Mantra Listening Meditation

The tradition of Mantra is Mantra-Chanting, what is known as Mantra Japa, and Manish explains how to use it in "listening-meditation," which can be a very powerful technique to soothe the mind, remain attentive and integrate the energy within.

Mostly, as we know, we live on the level of 'body and mind' and most of the energy goes into dealing with issues on these fields. So if Mantra is used in the right way, it has the capacity to take us beyond the physicality and the mental planes, to come in contact with the real being. Here is where the potential of 'mantra listening' comes in.

If we observe ourselves, we can see that our whole struggle in our outer life is to 'become something' and that is very, very exhausting. A meditation technique using Mantra can simply bring us into a space of "just-being" and that's the highest outcome of Mantra meditation technique, involving energy awakening, energy rising and energy settling.

Sufi music provides a space to experience closeness with divinity and love, and Sufis have always been inclined towards the musical expressions of their poetries.

A warmhearted talk, where Manish describes his latest album, Salaam E Sufi, explaining how the Sufi path has inspired the seven tracks on his new CD along many years on his musical journey as composer: "Sufi songs have this flavor of Love, Ishq Haqiqi: the love affair with the Truth."

Sufism is a path of love, devotion and surrender. And when surrender happens, one journey ends and another journey begins: a journey of total trust, peace and freedom.

Sufi mystics wrote some amazing poetries down the centuries and down the ages, where they expressed their longing for dissolving into nothingness (dissolving of the ego) and these songs in "Salaam E Sufi" reflect the ideas inspired by the Sufis in a musical interpretation. These Sufi poetries are drenched with this kind of love and longing for the Supreme, that which is eternal.

"The only lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart." Rumi

Music at the beginning and end of the podcast, from the album "Salaam E Sufi".
www.manishvyas.com/sufi

#music #poetry #sufi #kabir #bulleshah #trust #bliss #innerjourney

“The highest goal of a Yoga practitioner should be to come to a level where one is maintaining one’s balance perfectly all the time. Ups and downs are part of life, situations are never in our hands, but how to deal with them is in our hands.”

These are the words of Dr. Hansaji Yogendra, director of the Yoga Institute in Mumbai. She’s a mentor and role model to millions of lives and has conducted more than fifty thousand powerful sessions on yog, wellness and mental health.

We were fortunate enough to meet her in person whole working on the ongoing documentary project about Mantra. In this podcast, we present a talk where we discussed subjects related to Yoga and Mantra, and the aspects involved in both practices. We present here part of this short but powerful conversation, and the clear vision of a great wise referent who is highly experienced and is able to express the key aspects involved along the path of yoga, answering questions such as what should be the highest goal of a yoga practitioner.

Some quotes of Hansaji:

“Every yoga teacher should aim at having mastery over their minds.”

“What we are teaching, every human should learn, because it’s the foundation of life, on which then you build whatever you want to build; but the life formation has to be strong.”

“In the west, yoga has become very commercial, having as aim to earn money. Technology of yoga (asana, pranayama, etc.) has become very popular, but they are not yogis, because they are dealing only with their bodies.”

“For inner peace, for spirituality, the world is looking at India; people come to India due to soul-pain.”

“When the student is ready, the whole nature will help to move ahead in life.”

Short Reference: Hansa Yogendra (born 1947) is an Indian yoga guru, author, researcher and media personality. She is director of The Yoga Institute in Mumbai, founded by her father-in-law Shri Yogendra. It is a government recognized non-profit organization and the oldest organized yoga center in the world, founded in 1918. She was presenter of the television series Yoga for Better Living, aired in 1980s. She is the chair of the Yoga Certification Committee and President of the International Board of Yoga, and Vice President of the Indian Yoga Association.

A conversation with a being who lifts and illuminates others around him.

Bruno Wildhaber was born in Interlaken, Switzerland and studied and lived many years in the US. He’s a doctor, writer, teacher, public talker, life coach… and, as he says, a “lifelong learner.”

Bruno’s vision, direction, work and dream is to create a healthy community where everyone is ok and in balance within the first circle: “just oneself,” uncontaminated from outer inputs and acquired conditionings – then, that inner harmony from the first circle will create ripples and expand throughout all the outer circles (family, friends, work, school, society…) into the whole universe, creating naturally peace and harmony.

It’s interesting to see how different paths can lead to the purification of the mind. We hear this talk, and realize that so many earnest paths conduct to the same destination, to the search of truth, to the highest realization, to the place where one is not affected any more by the yin and yan of life, simply remaining in the middle, in the balance point.

