Tagore: Eternally New

A new dawn

The birth of a child brings an extraordinary feeling of joy and amazement. In these rare moments in our lives we give ourselves up completely to the wonder of seeing a new creation.

If we observe closely, new birth is happening around us all the time. We must tune ourselves to see everything afresh, the new dawn, the new hues in the evening sky, the new buds, the fresh snowflakes each with a new design. Attuned to the eternal renewal around us, we can drink deeply from the wellspring of joy to refresh ourselves.

Hey nutan ..
Dekha dik aar baar janmer pratham shubhakhan  |
Tomar prokash hok kuhelika kori udghaton 
Surjer moton ||
Riktataar bakkha bhedi aapanare karo unmochan  |
Byakta hok jeebaner joy,
Byakta hok tomaamaajhe asimera chirobismay  |
Udayadigante shankha baaje,mor chittamaajhe
Chiranutanere dilo daak
Pnochishe boishakh ||

Oh the new ..
Reveal yourself yet again this auspicious moment of birth,
May your light shine, unveiled from mist,
As does the glowing sun,
From the emptiness of the soul, reveal yourself,
May the joys of life be revealed again,
May your creation be a never ending wonder in me,
As you ascend up the horizon, conch shells resound in celebration within my soul,
Calling out for eternal renewal of the heart,
This twenty fifth day of Spring

Tagore: The heart is made for love ..

Love for all things

The world is intricately woven with exquisite beauty. Life is filled with little glad tidings. From the garland of stars in the night sky to the soft breeze over new leaves. From the melody of bird songs at dawn to the flowers strewn on the ground. We must see, feel and be touched by them. Then a deep love for all things will blossom in our heart.

Jodi prem dile na prane
Keno bhorer akash bhore dile amon gane gane? 
Keno tarar mala gatha,
Keno phuler sayon pata,
Keno dokhin howya gopon katha janaay kane kane?

Jodi prem dile na prene
Keno akash tabe amon choya chaay a mukher pane?
Tabe khane khane keno
Amar hridoy pagol heno
Tari sei sagore bhasaay jahar kul se nahi jane?

If the heart is not meant to love,
Why does the morning break its heart in songs?
Why are the stars strung into a garland?
Why this bed of flowers on my path?
Why does the south wind whisper its sweet little secrets?

If the heart is not meant to love
Why does the sky gaze at my face so ardently?
Why does the heart yearn so madly for someone? 
Why does this foolish heart recklessly launch its hope on the sea whose shore it does not know?

Tagore: Waves play on my heart ..

The weather outside plays intimately on my moods. Be it sunny, windy, cloudy, rainy, snowy or bitterly cold, every single day in nature brings forth new emotions. Only the genius of Tagore can capture these feelings into exquisite poetry and set them to song. "Bipulo tarongo re", is a song of the waves and the ripples they make on the heart.

Bipulo tarongo re, bipulo tarongo re  
Sab gagan udbelia magan kari ateet anagata
Aaloke ujyal jeebane chanchal eki ananda taranga   
Tai, dulichhe dinkara chandra tara,
Chamki kampichhe chetanadhara,
Aakul chanchal naache sansar, kuhare hridoybihanga

Oh these mighty waves, oh these mighty waves,
Sets the sky in delight, drowning the past and future.
Brightening the world, quickening life with every wave of joy
The sun, the moon, the stars all sway with the waves,
Sparkling and thrilling the stream of my perception,
The world dances in waves of excitement, my heart within coos

Some unseen fingers, like idle breeze, are playing upon my heart the music of the ripples.
- Tagore (Stray Birds)

Emerson on the Bhagavat Geeta

From the book "Emerson in His Journals"

Oct 1? 1848
My friend and I - owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavat Geeta. It was the first of books; it was as if an empire spake to us, nothing small or unworthy but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age & climate had pondered & thus disposed of the same questions that exercise us.  

Oct-Nov, 1845
The Indian teaching through its cloud of legends has yet a simple & grand religion like a queenly countenance seen through a rich veil. It teaches to speak he truth, love others as yourself, & to despise trifles. The East is grand--& makes Europe appear the land of trifles. Identity, identity! friend & foe are of one stuff, and the stuff is such & so much that the variations of surface are unimportant. All is for the soul, & the soul is Vishnu (God); & animals & stars are transient paintings; & light is whitewash; & durations are deceptive; and form is imprisonment and heaven itself is a decoy. That which the soul seeks is resolution into Being above form;..liberation from existence is its name. Cheerful & noble is the genius of this cosmogony. Hari is always gentle & serene-- ; all his games are benevolent

Spring? 1859
When India was explored, & the wonderful riches of Indian theologic literature found, that dispelled once for all the dream about Christianity being the sole revelation--for, here in India---there in China, were the same principles, the same grandeurs, the like depths moral & intellectual. 

