The past few days I’ve been listening to music that I have loved since I was barely twelve years old. Somehow these songs have stayed with me through every twist and turn of my life, cropping up every now and then to remind and reassure me of their presence.
Yesterday, Rainbow’s ‘Temple of the king’ and Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ suddenly burst forth from 107.1fm, and today it was Rod Stewart crooning ‘Sometimes when we touch’ from a long-forgotten playlist on my ipod!
As I type, Paul Simon’s seminal Graceland album once again reiterates his genius and creative force. I first heard this in 1987, on my first-ever walkman, and twenty-two years later it still gives me goosebumps. It was the album that sparked off my obsession with world music, leading me to collect ethnic music from whichever place I have ever visited. The walkman too was probably instrumental in developing a love for gadgetry and portability that endures and evolves constantly, much to my wife’s dismay!
They say there is a boy inside every man, and I’ll admit that my toys give me a childish glee even today. But the past couple of months have been a rite of passage for me. For the first time I have had a sense of adulthood, of responsibility towards my family, a need to provide for my wife, parents, sister and in-laws. It has changed the way I view situations and people, and I have no clue what brought it on.
It isn’t a sense of ageing and mortality, for that is something that the regular practice of meditation has rendered redundant. Whatever it is, I do like it and look forward to new challenges faced with fresh perspectives.
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A Very Nice post!! I was just pleasant to read it[esp after a long time] and the contents were just as soft and smooth as a cream!! Loved it! 🙂
Jai Gurudev!
In the age ols adage – it is called “pairon mein bediyan lag gayi hain”. Basically settle down and become responsible. But you had already taken the responsibility for the entire world (along with our Beloved Gurudev)… this should be interesting… 🙂
Its amazing bhayya. For the last 3 months the same situation was bothering me. Becoming more responsible for my family. For them my role as an AOL teacher is not one of primary importance. So now i have taken up a full time job. Thanx bhayya this post has cleared my confusion.
Sunil
JaiGuruDev !…….Bhaiya i admire..i respect.. i appreciate…. your honesty your transparency to share yourself with all…..its great !
JaiGuruDev !
Hi,
I am sorry to say but it’s true that I didn’t know u nor did I hear ur voice before yesterday. But from the last few days, being stressed, depressed and tired and trying to seek a little peace of mind by listening to Bhajans through random selections in the net, God answered my prayers by making me listen to ur “Acyutam Keshavam” bhajan. After around 3 days of sleepless nights, I cud sleep at peace yesterday with no fear or anxiety at all. I don’t know whom to thank, you or God. So, I thank God first for giving you this wonderfull, peacefull and a heavenly voice and next you, because you are totally devoted in spreading the bliss of this magical gift to everyone in His service..
God bless you..
Jai Gurudev Bhaiya!!
Nice to read your post. I have also been listening to lots of music these days right from Rock On and stuff from the superb AR Rehman to the likes of John Mayer and Nickelback !!
Bhaiya, When are you releasing your next album? Long time since your last album was released..
With Love,
Siddharth Sukhija
Bhaiya, Love you..!
You are amazing and so is the write..!!
Some thoughts..:):-
Can we act in a fully detached manner in this situation…..I don’t know if one can take on challenges in the married life as one would have taken than when one was not married….
Freedom….- Is it limited now…????
I too am exploring answers to these questions….
Pls let me know how can one go about conquering this..
JGD!!
rahul(noida)
One of the best post that connects.
with every new post I feel I know you a little more and more !
Your blog is always awaited it is just an excuse to be with you and come to know how our vikram ji is …….!
lots of love
Jai Gurudev !
Nice and touchy post. Me too love to listen world music and ethnic lounge. Like, Budha Bar, Cafe Del Mar, Prem Joshua, Rahul Sharma (recently). Can you point me to some other artists or albums?
graceland is such a beautiful album. More than the african music part of it, something about it totally melts me totally . The softness and the intensity of paul simon vocals ..
The post was such a beautiful read. I am still waiting for the day when i feel responsible. At 33, I somehow feel i am growing young with every day like benjamin button. It might sound callous , but not that i am not ready for to be responsible. It is just a pleasure of riding an unknown road beyond all the ideas of what things should be and should be not, and letting yourself completely free fall. May be choosing an insecure road, misusing the eternal security the divine has provided. And not that responsibility is a hindrance or nor that i am scared to take it when i need to …thats probably part of the road too..
Hello Bhaiya,
I totally identify with this post of urs.Life was much easier before marriage.But the load of responsibilties adds a different flavour to life.This flavour only gets better with each passing experience ;good or bad.
