Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Violin and Lessons on Life

As an adult learning to play the violin, there are many insights that I can draw from my learning which apply directly to life and living.

To play the violin an adult must unlearn a lot of bad habits that have accumulated over the years. From inattention, one must go towards becoming more attentive, sensitive and aware. From stiffness, tension and rigidity, one must become firm yet relaxed, soft and supple. From excesses towards moderation, the optimal placement and application of energy.

The journey to playing the violin well is a slow process of eliminating all that is gross in us to become more refined. In essence the violin holds up a challenge for us to become better human beings, sensitive, aware and alive!

When a person is alive, he is soft and supple
When a person dies, he becomes hard and rigid
When a plant is alive, it is pliant and tender
When a plant is dead, it becomes dry and brittle
Hence, the hard and rigid are companions of the dead
The soft and supple are companions of the living  - Lao Tzu

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please leave a message