The Law of Affinity

The energy and attitude of the company we keep rubs off on us by what Emerson calls 'The Law of Affinity'. Their restlessness, greed, discontent and pettiness brings out like feelings in us. Their disease becomes our disease for the period of association. Such interactions must be avoided to the extent possible.

June-July 1847 Emerson in His Journals

"One other thing is to be remarked concerning the law of affinity. Every constitution has its natural enemies & poisons, which are to be avoided as ivy & dogwood are by those whom those plants injure.

There are those who, disputing, will make you dispute; and nervous and hysterical and animalized, will produce a like series of symptoms in you; though no other persons produce the like phenomena in you, & though you are conscious that they do not properly belong to you, but are a sort of extension of the diseases of the other party into you." 

Sources of Inspiration

Ralph Waldo Emerson

1. Sleep is one, mainly by the sound health it produces; incidentally also, & rarely, into whose farrago a divine lesson is sometimes slipped.
2. Solitary converse with nature is a second (or perhaps the first) and there are ejaculated sweet & dreadful words never uttered in libraries. Ah the spring days, summer dawns & October woods. 
3. New poetry; what is new to me ..
4. Conversation...   -- Emerson in His Journals  (Jan, 1862)

The same fountains still do and will continue to inspire humanity far into the infinite future. 

Confluence of Influences

At times I step back and look at the world we live in with a feeling of awe. People from different nationalities, cultures and religions are able to mix and mingle and live in harmony. With this openness comes the free sharing of knowledge, cuisines, music, beauty, art, craft and sport.

One look at all the teachers enriching my young son's life is enough to fill me with gratitude. From his Armenian violin teacher, Canadian school teacher, Italian soccer coaches to his Indian dance teacher. Each one of them will leave their imprint on the young lives they touch molding them into citizens of an open, free and inclusive world. 

"You are the sum total of everything you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it's all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive." - Maya Angelou

Ah Missy, Freedom's sweet

I am reading Ralph Waldo Emerson's journal Emerson in His Journals. The sweetness of freedom is captured in this short journal entry and goes to show that a life without freedom is no life at all.

Lidian's grandmother had a slave Phillis whom she freed. Phillis went to the little colony on the outside of Plymouth which these called New Guinea. Soon after, she visited her old mistress. "Well, Phillis, what did  you have for dinner on Thanksgiving Day?" "Fried 'taturs, Missy;" replied Phillis. "And what had you to fry the potatoes in?" said Mrs Cotton. "Fried in Water, Missy;" answered the girl. "Well Phillis," said Mrs Cotton, "how can you bear to live up there, so poor, where here you used to have every thing comfortable, & such good dinner at Thanksgiving?" --"Ah Missy, Freedom's sweet." returned Phillis 

The angst from the loss of freedom is exquisitely portrayed by poets Maya Angelou in I know why the caged bird sings and Tagore in this poem from The Gardener

The tame bird was in a cage, the free bird was in the forest.
They met when the time came, it was a decree of fate.
The free bird cries, "O my love, let us fly to wood."
The cage bird whispers, "Come hither, let us both live in the cage."
Says the free bird, "Among bars, where is there room to spread one's wings?"
"Alas," cries the cage bird, "I should not know where to sit perched in the sky."

 The free bird cries, "My darling, sing the songs of the woodlands."
 The cage bird says, "Sit by my side, I'll teach you the speech of the learned."
 The forest bird cries, "No, ah no! songs can never be taught."
 The cage bird says, "Alas for me, I know not the songs of the woodlands."

 Their love is intense with longing, but they never can fly wing to wing.
 Through the bars of the cage they look, and vain is their wish to know each other.
 They flutter their wings in yearning, and sing, "Come closer, my love!"
 The free bird cries, "It cannot be, I fear the closed doors of the cage."
 The cage bird whispers, "Alas, my wings are powerless and dead." 

The Brahmin Ideals

The immense contribution of India's Brahmin community towards knowledge, culture and heritage is predominantly due to the ideals that are inherited, safeguarded and transmitted from generation to generation. Brahmins are the pursuers of knowledge.

Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in his book 'The philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore' sheds light on the Brahmin ideals.

About the class of Brahmins, it is his (Tagore's) opinion that every good society should have a section corresponding to it.  ... The Brahmins are the trustees of tradition and the conservers of the religious spirit. ...a class set apart for artistic production and spiritual discovery.. 

Members of this class are to discover and bring home to the community the joy of art and spiritual beauty. .. the members of this class are the purveyors of spiritual health and joy to the community. These are the leaders of society, regulating the things in which the community ought to take pleasure, exerting great moral influence on them. Those who are in the thick of the strife of the world have not the time to think of the welfare of the whole community or to contemplate the higher thinks of life. 