Bruno’s path has been that of learning through experience, hardship, observation, reflection, investigation, discrimination, analysis, self-inquiry. It probably started when he had to experience many challenges in early life, which gave him a vision of what not to give energy to, what to discard from one’s life, what futile and inmature stuff not to apprehend from the outer world, what not to take, what to let go. This led him to a life of introspection and a sincere practice of ‘being with oneself’, as he refers to the first circle, which, as a consequence gave birth to a new vision, to the manifestation of the sadguru - inner guru, inner wisdom - in life. He says pain has been a great teacher, but the power of the re-birth from darkness to light, together with the right understanding, brings along the best possible version of oneself; by trusting and being taken to higher energetic realms, where there is more light and consequently peace.

All this self inner work led him to be able to help people later in life. After having worked on the field of medicine and body-mind healing, Bruno diverted his time and focus to the study and comprehension of the human psyche, which he currently shares with people through his work, his books, talks and personal consultations.

It was a pleasure to be able to interview Bruno; he is a true inspiration for all those who access his work or are able to connect with him through his publications.

Quotes from the interview:

“Premature degeneration within the body begins with something that confuses the system.”

“If one has emotional and mental issues, then, there’s a friction in the expression of one’s spiritual self, which manifests as disease.”

“Every single person has an antena going from oneself to the universal intelligence, where all information – present, past, future – is available to us.”

“The light only can enter you through your scars, through your pain.”

“Only outside the circle of confidence can we grow. Inside the circle of confidence, you will stagnate – you will be comfortable but you won’t grow.”

“Why don’t we learn to love to learn?” (about the education system)

“We have a one-sided educational system.”

“The school teacher was a perfect mentor for me: how not to teach, how not to be with children…”

“The smallest thing holds back the greatest force.”

“We have to create alchemy again.”

“There is value in suffering.”

“The truth is that you are alone.”

“Understand the laws of nature and follow them.”

Bruno Wildhaber: www.brunowild.com

Published books:

Hashashin (2018)

Ein Hemd allein fliegt in Richtung Wolkenwelt (2022)

Upcoming books:

Bells

Blood

A very inspiring, honest, touching and mature talk with the outstanding Bansuri player from India, Milind Date, that surely will spark any student or lover of Indian music, connecting them to India and its magical music and learning paths.

Some of the main subjects covered in this interview conducted by Manish Vyas:

The relationship with the music Guru and the blessing of such invaluable guidance in the path of a student.

“At some point, I was thinking, what can I give to my Guru in return? I though a lot about it – I came to the conclusion that the best thing I could give him in return was to play the best as possible, because that was the only reason why he was teaching me. So that became very clear.” 

Key aspects and requirements to be a student of Indian music.

“I have practised eighteen, nineteen, twenty hours a day easily. Not once, not twice… many, many times. I would wake up at three in the morning. I have practised a lot. That entire inspiration came from my Guruji, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.”

The importance of understanding Ragas (moods of the music based on sets of notes) and what they express.

“Every serious student of Indian classical music is a composer, because in our learning system, from day-one a student starts to create his own music.” 

A total different approach to the western music system. The depth of Indian music goes much beyond the technique and the music itself.

“The entire household of my Guruji kept me in the right direction. Right from the second class, I knew why I was going there.”

“If you learn Indian music, you need a lot of love towards the classical music of India and its thousands of years of tradition. You learn a lot of things besides music. It’s not just to pick up an instrument and make some sounds out of it.”

The tight relationship between spirituality, meditation and music.

“My way of meditation is through the sound: the purity of sound, the purity of the Raga. The spiritual connection is possible because of the purity of sound, purity of thoughts and purity of music. If that is achieved, you’re lucky.”  

Indian music in the West and the problem of cultural (mis)appropriation.

“When you’re learning Indian music without understanding the fundamentals of it, even if you are talented and can imitate or fake, it is going to mislead people. You should find a Guru –  youtube is not a Guru."

 
About:

Milind Date is a renowned musician from Pune, India. A Bansuri player and composer, who has grasped the essence of Indian culture through his art. Known as the ‘Virtuoso’ and a ‘Stage King’ for his immaculate Indian bamboo flute playing, Milind is one of the senior-most disciples of Bansuri legend, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Milind's roots are in Indian classical music, but he also plays compositions for films, devotional music, fusion, world music and jazz among other genres. He has released several albums of his own production, as well as he contributed to hundreds of other third-party projects.

Milind started learning Bansuri and Indian classical music when he was around fifteen years old. Soon after, he met Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia from Mumbai, who became his Guru: a world-renowned name in the world of Indian classical music and Bansuri flute… one of the most amazing contemporary flute players in the world and of all times.

