meditation and music

Hi Jacky, Alison, Lawrence,

The very first chapter of "sangitaratnakara", on tonal content,
starts with nada-brahman. However imperfectly, incompletely,
inaequately, transiently, ahata nada (music) represents anahata
(bliss); just as jiva represents brahman. Their relationship is that
of identity in difference, or that of part constituting the whole.
Both music and meditation result in this realization. This kind of
music is necessarily serene, blissful, withdrawn. No such music is
possible without the accompanying meditation.

When we listen to such music, we are, in fact, meditating, believe it
or not. Listening to music is, for anyone, the simplest, easiest and
quickest way to meditate.

It is when we forget ourselves that we do things that are most likely
to be remembered.

When we do not forget ourselves, we play hide-and-seek in the
junkyard of broken dreams, broken hearts, broken relationships,
broken promises, untold expectations, unrealized ambitions, bitter
and battered ego, the daily chores, all kinds of peer pressures .....

Leaving the transient, find joy in the Eternal.

About the kind of music that supports more formal meditation, drones,
etc. later.

Regards, and happy music.meditation!

Haresh.

--- In tuning@y..., "Haresh BAKSHI" <hareshbakshi@h...> wrote:
> Hi Jacky, Alison, Lawrence,
>
> The very first chapter of "sangitaratnakara", on tonal content,
> starts with nada-brahman. However imperfectly, incompletely,
> inaequately, transiently, ahata nada (music) represents anahata
> (bliss); just as jiva represents brahman. Their relationship is
that
> of identity in difference, or that of part constituting the whole.
> Both music and meditation result in this realization. This kind of
> music is necessarily serene, blissful, withdrawn. No such music is
> possible without the accompanying meditation.
>
> When we listen to such music, we are, in fact, meditating, believe
it
> or not. Listening to music is, for anyone, the simplest, easiest
and
> quickest way to meditate.
>
> It is when we forget ourselves that we do things that are most
likely
> to be remembered.
>
> When we do not forget ourselves, we play hide-and-seek in the
> junkyard of broken dreams, broken hearts, broken relationships,
> broken promises, untold expectations, unrealized ambitions, bitter
> and battered ego, the daily chores, all kinds of peer
pressures .....
>
> Leaving the transient, find joy in the Eternal.

Dear Haresh,

I want to thank you kindly for this wonderful and well timed post.
Just when I was in need of being reminded of all this, your message
came through and warmed my heart like a fireplace on a wintry day.

When we speak of Meditation and Music, it speaks to me of what I like
to refer to as the Ritual Function of music, which is an integral
part of every musical action I make. Meditation is an aspect of
Ritual Music making. One can hear this in its purest form in the
music of India. I recall reading years ago, Ravi Shankar's "My Music,
My Life", where during some of the first performances he gave in the
US, audiences actually wept at the beauty of the music. Wherever
music making has this Ritual Function at work in the practices of the
composers and performers, it can plainly be heard in the sound of the
music, which speaks to the deepest part of soul. The music of India
stands as the greatest model of this in my mind, and through
microtonal music practice I hope to harness some portion of this
beautiful essence.

> About the kind of music that supports more formal meditation,
drones,
> etc. later.

I will be eagerly awaiting every letter of what you have to say on
this topic.

> Regards, and happy music.meditation!

Thanks,

Jacky Ligon