Friday, February 12, 2010

Valentine... ?

Valentines day…. There were days when I considered it as hype, and thought it was all too artificial.... Every point in life I gave it a different definition..

Today, my kids gave me a cute handmade Valentine, along with a gift, and insisted me that it should be at my desk in my office, and it should remind me of their love for me, always! Those words from my loved ones gave me a whole new definition this time, and a reason to celebrate Valentines Day! Yes, celebrate it for the sake of my kids (much to the J of my better half!).

True Love, laughter and support…. One gets all of these from the bosom of the family…Valentines day brings warm thoughts of close family ties... the thoughts of my best childhood days that I spent with my loving parents and sister, the love and support from my husband that grows every moment, the joy that I get in the company of my close friends…

In the real sense of the word, Valentine just means ‘True Love’. In a way, Valentines Day reminds us how much it means to love and to belong, and to cherish fond memories - For, true love and affection is what helps build strong hopes for a bright dawn of tomorrow... Just as every flower has a fragrance, and every song has a tune, so is life.. True love is the soul /sole (purpose) of ones life!

Happy Valentines Day!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Unconditional Love, the Ultimate Vision

Unconditional Love Is the Ultimate Vision -  from a Chinmaya Mission article

Life is a series of perceptions and responses to the external world. Our response depends upon our vision and understanding of life and our value system. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna differentiates between the type of vision that leads to happiness and freedom and the kind that leads to bondage.

The noblest or sattvic vision of life is one by which we see the one indestructible reality in all beings irrespective of their names, qualities, and characteristics. However, the world viewed through our senses appears totally different; no two objects are identical. How is it possible to see the one Truth or the oneness of all beings?

The mediocre or rajasic vision is one by which we see all things and beings as different from each other. When your attention is focused on differences and numerous dissimilarities are detected, it moulds your attitude towards other religions, cultures and countries in a negative way. A vision of oneness brings about integration and a vision of differences creates more and more divisions.

We see it happening often in families and with people. It begins gradually as a simple difference of opinion between husband and wife, two friends or two communities. Two brothers clash for a greater share in the property forgetting that they belong to the same family. Once the vision of oneness is lost, differences are perceived which create conflicts generating more and more likes and dislikes. Such a person neither lives in peace and joy nor does he allow others to do so.

A tamasic vision is a low kind of vision in which the person gets fanatically and exclusively attached to just one or some things, persons, experiences or ideologies. This little finite attachment is taken for the ‘whole’. Some people are crazy and greedy over money, while others are fanatical about power or pleasures in life. When people give exclusive importance to just one of the many things of this world, even though they appear to be successful in that particular field, their total life is miserable because everything else is neglected. A person with a tamasic vision can never live in peace and happiness.

The life of a person with a sattvic vision is predominated by just one emotion; the emotion of pure love. However, most people neither know what love is nor understand the meaning of it. Love is a very different thing. Just take the example of our body. Even though I see the many parts in the body, I have the vision — “In all these parts there is one Truth, that is myself. I am present everywhere in all of them.” Therefore, we have equal love for every part of the body. There is no favouritism. We don’t say, “I will only look after my head when it is unwell, but if something happens to my foot, that’s not my problem!”

A vision of oneness is a readiness to serve all and it creates an attitude of forgiveness — kshama. When we hate someone, we actually hate ourselves, because that someone else is really not different from us. All bodies are made of five elements; hence the material cause of all is the same. At the same time, there is the same life force that enlivens me as well as others. Where is the difference? Therefore, who is hurting whom?

Just imagine the state of a person whose heart is filled with love, compassion, forgiveness and kindness. What will be the state of his mind? Will he not be totally happy and free?

Sunday, February 7, 2010

True definition of music....

According to me, true music needs no lyrics... And composing good music is not an easy task.. It's a gift from the divine! Illayaraja's music is the true meaning of soul-stirring music.. Only through his music did I realize that one could hear feelings!!! Spellbound!!! I grew up listening to his music.. and to this day, I remember those mind blowing, melodious background scores he had composed... What a great contribution to the world of music by the Great Maestro,  who is well known for using instruments rather than electronics. His music has a classical touch..Truly soulful, eternal music! His background music (BGM) has no comparison.Those days we did not have this kind of communication explosion, otherwise he would have gone places. The world needs to know about him. Hats off to the great Maestro !


Today, thanks to the internet world, his fans across the globe share his great music works on the web..
Here are some samples of his great work that I found on YouTube.... Listen and enjoy!


1) Heart warming and eternal soundtrack from the album How to Name it by the Maestro of Indian Music Ilayaraja, that earned him the "Maestro" title. It's a fusion of Indian and Western classical music, dedicated to the Carnatic master Thyagaraja and to J. S. Bach.:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UcfRzCdmMs

2) To me this one is one of the best!!! A master piece that speaks the heart! Again, from the album How to Name. It's a fusion of Indian and Western classical music, dedicated to the carnatic master Thyagaraja and to J. S. Bach.
Music Composer: Ilaiyaraaja ; Violinist: VS Narasimhan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz-MTrlIG_8&feature=related

3) Movie: "Raja Paarvai" -- best violin BackGround Music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E9vvKHP21I

4) Here is a fusion of his Backgroundscores from various Tamil movies.. Left me truly spell bound!!! After more than 20 yrs, I still remember some of the movies just because of his background scores...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYlJbRmaUTo

5) Best background music (BGM) from movie "Varusham 16"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvIbdUqrBiQ&feature=related

6) BGM from movie "Nayagan"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1v0XwZ_2UY&feature=fvw

7) BGM from movie "Mouna Ragam"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSWTgRMHP4Q&feature=related