Thank you Milind for this wonderful contribution and inspiration!

Links:

webpage: www.milind.date

Bandcamp: milinddate.bandcamp.com

Song at the end of podcast: Govindam (Manish Vyas), Bansuri-flute by Milind Date

An enriching conversation for anyone interested in Indian music, for enjoyment, for personal learning or simply for cultural interest or curiosity about the  endless world of Indian music, which highly differs from western music, even in the most subtle aspects.

Palash Dholakia is a sincere student and professional musician of Indian vocal. He studied bachelor and masters in music at Saurashtra University and is disciple of Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty (a classical vocalist, composer, lyricist and gurudev of the Patiala-Kasur gharana; considered to be one of the proverbial figures of Indian classical music.)

Palash breathed Indian music since he can remember, born in the state of Gujarat, he lived in a family where his ancestors were all deeply connected to classical music. He witnessed as a child his grandfather having conversations with Pandit Ravi Shankar, to whom he was very close. Through this early connection and exposure to refined sources of Indian music, he carries these sounds in his innermost being.

"WHATEVER I AM IN MUSIC, IS ONLY THROUGH THIS BEAUTY OF RAGA MUSIC. I FOUND A BEAUTIFUL WAY OF LIVING — MUSIC ALSO TAUGHT ME THE ART OF LIVING."

A tradition like no other.

We talked about the value for a musician to grow up in the atmosphere of Indian music, the vocal training, the learning attitude, the discipline of the learning, the blessing to find a Guru and the meaning of a Guru in one's path. One can feel that when one embodies a tradition, it is not an effort to communicate in such a clear, humble and competent way showing a total love and deep commitment on the chosen path.

"INDIAN MUSIC IS BASED ON SPONTANEITY, THAT'S WHY THERE'S NO SYLLABUS IN INDIAN MUSIC LEARNING.  THAT'S WHY THERE'S SUCH A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WESTERN AND EASTERN WAY OF LEARNING MUSIC... WE FOLLOW THE GURU-DISCIPLE TRADITION."

The role of a Guru.

The role of a Guru-disciple relationship is to develop oneself as a good human being and as a good musician. A Guru is a much larger scale than a teacher, that's why it is so hard to find a true Guru. A Guru gives you the right understanding.

"MUSIC WILL DEVELOP YOU AS A SIMPLE BEING, BECAUSE BY SEEING THE VASTNESS OF THIS MUSIC WE SEE HOW SMALL WE ARE IN FRONT OF IT. THE ULTIMATE PATH IN INDIAN MUSIC IS TO REACH THAT DIVINITY."

About Mantras presented with music.

Mantras, which are very precious and are from India, need Indian music training and language pronunciation in order to catch the original, authentic sound. Truthfulness is key.

Summary of themes covered in the talk.

• the attitude of simplicity and gratitude
• Indian music learning requires to go inwards
• it's not about performing and entertainment
• being a performer is not a goal but a by-product
• this is a personal journey and it takes time
• commiting to a Guru with blind trust
• the wonder and power of ragas
• mantra singing requires proper learning of Indian music first
• nothing in this path is about fame, glamour and success
• the importance of developing both the learning and sharing skills

Palash finsihes the interview singing a brief piece in Raag Gunkali, a raag based on Bhairav Thaat.

"GOING DEEP INTO ONESELF ONE CAN EXPLORE THE MUSIC WITH MUCH MORE DEPTH" —Palash Dholakia

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Links:
facebook: Palash Dholakia | Facebook
instagram: @palashdholakia

podcasts Manish Vyas : manishvyas.com/podcast

Ram and Sonali Banerjee are originally from India living in England and since the last seven years they have been organising the World Yoga Festival in the outskirts of London, which has been getting more and more local and international response, having become a referent in the true world of Yoga in the west.

Initially they started the project just knowing that Europe needed an authentic Yoga Festival presentation, and that's how the first festival happened in the summer of 2016 and subsequent years, having brought thousands of people together along these years in a green field site with beautiful nature right outside London. The festival happens each year in the summer, towards end of July and lasts for four days.

"The totality of Yoga, that is what we want to bring." Ram

What they envision to bring to the festival is a glimpse of the authentic nature of Yoga, which is not about "stretching and excercising" as often understood in the west; they have taken a vision in the eight limbs of Yoga considering all the aspects, in order to keep the lineage transparent and true.

The activities range from asana, pranayam, meditation, yogic techniques, use of sound - until Advait Vedanta and Sanskrit lessons... and much more. They also keep the true flavour of the yogic path from India by serving wonderful Indian and other vegetarian food and keeping the festival away from alchohol. This allows them to create a beautiful energy and atmosphere for any Yoga practitioner, for a seeker, or for anyone interested in the sciences from India for the wellness of the body-mind system. The musical programs are also a way to bring an atmosphere of celebration and joy to the gathering.

