God is everywhere; in every direction. This is a wonderful
concept. How does this work in everyday life?
It’s not a concept, but a reality
waiting to be perceived. Our concepts have destroyed our vision. The Judeo
Christian Islamic tradition has posited the concept of a force outside and
beyond us when the reality is that we are made up of God. This force is closer
to us than our skin. This realization has every application in everyday life,
morally, ethically, socially, psychologically.
If you can conceive and live this
idea, you will live well. Ethically, you will be a kinder and more loving
person because you will be able to see that this power that is closer to us
than our skins and hearts beats not just in us but in everyone. You will see
that this force is privy to your thoughts, nothing at all is hidden from it,
and you will train yourself, with the help of this power, to sift through your
thoughts, discard the ones that harm you and others, and follow the ones that
produce your own and the common good. This is the root of all happiness and joy
in life; it is our true wealth. Guru Nanak says, it is to get this treasure
that we were incarnated in life.
The Singing Guru is a lovely title. How does music amplify and
express faith?
The title came to me when I thought
that Guru Nanak, who has bequeathed us 974 of his songs in the Sikh holy book,
The Granth Sahib, must have himself been a singer. It is a fact that Sikhs,
most of all, tend to forget. Guru Nanak traveled the world in the company of
his rabab (a medieval stringed instrument also called the rebec) player, Mardana,
the two of them singing their message everywhere they went. Guru Nanak did not
discourse or give lectures, he sang. And singing and music have the advantage
that they go straight to the heart. Harmony is a direct conduit to the soul.
Add to this the words that aid conceptual and cognitive comprehension, and you
have a paved path to faith. This is why almost all mystical traditions have music
at their core. Even Islam, that forbids music as a form of prayer, has it
counterpoint in Sufism where not only music but dance becomes central to a
connection with the divine.
I myself listen to kirtan, which
is the sung version of the words, incessantly. I am very aware of the power of
good kirtan. Not only is the music very pleasurable, stilling and
calming and healing, but the words surface so often at the right time to
instruct and guide. I sing, too, and know from first hand experience how instantaneously
it can transport us to that space where we are deeply connected.
You mention "guides". Can you explain a bit about
that?
On the turbulent journey of life one
often needs guidance. The word ‘guru’ means ‘dispeller of darkness.’ Every
tradition has its guides. The prophets of all religions function as gurus who
teach us how to live, what to think, how to behave with others. This is the
obvious meaning of guides.
A guide is anyone who has traversed
the path before us, knows the terrain, knows where the pitfalls are, can see
further than we can, and knows the best course of action in conflicted and
confused times. A guide does not want to harm us by constricting or limiting
our potential, by setting us apart from others. We can, after we have tried
him/her for their worth on the touchstone of love, trust them.
But really, anyone in life can
function as a guide if we only keep your ears open. The mailman who says when
you thank him for delivering your mail, “it’s what I do. It’s my job,” becomes
a guide when you find yourself rebelling against your own lot. He has just
guided you into the wisdom of doing what you need to do, and doing it well.
Guidance can come to us from any source, any place, any person, if we
supplicate and pray for it. It is never withheld.
How much should readers know of the Indian culture when
approaching The Singing Guru?
Nothing. It is very reader friendly
and explains within the text, the dialogue, and footnotes all those concepts
and words that a western reader is not familiar with.
Who is the ideal reader
for this book?
Any spiritual seeker who wishes to
know about a wonderful new (yet obscure) religion and to learn very simple
truths that make the difference between suffering and joy, between living life
blindly, or with awareness. The word ‘Sikh’ means a devotee and disciple of the
ultimate Guide of all Guides, a student who is always eager and passionate to
learn how to grown into his or her full potential as a true and conscious human
being. Guru Nanak’s definition of a religious person is simply someone who
treats all as equals. This is a lesson we all need to learn, over and over
again.
Visit Kamla at her website for more information.
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