The Days...

Today is 1st International Yoga Day, Music Day and also Father's Day.  Thanks to our Prime Minister's initiative to spread the message of yoga across the world, and Unites Nations accepting the initiative and declaring June 21 as Yoga day.   What comes to my mind is the "relevance" of such "days".  There are many "Days" such as father's day, mother's day, valentine's day, environment day, autism day, reading day and a day for everything.  How do these "Days" help us?

Every year we see hype created for father's day, mother's day and of course valentine's day. That much hype is not seen for days such as environment day, autism day and reading day.  Being the first time, and proposed by India, yoga day is generating lot of buzz across the world.  I believe, spreading the message of yoga can help bring better awareness about yoga, leading to people practicing yoga, resulting in a healthy lifestyle.  Though there are groups in India itself working against it, which of course is natural, as nothing gets its buzz without any opposition.  I think, we all can be proud that this is India's contribution to the world. 

Now coming back to the Mother's day, Father's day etc., I have never really understood what these days are for.  Yes, people take pictures of hugging mothers, fathers and put them on Facebook or other social networks.  Buy gifts and send to father / mother.  Do we need a separate day to express our love towards father and mother? Do we need a day to flaunt pics with mother and father?  Everyday day most of us pray god.  As per Indian culture, god comes only 4th in line after Mother, Father and Guru.  Then isn't it natural that we remember Mother, Father and Guru before we pray god every day?  Similarly with our valentines too.  Isn't it that the love towards them is perpetual (never ending, continuous, always there...)?  Then I feel odd for those who remember and wish them only on "the days".  Gifts and gift card companies such as Archies are the most benefitted and also the flower vendors and flower farmers.  Yes, wishes and gifts do bring smiles.  Isn't that these smiles are for every day?  The economic activities generated by the commercial interests on those days do help many people, that could be a big plus.

Days such as environment day, autism day, water day, reading day etc. attract many initiatives in respective fields, and spread awareness.  Events are organised to remind people of the importance of safeguarding environment, and water; inspiring people to cultivate good habit such as reading; letting people know about disorders such as Autism and changing the way people with such disorders are looked at.  I think, such efforts help bring awareness in the society as a whole.  

Again coming back to my question on greeting mother through Facebook on Mother's day, greeting father through Facebook on Father's day etc.  Isn't the love towards our dear ones "personal" and close to heart?  Somehow I find it difficult to comprehend such flaunting.  Is love towards one's valentine (husband / wife), towards parents, towards children etc need to be flaunted on social networks?  Does expression of real love towards dear ones need publicity and flaunting? Doesn't it lead to degeneration of real love to "expressing for the sake of doing it"?   Or am I missing something here?  If I am convinced, I am open to change my belief.

Of course, this is my opinion.  I am sure most people will not agree with me. That's fine.

Seeds of values...

In my first post I have mentioned that there are quite a few people influenced me in my life, and I wrote about Swami Chinmayananda.  In this post, I am writing about another person who has influenced me most in evolving values in my life.  He is none other than my paternal grandfather Shri Govinda Kamath.  He left this world just a week before my SSLC results came, that too lying in my lap. 

His love towards us (the grand children) was phenomenal.  In those days, where children and grand children use to have a sense of 'fear' when dealing with elderly at home, we were at very ease with our grand parents.  What struck me the most was the way he celebrated his birthdays.  When most elderly people in the neighbourhood celebrated their birthdays by conducting special pujas and havans, my grandfather used to invite visible gods, the tribals living in our village (ullaadans) and feed them till they said 'enough'.  There must be close to 40 - 50 tribal men and women come home on his birthdays, and we prepare porridge (kanji) and lentils (payar) for them.  Each one was given handful of coconut oil, that they immediately put on their head.  A towel (thorth) was also given to each person.  I haven't seen such a gesture happening during those days in our neighbourhood.  This has influenced me a lot. It doesn't mean that he was not a religious person.  He was indeed a religious person, but he had his priorities set based on the values he believed in.  I learnt that, feeding the needy is the biggest havan that one can perform.

My Grandfather Shri Govinda Kamath

To me he was a 'visionary' and his 'vision' shaped our (his grand children's) lives.  'Educating us' was on top of his mind, that too educating in a field, that he felt we are good at.  He and my father didn't have much resources for giving us the best education.  When a dance class was started near our house, my grandmother felt that my sisters should learn dance.  It may look 'normal' these days.  But in those days, sending girls from a conservative family as ours, to learn dance was 'unacceptable'.  There were quite a few murmurs from many 'well-wishers'.  But my grandmother stood adamant and grandfather strongly supported her.  When they realised that 'dance' is 'the passion' for my elder sister, my grandfather took a bold step of sending her to 'Kerala Kalamandalam' for a 4 year diploma course in dance.  The rest is history.  She rose to the eminence of being conferred the coveted Sangit Natak Academy Puraskar in 2004 for classical dance, which she received from the then president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.  I consider this as my grand father's vision and strength to wean away social nuisance created by so called 'moral preachers' in society.  Yes, my parents strongly supported him in realising his vision.  The initiative that my grandmother took, in spite of she being completely 'uneducated', has taken my sister to highest level of eminence in her chosen field.  My grandmother left us very early, when I was just about 12 years old. 

