. Stepanek, May 12, 2002
In Reflections of a Peacemaker: A Portrait Through Heartsongs