Dear All,
After being clear on our Atma-dharma related to Bhajan singing, let us look at the Para-dharma related to the aspect of Bhajan singing, in this post today.
After being clear on our Atma-dharma related to Bhajan singing, let us look at the Para-dharma related to the aspect of Bhajan singing, in this post today.
Let us refresh our thoughts on the second and third rule related to Dharma.All worldly activities in daily life, all duties that we undertake in daily life have their own importance.
All such worldly duties have to be illumined by our mind / our heart / our thoughts soaked in our ONLY focus - "TO UNITE WITH GOD / TO REALIZE GOD"
How do the above rules apply to a Bhajan singer??
Well, this question has already been addressed while dealing with the first rule in Bhajan singing.
However, the following points are of importance in the 2nd and 3rd rule in Bhajan singing, which follow from the points which we have seen in the bullet points related to 1st rule.
· The Bhajan must be practiced very well.
· Only Bhajan which suits one's voice, one's capability, one's music skill level, must be chosen.
· The Bhajan has to be rendered with utmost Bhava so that it serves all others present there and they also are able to immerse in the Bhava (with which you are rendering the Bhajan).
· Any communication between the singers / others / showing signs to each other for any aspect related to the Bhajan session / getting up / moving during the bhajan session etc. to be avoided.
· Singer should not be disturbed with any sound / any movement going on in the hall, with any mismatch in percussion etc.
· Etc Etc.., (You may add many more points in this list with your experience!)
While these are all important (see the second rule - All worldly activities in daily life, all duties that we undertake in daily life have their own importance, and Bhajan assumes a very important part of our spiritual life), the most important thing to be learnt and followed 100% are:-
Once a singer / listener is totally focussed on Lord and has merged / is merging with Lord in Bhajan session, how can he / she look around, move, agitated by any disturbance, disturbed by any mismatch in percussion, be conscious of singing / following, clap louder than required etc.??
Where do we go wrong sometimes / many times???
Instead of the Primary focus illumining the Dos and Don’ts (you may call them as para-dharma in Bhajan singing), we end up considering all these rules / procedures / Dos and Don’ts, as if these are our Main focus, as if these are the real purpose for which we have come to attend Bhajans, and we
get too much into all these things and in the process, we stand vulnerable, as the main focus is lost, the focus of merger with Lord is not guiding / illumining these rules spontaneously!
So, we carry that little ego of our body mind all the way while entering the hall, while sitting, while adjusting mike, while being nervous as to how our bhajan would go, while fuming if the percussion is not OK and at the end, if at all, if everything has turned out well, while walking out in white and white, with all apparent humility(!!) and at the same time, with our heart silently wanting that "Appreciation" from the fellow singers / participants!!!
Lo and Behold, the purpose of Bhajan singing is Lost!!!
Thus, instead of raising beyond our ego through this most beautiful process of Bhajan singing, we end up breeding the same ego, week after week, year after year while gaining seniority as "accomplished Bhajan singer"!
Note: Each one of you, reading today's post sincerely (!!), is requested to introspect truthfully sitting before Swami in your home shrine and see if today's post applies to you or not. If it does not apply to you and you are already 100% focused on union with Lord only while singing, then you can happily skip today's post, assuming that the post is meant only for the author himself!!!
Love.
PS- After going through the previous post and this post, those who attend bhajans as listeners and not as singers, can derive their own Atma-Dharma and Para-Dharma easily.
All the points explained in the last 2 posts apply to listeners, except the aspect of singing.
Thus, in one line, if the focus (Atma-dharma) is clear (merger with Lord), then the listeners cannot judge quality of Bhajans, cannot rank the singers as per their quality of rendering Bhajans, cannot point out any mistake of singers / Percussionists / Co-ordinator / Centre host etc.
And as far as their para-dharma of observing silence, not moving within the hall, not causing disturbance to others, not clapping too loud to distract others, not to sing in a scale quite contrast to the lead singer's scale etc etc, if the Atma dharma of merging with Lord in the one hour opportunity given to the listener is clear to them, then all other Dos and Don'ts (para-dharma) on their part is automatically taken care of and they just fall in place!!!!
Love.
PS- After going through the previous post and this post, those who attend bhajans as listeners and not as singers, can derive their own Atma-Dharma and Para-Dharma easily.
All the points explained in the last 2 posts apply to listeners, except the aspect of singing.
Thus, in one line, if the focus (Atma-dharma) is clear (merger with Lord), then the listeners cannot judge quality of Bhajans, cannot rank the singers as per their quality of rendering Bhajans, cannot point out any mistake of singers / Percussionists / Co-ordinator / Centre host etc.
And as far as their para-dharma of observing silence, not moving within the hall, not causing disturbance to others, not clapping too loud to distract others, not to sing in a scale quite contrast to the lead singer's scale etc etc, if the Atma dharma of merging with Lord in the one hour opportunity given to the listener is clear to them, then all other Dos and Don'ts (para-dharma) on their part is automatically taken care of and they just fall in place!!!!
Love.