The Brahmins, according to the ideal, count poverty a privilege, consider learning their calling, and pursue the ideals of spirit with self-sacrifice and in a disinterested manner. Scorn of wealth and the pursuit of spirituality, regardless of praise or blame, are their characteristic features. 

The highest place (in Indian society)  is given to the philosoper who finds his lifework in search of truth, artistic creation, and moral endeavour.

Guided by conscience alone

The light within

Having long abandoned organized religion with their stifling rules, hierarchies and complex rituals, I feel liberated with the realization that the only guide one needs is ones own conscience. "When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that's my religion"! As it was for Abraham Lincoln so it is for me.

All of life's great treasures family, love, friendship, nature, health are bestowed freely and equally. So is the moral conscience. The conscience is the ever present guard and guide! Before every action, we must listen to the judgement of the conscience and then act accordingly. There is no need for external authorities, sermons, temples, churches, priests or religious texts.

Mind the light of God in your consciences,
which will show you all deceit;
dwelling in it, guides out of the many things into one spirit,
which cannot lie, nor deceive.
Those who are guided by it, are one. - George Fox

"For my mother, the highest law was man's own conscience" - Pablo Casals 

My Heart Soars ..

Every day, I have urged my children to see, feel and love the nature around them. So finding this picture of my daughter wearing a goose plume on her hair like the aboriginal people makes my heart soar and reminds me of this poem by Canadian aboriginal Chief Dan George

My heart soars ..

The beauty of the trees,
the softness of the air,
the fragrance of the grass,
speaks to me.

The summit of the mountain,
the thunder of the sky,
the rhythm of the sea,
speaks to me.

The faintness of the stars,
the freshness of the morning,
the dew drop on the flower,
speaks to me.

The strength of fire,
the taste of salmon,
the trail of the sun,
And the life that never goes away,
They speak to me.
And my heart soars 

Tagore: Honor the spirit within ..

A poignant song where the poet feels deeply remorseful for not honoring the spirit that dwells within. Even in the midst of all worldly activities, we must seek times of quiet solitude to recognize and honor the living spirit which makes everything possible.

Aamar hiyar majhe lukiye chile dekhte aami paai ni
Tomay dekhte aami paai ni.
Bahir pane chokh melechi,aamar hridoy pane chaai ni.
Aamar shokol bhalobashay shokol aaghat shokol aashay
Tumi chile aamar kaache,ami tomar kaache jaai ni.
Tumi mor aanondo hoye chile aamar khelay-
Anande tai bhule chile,keteche din helay.
Gopon rohi gobhir praane aamar dukkhosukher gaane
Sur diyecho tumi, aami tomar gaan to gaai ni.

You lie hidden within me, yet I failed to see you ..
Casting my eyes outward, I didn't look within
In all my adorations, all hurts, all aspirations
You were with me; yet I didn't come to you
You were the joy in all my plays
Oblivious in joy, I let the days fritter away
Buried deep in my heart, to songs of my lifes joys and sorrows
You gave the tune, and yet I sang not thy song ...

Serve the Spirit within

To impart knowledge of the soul or spirit that dwells within, the ancient Greeks used the "allegory of the queen bee" and the ancient Hindus used the "allegory of the chariot"

Allegory of the Chariot (Katha Upanishad)
Know thyself as the soul, the master of the chariot; the body as the chariot; the intellect as the charioteer; and the mind as the reins; the senses as the horses. The soul associates with the body, intellect, mind and senses to experience the world. They all must serve the soul, the life within. Devoid of knowledge, the bewildered intellect looses control, the mind is unsteady, the senses are uncontrollable, as wild horses. Endowed with knowledge, the intellect keeps the mind steady, the senses controlled as trained horses taking the soul to its final destination which is the highest goal of life.

ātmānaṁ rathinaṁ viddhi
śarīraṁ ratham eva ca
buddhiṁ tu sārathiṁ viddhi
manaḥ pragraham eva ca
indriyāṇi hayān āhur
viṣayāṁs teṣu gocarān
so ’dhvanaḥ pāram āpnoti
tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam

Allegory of the Queen Bee  (Letters from a Stoic by Seneca)
See that the spirit is well looked after. Our thoughts and our words proceed from it. We derive our demeanor and expression and the very way we walk from it. If the spirit is sound and healthy our style will be firm and forceful and virile, but if the spirit tumbles all the rest of our personality comes down in ruins with it.
The queen unharmed, the bees all live at one; 
Once she is lost, the hive's in anarchy

The spirit is our queen. So long as she is unharmed, the rest remains at its post, obedient and submissive. If she wavers for a moment, in the same moment the rest all falters.