And then comes a time when the load is there but we dont feel it at all, bcoz we become so adept at handling it.
Jai Gurudev 🙂
I wanted to share this with you Vikram. Its a beautiful lesson which a Peas Biryani can teach.
STEAMING HOT PEAS BIRIYANI
Mouth-watering! Delicious! Mother usually made Peas Biryani on Wednesday afternoons in winter. It was her favourite dish to prepare, for it was easy to make, yet a hot favourite amongst the kids. Moreover fresh peas were in season and tasted heavenly!
She heated some oil in a pan and added a spoonful of cumin seeds. Then she added a handful of chopped onions. She proceeded to add some green peas and seasoned them with salt and turmeric powder. Having sautéed them for a couple of minutes she turned in the cleaned and washed rice and poured in a good amount of water. She covered the pan with a lid and let it cook on a slow flame.
Strangely, the ingredients in the simmering pot started a conversation.
The rice was the first to say, ‘I am the most important of all of us present here
for I am pure white and wholesome. I am the key ingredient to making Peas Biryani. I am SATYA, this is the Truth.’
The yellow turmeric powder chuckled and said, ‘No longer are you white my dear, for I have dyed you in my own colour. I am DHARMA. This is my duty.’
The peas smiled peacefully and said, ‘What is Peas Biryani, without peas, eh?
We are the most attractive and delicious part of this preparation. We are Shanti. We are PEACE. We are peas (peace) and our colour too is green that is the colour of peace!’
The salt mused to itself and said, ‘Who would ever be able to eat Peas Biryani,
without salt? I am the most important of all. If I were not there Peas Biryani would be unpalatable. My taste shall be infused in each particle. I am PREMA. I love each one of you equally.’
The onions said, ‘We add the tang to this dish. We add flavour. We are the soul
of all vegetarian food. We are AHIMSA. We tolerate all other flavours, yet retain
our own!’
The pan spoke up and said, ‘It’s I who is holding all of you in here.But for me, you would all have been separate identities. I have held you together, so that jointly,you can become a delicious dish. Where would you be without me?
I am DISCIPLINE and I am indispensable. ‘
The cumin seeds were dancing up and down in the boiling water and said,’
Try making Biryani, without us! It shall be quite tasteless. We sizzle in the hot
oil first of all for we are devoted to spreading our flavour, wherever we go.
We are DEVOTION.’
The Biryani was almost ready and the oil glistened on every grain ofrice. It
said, ‘I ensure that each grain of rice, each pea and each cumin seed, retains
its individual identity. I prevent stickiness. I am DISCRIMINATION! ‘
The water was almost completely absorbed by now. It smiled contentedly
and said, ‘I was determined to permeate into each particle of all of you.
Without me could peas Biryani ever have been made? I am DETERMINATION
and I am the most important of all !’
Mother came by and checked to see, if the Biryani was done. The gas flame
smiled quietly to itself and said, ‘Each one is so full of its own importance.
Without the power of heat provided by me, what would they be? It is the power
of God vested in me that I can give the energy to cook.
Alas, who remembers the POWER OF GOD?’ God smiled to Himself as the lady turned off the gas and waited, till He was needed again.
REFLECTION
Each one of us in this world is so full of his or her importance. We conveniently forget God who gives us the power to do everything.
Whether acknowledged or not, whether remembered or not, God is the power behind doing and making everything, even that Peas Biryani!
Hari Om!Jai Gurudev ;.)
Hello Bhaiya,
I wud like to see u trudge through this path of responsibility n service successfully.Many like me have this question in mind like ‘spirituality vs practicality’ and ‘family vs service’.We r wth u to see u evolve thru this phase as well.
Take care bhaiya.
Jai Gurudev
jai guru dev , thats exactly i wrote to u in the mail before u posted here on the blog can u please answer the question i mailed u please please…….
Shtikanth
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY VIKRAM AND TINA…..
LOADS OF LOVE AND REGARDS
SHUBHRA-VARUN
Jai Guru Dev Bhayya,
I am Srikanth .. just ran into you at Vishala the other day ,, thought i ll just market my blog to u 🙂 .. wrote a post on the shobana nite @ the ashram ,, got some decent fotos there as well ,, thanks to the 70-300 🙂 ,, have a look and would love a comment
jai guru dev bhaiyya , this is the first post i can actually relate to …..i mean few things and few situations are so fresh that it just brings a smile on the face, like ur music , toys etc …. thinking abt it just a thought how do u deal wid the not so happenings in life which are triggered due certain things even after being regular with sadhana???
Thanks and regards,
Shalini
wow thanks a lot for all the tags, would love to listen to them as soon as i may….