Reality !

Rivers flow enjoying their journey through smooth and rough terrains. Waterfalls exhibit themselves in their glorious beauty. Lakes remain peaceful and calm. The ocean captures our attention in it’s splendorous form.

Yet the essence is the same. They all come from the same source. We project them as different, failing to recognize the similarity in nature. Human tendency is to perceive everything as different entities.

In our deeest ignorance we want everything to fall into the same box of our concept. In fulfilling that process, we work relentlessly to change, distort and create an identical image of everything. Not recognising the fact that the river, the waterfall, the lake and the Oceon are admired and enjoyed by man due to their individuality and uniqueness.

Water is the ingredient in such varied forms. Why should you accept what I believe in? Why should you feel and think like me ? In our absolute ignorance, we want others to love, feel, think and believe the same way.

Only when we can go beyond our small and unenlightened minds can we break out from the prison of ignorance.. Then we understand that they are all simply the same water in its glory and beauty playing it’s very own significant and unique role in this vast universe. Then we come to understand that we are the same One in different forms. We need to accept and respect each and every thing in the creation.🧡

©ekta25

From Within

The waves rise up from within the ocean,
And fall back to rest in the ocean.
Questions stem up from within me,
And the answers too come from within me.
I arise from within me,
And I go back to rest in me.

©ekta25

Falling in love again…..

The Berklee Indian Ensemble performs “Unnai Kaanadhu Naan” by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in Studio A at the Power Station at BerkleeNYC. The song was arranged by the Berklee Indian Ensemble.

My love started when I was around 11 or 12. It started out with English hits. I still remember sitting alone in my father’s car and listening to Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Rolling Stone and others. I did not have much time then, so my time listening to such songs on the car radio was limited . You could ask why was I doing that? The reason being that my father was old fashioned and was a very strict man. Music was not a part of his life. But my mother was the opposite of him. I will have to write about that another day. For him it was only about studies and instilling good behavior in his children.

Then I remember taking part in a music competition in my school with my friends when I was 15. We won and received the 2nd prize which made us ecstatic at that time. As we grew a little older, my sister and I used to get hooked onto the hit Hindi numbers of the 70s. That was a craze then. We danced to all those songs. Songs like Dum mero Dum, Kabhi Kabhi, songs from the movies Andaz, Kati Patang and others. We had a limited number of records and kept listening to them again and again, dancing away when my father was not home. Then one day my father walked in while we were dancing, removed the record from the record player we used to listen to and threw it away. It fell across to the house on the opposite side of my house. That completely took us by shock and music and dance was a taboo in our house from then onwards…..

When I turned 19 , with the inspiration from my mother, I went to do Music and joined Kalakshetra in Chennai. It is a college solely dedicated to the Indian arts. It was music, music, music and music there. But of a completely different genre – Indian Classical music. The funny part is that the situation was the same there… Only here we were allowed to listen to only classical music, but not any light music. One night after dinner, I was laying on my bed on the veranda of the hostel and before sleep overtook me, I was listening to some Indian film music on the small transistor I had with me. My warden who was also one of the teachers there, walked over to my bed and confiscated my transistor.

With a regretful heart I had to apologize the next day and collect it with the promise that I will not listen to light music anymore. That day put a hold to listening to film music in my life. Light music was out of the scenario after that. For years and years after that, I never felt the need to listen to light/film music anymore. I missed out on Ilayaraja the maestro’s music then. I did not even switch on the radio like many people. It was classical music or nothing else. I forgot how to enjoy any other genre of music in my life. I did not miss anything though. For me there was only one kind of music. It was Carnatic or Hindustani classical music and I was fulfilled and satisfied with that.

Then my children came along. As they were 90s kids, their love of Rahman and his music started to seep into me too. As they were growing up, they introduced me to his music, and I started to fall in love with Rahman, Ilayaraja,, Deva, Harris Jayaraj and many others Tamil music directors compositions and I too grew to enjoy with them, those songs. They had a wider range of music that they used to listen to. They used to explain to me all the nuances in the songs and the music of the 90s and I joined them in my journey of falling in love with music once again.

Now I guess, I am around their age in my heart, as I listen to all these wonderful musicians come up with such incredible sounds, creating so much of beauty in this world and definitely in my life. It is a balance for me now. I listen to whatever genres of music I like. Instrumental and vocal both are equally enchanting to me. I am truly blessed with a husband who gives me total freedom in what I do and what I listen to. Where will we be without music in our lives. Music is the joy that each one of us needs to experience. Life would be quite empty without music! 🧡

Appreciation

Painting by Kaushalya Saabs

“You know, we don’t even understand what to appreciate. We think we should appreciate our dog; we should appreciate our cat; we should appreciate our donkey; we should appreciate…. (I’m not saying you shouldn’t; of course you should.)

But in life, there are some deeper things that are inside of you that you should also appreciate. So, appreciate this breath that comes into you. Appreciate this existence that you have. Appreciate every day that you’re alive.

Now, these may sound really, really simple things to you—but I tell you one thing; it’s a real challenge to do so. It is a real challenge because our training is not for that. Our training is to appreciate, “Look outside.”

From the very young age that we were babies, when the mother wanted to distract us because we were crying or something like that, a toy, something that made noise, or something—and it’s like, “Lookey-lookey, look at this! Look at this! (Forget about what you’re feeling; look at this.) Look at this. This is more important.”

