One of my favourite songs, by Joni Mitchell, is Both Sides Now -- which talks about how life is full of paradox, humour and change (the same three principles which are outlined so well in the movie The Peaceful Warrior) and concludes with "I guess I don't know life at all" And yet, this is a note of optimism and wonder, not despair or frustration -- there is so much to live through and imbibe each moment of every day -- wish one had the luxury of only studying throughout life!
In the past few weeks, I have been busy teaching not only a Part 1 course, but also several thought-provoking sessions with AOL teachers and volunteers. At each step, we were overwhelmed by the depth and magnitude of the knowledge which Guruji has been transmitting to us so simply and effortlessly all these years, and which seems impossible to absorb. It's like the salt doll exploring the nature of the ocean -- in knowing the ocean, it loses its own identity, and then its last grain ceases to exist, it is nothing but ocean.
On more terrestrial terms, I have been re-evaluating my life in terms of changing paradigms of technology (shall write more on this later -- TED has some interesting views on it) and relearning my entire way of organising my life -- work, sports, family -- everything operates
on different rules these days, and often it is just the abject refusal to adapt to these changes that insulates and eventually isolates us from a teeming ocean of life and activity around us.
I'm particularly impressed with the new iPhone, which has taken the whole concept of user interfacing to an otherworldly level -- now this is often the only thing I carry with me, replacing a notebook/planner, camera, ipod, laptop, novels and magazines! Increasing amounts of my work are stored in a virtual "cloud" that I can freely access and share from anywhere at anytime.
Basically this frees me up to "be creative" at all times -- not just when I am with paper and pen or guitar and recorder and so on. At the same time, it also pains me that most of India lives in such poverty and deprivation while a very select few of us enjoy cutting-edge technology and its apparent attendant benefits. Our goal must be to reconcile these conflicting areas of our countrymen's lives before we can truly call ourselves "developed".
I also finally joined Facebook, almost exclusively for my schoolfriends and family; and it has been rewarding having all of them in such a close virtual loop. Sorry, but I have closed off FB access to most people, as I still feel that my public interaction is best served through this blog, and through your questions and responses.
My band's sound continues to evolve, and an uncanny energy has pervaded recent concerts, even corporate audiences have been stunned into reverie, as a palpable Grace floods the hall and elevates each soul.
What next, I ask, along with all of you?
And the answer is still a wonder -- I don't know :)
Jai Gurudev
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