Cowell Historical Society

Stress History And Saints

Recently I watched on TV that the history books are studded with photographs and praise of invaders of India and the freedom fighters and saints are totally neglected.

The students (and we also) develop conflicts as we never can understand how invaders can be adored, in preference to and in stead of selfless freedom fighters, who are neglected and/or ridiculed!

I was reminded of the fact that we; as children; harbored in minds a divisive (and in my view hoax) theory of Aryan invasion that surreptiously indicts division of Bharat into indigenous dravids and alien invader Aryans!

We; the Hindu students; developed severe inferiority complex as we read the condemnation of certain rituals and traditions belonging to only Hindu religion; suggesting indirectly (by omission of critical comments on the traditions in the other religions); that all other religions except Hindu; are good and Hindu religion is backward and retrogressive!

In view of the severe conflict and stress that can result in personal life and social life, it is imperative to understand and explain the gist of history and the purpose of teaching history! It is also necessary to present accurate facts in a manner and details; appropriate to the holistic development of the students in schools and children at homes. We must appreciate that we are in impressionable age when we are school children and what we read and learn from history; leaves deep impressions on our minds. These impressions can grow into prejudices, bitterness, bigotry, hatred, rivalry, fanaticism, unrest and riots and severe stress in personal and social life.

From the way history is presented; we can not reason out even today; how the violent activities of the armed revolutionaries were admired in the same vein as the nonviolent activists!

In addition to the inappropriate historical facts; the ambiguity in the teaching of values taught in the history can also bring about severe stress in individual and global life.

Since it is human to err, often our education (with specific reference to history) and acculturation are restricted to superficial and peripheral aspects of life and are rendered somewhat deceptive. When such intentional or unintentional superficial and petty teaching and/or propaganda become dominant; they can suppress our inner growth. They can silence our inner voice and crush conscience and create STRESS.

As a result of such education and acculturation; we are attracted by the royalty and repelled by the poverty; tempted by the riches and repelled by the ashes; excited by the abundance and indulgence and depressed by the paucity and abstinence!

This happens because the undercurrents (especially in history) beyond the appearances; are often beyond the normal or physiological human grasp and comprehension!

One case in point is; depiction of saints, which is usually deceptive. Thus it is sympathogenic (one that generates sympathy or even pity in our mind). On the contrary; the description and display of the life of the film stars, the political leaders and other celebrities; is deceptively euphoriogenic that leads to euphoria. This causes intoxicatingly pleasant, maniacally grandiose and deliriously proud and arrogant excitement!
However, our education and acculturation has several merits also. This is because; knowingly or unknowingly our education and acculturation; are often influenced by the geniuses of the particular period; who have reached the root of apparent phenomena and apparent universe! In addition; our values and our idols and ideals are determined by several factors apart from education and acculturation (whether influenced by the geniuses or not); such as our individual constitutions, moods and even whims and fancies!

Hence our values are not rendered entirely and blatantly superficial, shallow, and petty or mean. Our yardsticks for idolization and idealization are NOT uniformly or monolithically retrogressive and superficial and shallow. Our values are not uniformly vulgar and/or antisocial. In this sense; they are NOT simple and straightforward. They are multifarious with various complexities and shades; and are subconsciously evolved and mysteriously shaped! They are different than what they appear to be and hence are obscure and intriguing. Hence; strange it may appear; but our idols do not merely conform to our likes or dislikes and our enamoring or disgust; based on our superficial perception!

Thus our idols are violent (war heroes such as Chatrapati Shivaji), nonviolent (Buddha, Gandhi, Mahavir, Jesus Christ), economically rich (Bill Gates), economically poor (Vinoba Bhave), physically strong (Mohammed Ali, Dara Singh), physically weak (Srinivas Ramanujam, yogis (Patanjali) and indulgent (kings); and those who served in British Service; during Indian freedom struggle in British Army, Police, Administration and so on; and those who fought against the British!