Has it stopped since then? Now we’re not babies anymore, perhaps. We are adults; we do things—but, has that stopped? No, again—now it’s not the mother bringing these things to us. But now we bring these things to us: distractions—from? Appreciation of what is.

This life is. And it is the most magnificent gift that you will ever have. Every breath is priceless. Every moment, every day, every today that you receive is priceless—and its value and its importance to you, now….

And as I explained, what is that “now”—now is where your actions are going to take place, which will then have consequences for you, either good consequences or bad consequences. This is what’s going on. And if you have no appreciation for that, then you’re missing out on a whole part of your existence—that you’re just not even paying attention to it, because there is no appreciation of that.

So, appreciation, as simple as it sounds, it’s not quite like drinking a milkshake—because you have to see those things. And those things are so hidden from us—not because they are—but we have hidden them from us because we have brought in other things that we are so used to looking at.

And now it’s a question of refocusing and finding those things that we can truly appreciate in our lives, that mean something to us from within—not from a trained idea, not from a trained definition, not from a trained, you know, (again and again and again), “This is how you should be; this is how you should be….”

Not appreciation of that—but appreciation of those things that are simple, that are profound, and that are so yours that they’re amazing.”

Excerpts from Prem Rawat. – Lockdown Day 40.

Celebration of Life

GLOBAL GEAR I Remix Edit I Preview version Music Album – Veena in Vienna (By PUNYA SRINIVAS) Music Track – Global GearGlobal Gear from Veena in Vienna Punya Srinivas Music by Stephen Devassy

This is one of the most mesmerizing music I have come across and since day one, I have been searching for Punya Srinivas’s “Global gear” Veena in Vienna. Music composition by Global Gear from Veena in Vienna Punya Srinivas and music by Stephen Devassy. Today I found this video on you tube, a remix album with such beautiful and befitting visuals. Shows Life as it is . People from all walks of life, living, working, playing… The string which joins us all in this rosary of life….. I call this the “Celebration of Life”

Rumi and Music

Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray. – Rumi

Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love. – Rumi

Upcoming musician Sruthi Balamurali. A very talented musician who plays various instruments. Veena, Violin, Flute and has a beautiful voice too… Love her cool and composed way of presenting her music.

FOR OUR WORLD – Mattie Stepanek

Angels do come to earth!

Our lives would be rather empty without them.. 🙂

Ekta25's Blog

With so much going on around us, we tend to forget the simple truths in life. I remembered Mattie Stepanek today. This angel, who came to this earth, lived for 14 years with the wisdom of a 1000 year old. (1990-2004)

His poems are like medicine to the wounded heart. His words touch the deepest part of of our hearts and they are like the waves on the beach, coming to wash the impurities we have gathered along the way. There is a freshness and innocence that only a child could bring……

He began writing when he was about 3 years old. Before he passed away in June, 2004, Mattie had written thousands of poems, dozens of essays and short stories, and presented a bound anthology of his writing to the Library of Congress.

Mattie’s poems of peace and hope have touched millions of lives; his heartsongs continues to reach…

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Beautiful Children

I have come across many children In my lifetime, but the first time I laid my eyes on Abhigya and Abhideya, thanks to technology through a you tube video, I fell in love with them. 💓

I am completely amazed by these two adorable super kids. Divine, innocent, full of life and energy. They are both blessed with very beautiful parents who give them the freedom to explore their talents and at the same time guide them .

Both Abhigya and Abhideya are home schooled. Both are truly blessed by the Divine Grace and we too are blessed to have come across them .. Purity of thoughts, words and action. God bless these two beautiful souls.

https://praajnajyotisha.com/about-abhigya

Words that Count

By Pierbok

Song
The Persistence of Longing
Artist
John Adorney
Album

To capture the moment in silence, and to hold it in our hearts. 💓

Music – Nourishment for the Soul……

Soulful rendition of Albela Sajan Aayo by Ustad Rashid Khan

Albela Sajan Aayo By Ustad Rashid Khan

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 or the swaras of music themselves performing a dance. They twist and turn and slide and glide like an agile dancer.

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. It is soulful. If we can watch the fluid movements of these notes, we will truly understand the meaning of dance itself!

Music by itself is self sustaining. It crosses all the boundaries of region, language and religion. Anyone can feel the pure joy created within them when they come in contact of these ragas or swaras (tunes or notes). You feel the heart leap out of yourself and dance along with the music and musician.

What wonder to be mesmerized by music and her greatest gift, her musicians! What astounding creators they are! They create such an uplifting and everlasting connection within a person. Good music intoxicates you completely but at the same time leaves you with a longing for more, like the lover longing to be in the embrace of their love again and again……..

Music – Nourishment for the Soul……

Lyrics with English Translation

The Song:

Albela sajan aayo ri
Albela sajan aayo ri

Mora athman sukh paayo ri
Albela sajan aayo ri

Chauk purao mangal gao
Man rang nisi payo ri

Chauk purao mangal gao
Sakal jagat anand chayo ri

Albela sajan aayo ri
Albela sajan aayo ri

Line by line translation:

Prince Charming has come
Prince Charming has come

My soul has found so much joy
Prince Charming has come

Draw on the floor and sing happy songs
My heart has found its colour

Draw on the floor and sing happy songs
Entire world is rejoicing

Prince Charming has come
Prince Charming has come