"You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being immersed in a human experience" - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Natya Yoga: The Science of Dance

All streams of education that took birth in India have the ultimate goal of spiritual enlightenment of the student. The primary purpose of education is to lead towards the union of our individual self (microcosm) with the universal self (macrocosm). Tagore reiterates this "The highest education is that which does not merely gives us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence." Classical Indian dance is a refined and comprehensive system of education with the same end goal. The practice begins with the training of the physical and mental to culminate in the spiritual.

In my opinion, no other form of education integrates at once the complete development of an individual. Training in dance not only cultivates all the faculties; the body, the senses, the mind but also awakens the sense of beauty, harmony and rhythm lying latent within us and found universally around us. No wonder why the knowledge of classical dance (natyaveda) is considered the ultimate knowledge (panchamaveda)!

na tat jnanam na tat shilpam, na saa vidya, na saa kala
naasau yogo, na tat karma naatye asmin yanna drishyate 
There is no wisdom, no sculpture, no stream of knowledge, no art,
no science and no action that does not find reflection in Dance. - Natyashastra 

Tagore: Uplift my soul ..

Tagore, poet and sage 

Today I’m lost in the meditative hymn by Tagore ..Antaro mamo bikoshito karo. A sublime prayer in which the poet seeks to be uplifted ..to become pure, beautiful and joyful.

Lyrics
Antaro mamo bikoshito karo antaro-taro he
Nirmalo karo ujwalo karo sundaro karo he 
Antaro mamo bikoshito karo antaro-taro he 

Jagrato karo, udyhata karo, nirbhayo karo he
Mangalo karo, nirolaso, nishamshaya karo he 
Antaro mamo bikoshito karo antaro-taro he 

Yukta karo shobara shonge, mukta karo bondha
Sanchara karo sakhalo karme, shanto tomaaro chhondo
Antaro mamo bikoshito karo antaro-taro he 

Charan padme mamo chitta,nispondito karo he
Nondita karo, nondita karo, nondita karo he 
Antaro mamo bikoshito karo antaro-taro he 

Nirmalo karo ujwalo karo sundaro karo he 
Antaro mamo bikoshito karo antaro-taro he 

Meaning 
Uplift my soul, O Innermost One
Make me pure, radiant and beautiful
Uplift my soul, O Innermost One

Awaken me, raise me, make me fearless
Bless me, energize me, make me doubtless
Uplift my soul, O Innermost One

Unite me with everything, liberate me from all shackles
Let your peace permeate all my actions
Uplift my soul, O Innermost One

Keep my mind steady at your lotus feet
Make me joyful, joyful, joyful
Uplift my soul, O Innermost One

Make me pure, radiant and beautiful
Uplift my soul, O Innermost One

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

Odissi, where my heart saunters and lingers..

Odissi dancer

Time and again I am drawn to the world of Odissi. Though I am a student of Bharatanatyam, it is Odissi that tugs at my heart with its beauty and grace. This subtle, refined, sensitive and sensuous dance form agrees so totally with my sensibilities.

The mesmerizing beauty of Odissi is crystallized in the dancer Vrinda Chaddha. She transcends technique to exude the grace and beauty of Odissi in every step, in every eye movement. Her inner stillness and composure, perfectly timed execution without any superfluous movements, her complete fulfillment of every step is an exquisite feast to the viewer. Watching her perform takes me to into those rare heavenly states of aesthetic bliss where beauty, harmony, rhythm, movement and expressions all come together into one fulfilling whole.

Rasa (aesthetic bliss) is an experience of the bliss that is the eternal. Raso Vai-Sah!

Death, a close companion ..

I just put down the book "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Tolstoy. The story explores the torment of a dying man who frittered away his life. In his final hours, he had no meaningful deeds to recall, nothing to console him of a life well lived. "Ivan Illych's life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible". (Tolstoy)

On two occasions in my life, I saw death straight in the face. One was a decade ago when my father-in-law passed away unexpectedly at the age of sixty, brimming with life and with great hopes of enjoying his retirement. The other was when my daughter had a major surgery when she was barely a year old. There was a chance she would not survive.

Since then something in me changed forever. Death was no longer something morbid. Death has become a close companion walking hand in hand with life enhancing every aspect of it;
   reminding me of the transience of life;
   teaching me gratitude for the precious gift of my own life and that of our loved ones;
   keeping me firmly grounded;
   urging me to live a meaningful life with small acts of kindness, love and service;
   enabling me to die fully to every day to start life afresh again with every dawn.

"Death's stamp gives value to the coin of life; making it possible to buy with life what is truly precious" - Tagore

"It is good to have a reminder of death before us, for it helps us to understand the impermanence of life on this earth, and this understanding may aid us in preparing for our own death. He who is well prepared is he who knows that he is nothing compared with Wakan-Tanka who is everything; then he knows that world which is real" - Black Elk