If we carefully study (and ought to study for overcoming confusion and developing conceptual clarity and consolidating and empowering our values, ideals, idols and goals) our value system; then it would be clear that the differences amongst the idols and ideals are actually only apparent ones! In spite of our education system; the apparent variations in our idols and our ideals have one thing in common! They are larger than life i.e. larger than routinely perceived concept of individual life! They have manifested the vision and actions (although at times contradictorily); involving the well being of a section or whole society and/or they transcended the usual human needs, greed and capacity, in their respective fields!
Let us appreciate that in spite of our education system; the real nature of our idol/ideal/value, if crystallized; (to which we are oblivious, or which we are unaware of, or which we are ignorant about); is the larger than life TRUTH, (which is the source of enlightenment, elegance, empowerment and emancipation)! Mere external glamour and glitter without this; are hollow, pathetic and meaningless for us. This is true irrespective of the field of life and involves blossoming of perspective, policies, plans, programs and their implementation at individual and global levels.

The next stage of our realization of our ideals and values; is overcoming our subjectivity; due to which; we continuously see and feel restless as if something is wrong somewhere; in response to inner and outer environment. We keep on trying to work out or trying to give ad hoc solutions to different individual and global problems; due to our restlessness! We tend to feel that our solutions are final, exclusive and can bring about permanent and everlasting imaginary heaven in our personal life or on earth. This is because we are all the times harping on deceptive appearances and not the root!

Can really a permanent heaven come in personal life or on earth? What would be the nature of such a heaven? Are our claims realistic or true; in view of the lives of millions of generations of various living forms to be born and to be perished; who possibly would never conform to our ideas?

We tend to provide answers; while forgetting or ignoring from time to time; the illusive nature of our own apparent conditions, capacities, limitations and potentials, those of the others! Is it sensible; to arbitrarily impose one thing or another; on ourselves or others; in some subjective hope of illusive heaven?

Falling prey to the confusion created by appearances; and creating a value system, ideals, idols, education and various doctrines; in accordance; are human follies common to all of us to a greater or lesser extent!

This does not imply that we accept everything in a defeatist manner (a kind of death); but; be the eternal center of all appearances; whether right or wrong and see them outside as well as inside us. Once we are (and not merely think) our true selves; which we knowingly or unknowingly ignored so far; we begin to experience the ecstatic enlightenment of immortal and eternal universal unity and the ambrosia of the life of saints. This is not easy, but the only; radical, perennial, unavoidable and also; inevitable solution. The way to this solution is NAMASMARAN. This is the core of TOTAL STERSS MANAGEMENT or SUPERLIVING!

Throughout the history of mankind; there have been forces of unification and disruption; rejuvenation and degeneration; and progression and retrogression. But these forces of unification, rejuvenation and progression are conspicuously hidden in the veils of irrational mediocrity, ethnic pride, mean prejudices, Zionist perspective and crudity of all sorts; of the historians and authors! If we read any book of history; then we find that it is mainly studded with wars, petty tactics, war strategies and utterly selfish and luxurious romance of rulers. The development of science, technology, and other aspects of civilization; is described to much less extent and the core of the civilization viz. the enlightening lives of the saints; is almost completely neglected or ignored. Documented history embodies very little insight and information; about the essence of the lives of saints and their pivotal role in healthy evolution of universal civilization.

The tradition of Maharashtrian saints dates back to Macchindranath, Gorakshnanath, Gahininath, Nivruttinath, Chakradhar, Dnynaeshavar, Namdev, Janardan Swami, Eknath, Tukaram (Vaisya), Gora Kumbhar (potmaker), Narahari Sonar (goldsmith), Chkhamela (Mahar), Janabai (housemaid), Kanhopatra (dancing damsel), Sena (barber), Shaikh (butcher), Ramdas, Narasimha Sarasvati (The incarnation of Dattatreya, who is worshipped in Narasobachi Vadi and Ganagapur), Akkalkot Swami, Gajanan Maharaj, Sai Baba, Gulabrao Maharaj, Tembe Swami, Deo Mamaledar, Grudev Ranade, Tukaram Chaitanya, Gondavlekar Maharaj (who was friendly with many other contemporary saints and freedom fighters such Vasudev Balavant Phadke and Lokmanya Tilak), Sohirobanath, Satam Maharaj, Swarupanand Swami, Acharya Vinoba Bhave and hundreds of less known seekers of truth spread and working in every nook and corner of Maharashtra, who lived as their TRUE SELVES i.e. universal, immortal and eternal truth termed SACCHIDANANDA, which has been the basic tenet and core of all faiths, religions, atheists and in fact whole universe; and IS eternally pivotal to the orderly and harmonious universe from all eternity to all eternity; (including the life of billions).