Manish Vyas will be present also with his band offering a Mantra - Kirtan concert in the evening of July 29, 2022 plus a Naad Yoga Workshop next morning. That is how in this opportunity, Manish is interviewing the founders of this project, to share with the world their incredible vision.

"In Yoga, you don't have to re-invent a lot - you just have to maintain it, continue it, keep the authenticity and everything will be fine." Ram

If you are interested in the path of Yoga, wherever you are in the world and wherever you are in the path, there will be something for that (and the next step beyond) waiting for you at this unique  festival.

+ Information about the festival Summer-2022: World Yoga Festival |Berkshire |United Kingdom

Transcription of the Interview in our Blog

Youtube video

Music from India is a path of eternal learning. In this path the concept of "continuously learning" is one of the key aspects to understand from the beginning, before undertaking this magic journey. This is so because in Indian music we always remain a student, we never stop learning.

Manish talks about the journey of learning music from India, including singing, instruments, its language, Mantra singing, and many other important dimensions:

- the cultural input where the student will also be representing a whole tradition behind the teaching
- the importance of the strong foundation in the sense that music from India follows the lineage system, therefore, the main ingredient should be love: doing it for the love of it and nothing else; this love will automatically generate respect
- the key ingredients in learning arts and music from India are trust and patience
- the connection with the essence of this music can only be learned from a proper trained teacher and experienced musician; making the source of learning the first key aspect of the process

How the learning of music happens in India and how it happens in the West is really "East and West", meaning completely opposite in the system and in the approach. Though this gap will never meet, and that is ok, it is important that the student at least becomes aware of the cultural aspect of India: this will help the process of learning in the right direction and with the right attititude.

When one is learning music in India, one is breathing the music in all aspects and situations that emerge in the surroundings. Meaning, we breath music! ...through the rhythm of the streets, the colors, the sounds, the energy. This should try to be incorporated as much as possible for people learning around the world who are not in the atmosphere of India. Remaining in the "mahol" of music, in the atmosphere of music is one of the key aspects of learning.

And last but not least, knowing and remembering that in India we are disciples forever. No Pandit, Ustad, Master, Guru or music genius from India will ever say "I am a master", "I have arrived." And their lies its beauty, its power, its heritage.

More details, videos and information about learning music from India with Manish Vyas: www.manishvyas.com/lessons

For every person in India, Shiva means a lot — and Manish is not an exception. That is why he has worked on a very special album exclusively for Lord Shiva, which will be his 2021 yearly release. Powerful yet meditative vibrations: ADIYOGI, publishing worldwide on December 11, 2021. A ten track CD of almost seventy minutes.

The album in the praise of Shiva features beautiful texts, verses and poetries praising His presence, His raw beauty, His wisdom, His amazing being. “As far as Sanatan Dharma is concerned there are thousands of mantras and other prayers and texts written in Sanskrit dedicated to Shiva,” explains Manish.

The music composed for these amazing ancient texts displays different ragas carefully chosen to fulfill the energy required; as well as the singing which must be presented with perfect application of the Sanskrit language.

Shiva also represents various dimensions of energy, so this project also had to contemplate how to bring or reflect all those multi-dimensional aspects of Shiva in the music, and this was somewhat challenging: “Somewhere the energy of Shiva kept on guiding me and giving me the right path along the creative process of this project…” says Manish.

“Shiva is joy, celebration, bliss… and at the same time Shiva is the destroyer of the false and the unnecessary. Shiva has contributed so much to the spiritual life of any seeker, that no matter how much we may offer our gratitude, it’s never enough.”

The intention behind this work is to express that gratitude and at the same time connect the listener to the energy of Shiva and its enlightening and eternal essence of truth.

Om Namah Shivay

www.manishvyas.com/shiva

In the third and final episode of this series of dialogues with the great Gundecha Brothers, they have shared their insights about the magic and power of Sanskrit language and how it can become a medium to a cosmic experience, whether by speaking it or by listening to it.

As far as Sanskrit, Mantra, Indian music or any ancient tradition is concerned, they also talked about the importance of learning them from an authentic source, so that one can go deeper into the vast world and wisdom of these ancient cultures.

And finally they graced and beautified the end of this podcast with a heartfelt devotional song in Raga Shiva-Ranjani.


First interview https://www.buzzsprout.com/1504945/8875578 
Second interview https://www.buzzsprout.com/1504945/8805504