My Grandmother Smt Lakshmi Bai

My grandfather was also instrumental in sending my second sister for Homeopathy degree.  She enjoyed practicing homeopathy till her wedding.  But post-wedding, the attitude of 'women from our family are not supposed go for work', forced her to discontinue her practice and killed many talents that she had.  What my grandfather dreamt, did not happen.   Do we just relegate this to 'fate'? Is it fair?

I believe, taking right decisions at right time is an attribute of a visionary.  The initiatives and decisions he took at right time has made me what I am today.  When I was in 9th standard, the situation at my home reached to such a bad state that I couldn't focus on studies.  My parents too were helpless.  Realising the situation, my grandfather spoke to my maternal grandmother and with her consent requested my maternal uncle to take me with him for the sake of my studies.  He felt, I can focus on my studies if I stay away from home.  He took me to Trivandrum, came with me to school for admission, took me and introduced me to his nephews and ensured that I will not have much problems there. This movement to Trivandrum was a major turning point in my life.  I believe, this is an example of how each decisions can make or break one's life.  

He was an avid reader.  He used to get books from a local library and used to read a lot (of course, Malayalam books).   He used to take me to the library often, which might be one reason for my love for books.  He used to take me to most of the places he used to visit (in mid 60s); tell me about those places etc.  Long trips were mainly on boats to places like guruvayur, kodungallur, kochi, Ernakulam etc.  Only now I realise the value of the conversation I used to have with him during those trips.  Yes, they helped me shape my thoughts. 

Many events and incidences in one's early life plays a major role in shaping up ones beliefs, values, thoughts and mindsets.  I was fortunate enough to have a grandfather, whose vision and timely initiatives, decisions, actions and practices have sowed the seeds of right values such as intellectual honesty, rational and logical thinking / analysis, not to have blind faiths, compassion towards underprivileged etc. in me.  I do make lots of mistakes in life and get into difficult situations.  I do things which many of my close ones and relatives don't like or can't adjust with.  But, I am trying to do what I feel right.  Most times I succeed, and many times I fail.  The seeds of values sowed in me by people such as my grandfather helps me a lot to face such failures and come out of difficult situations, at times with success, and at times with failure.  Yes, that's life. One can't always succeed in anything and everything.  But I am contented, and no worries most of the times.

What music is to me..

My last weekend was immersed in music, at the Chinmaya Naada Bindu festival.  Complete engagement for almost 3 full days in classical music and dance. There were hindustani & carnatic music concerts (both vocal and instrumental), lecture demonstrations, kathak dance etc.  About 700+ people attending the festival; all staying in Chinmaya Vibhooti campus; all having food from the “Annashree” of Chinmaya Vibhooti.  Organization of the festival was flawless with the high level of enthusiasm of organisers, volunteers and attendees.  Non-availability of TV, newspaper, and internet ensured that we can focus on music.  There are only few areas where cell phone waves reach, that added to the much needed cut-off from the digitally-connected world.  

To me, it was a ‘spiritual’ retreat. Music helps me meditate, focus on inner self, and experience the calmness, implying that it is “prayer”. I have read many people using the term ‘spiritual’ in different contexts.  Most of the time I see people using the word ’spiritual’ for ‘religious’.  Personally I believe, ‘religious’ refers to ‘a set of beliefs’ and ’carrying out rituals’, and very different from spiritual.  There are no beliefs or rituals associated with listening to music.. so to me it is ‘spiritual’, as that takes me to a different level of inner feeling of calmness.

Have been reading on music and how it affects or influences human body, mind, soul and intellect.  Thought, I will share the essence of what I have understood.  Many people say ‘Music is universal language of God’. Fully agree.  Alders Huxley says “After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music”.  Talented musicians express through their music (which are inexpressible by other means), and listeners experience the bliss.  Music and spiritual life are like twins, and how can we separate them? To a spiritual seeker, music helps to go deep within to get the utmost satisfaction from life.  

I think, music manifests in different people in different ways.  I would love to close my eyes and enjoy the bliss.  Of course, at times love to enjoy the actions of few musicians such as kunnakkudi vaidyanathan :) .  For some people music inspires them to do their art.  My good friend Shireesh Kathale tends to paint when he listens to great musicians.  Shireesh, a professor of design, creates fantastic paintings as he listens to maestros.  He painted during all the five concerts at the Chinmaya Naada Bindu festival, the outcome being amazing unique paintings.

I have read that music heals.  I do believe that, as I have seen the effect of music on my daughter.  Definitely it has helped her to become quieter.  Music therapy is practiced all over the world.  Few days back, I attended a presentation by an Indian classical musician, who practices music therapy and she claims that it has helped heal many people with brain disorders.  

An experiment conducted at the University of California at Irvine, where two groups of students were made to listen to different genres of music, and a third group nothing.  After listening, they took the famous Stanford-Beinet reasoning test.  The results demonstrated improved ability by those who listened to music.  Many stories can be found, which clearly demonstrates effect of music on people with autism, alzheimiers and parkinson.  

Right from childhood days, I wanted to learn music.  Finally that desire realised when I crossed 50.  I tried tabla and sitar.  Both didn’t give me the feel I wanted.  Now practicing bansuri does gives me the kind of satisfaction, I was looking for.  Though unable to devote enough time to practice, whatever little I am able to do, gives me immense satisfaction.  So, listening to good music and playing the basic lessons myself on my bansuri takes me to a different world.. That’s all my meditation and prayer.. Looking inward and trying to feel self.. 

Let me conclude this post reiterating what Plato has said "Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."