Preferably; we should not merely believe, disbelieve, imagine, conjecture, or theorize casually; about what is written here; and should not develop presumptions, prejudices, liking, acceptance, disliking, rejection or respect; and should not go into uncertainty, dilemma, indecision, wavering, and vacillations! In stead; we should accept it provisionally and actually study and practice TOTAL STRESS MANAGEMENT or SUPERLIVING and its core the NAMASMARAN; and verify.

Jazz music education

There is a story that the first European college jazz course began in Frankfurt, Germany, in the early nineteen thirties, but was promptly closed down after Hitler seized power in January 1933!

The story, though difficult to confirm, has the ring of truth. Had Jazz Education been available so early in the history of jazz (the first jazz recordings appeared in 1917), the Jewish and Negro elements present in the music would have guaranteed the disapproval of the Nazis.

For complete details about study in uk, visit abroad education corner.

Alas, they were not alone. Even Lord Reith’s BBC forbade the broadcasting of dance music on Sundays during the 1930′s.

Jazz has been the recipient of hostility and cultural philistinism throughout its eighty years.

Now it is pleasing to report to a steady post-war growth in opportunities for serious study of jazz at college level, leading to a current boom in provision.

In the nineteen forties America led the way, the most famous pioneer being the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Berklee still thrives today but has tough competition from numerous excellent courses, both in America and Europe. Jazz came from America and uses American popular song; so the language of jazz is English. The language of jazz education, from the blackboard to the bandstand (and vice versa) is also English. Couple with that fact the emergence of European Jazz as a distinctive genre, and study in Britain is increasingly seen as first choice for the international student wishing to combine the polishing of his or her English Language skills with the sharpening of jazz abilities.

In recent years the London conservatories – the Royal College of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, Trinity College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama – have offered some jazz provision, either one year courses for advanced players or those at postgraduate level. Yet undeniably Leeds College of Music, who pioneered the BA (Hons) in Jazz Studies in 1993, remain the ‘Oxbridge’ of jazz education at undergraduate level. The degree course stemmed from one of the first jazz courses in Europe (Frankfurt excepted) in 1965 and students are able to precede the three-year course with a one-year access course if required.

The degree course includes options in sound recording and even Indian Music and fusion, where Leeds has the only specialist full-time Indian Music teacher and musician. The 200 jazz students at the College thrive in this environment where the only limit to their music-making is their own imagination.

Leeds itself is an active student town with two universities and specialist colleges of art, technology and building as well as the music college. Leeds is also the club capital of the north and venues range from music clubs for musicians and audiences to places to bop, chill or just to be seen at.

Whether you like contemporary dance, opera, straight or interactive theatre or sculpture, you will find some of the best arts events in Leeds. The College’s new neighbour – Leeds College of Music has just moved into brand new purpose-built premises – the West Yorkshire Playhouse, is known in the UK as the National Theatre of the North, producing its own excellent plays and musicals as well as providing and outlet for touring theatre productions. The theatre runs regular jazz in the foyer programmes and they are always on the lookout for new performers.

After three years, you can stay on for the postgraduate certificate 1-year course, the MMus due to come on stream in Autumn 1998 or launch yourself into the big wide jazz world as your predecessors have successfully done before you. Past students from the course include big names on the European jazz scene some of whom regularly perform in Japan, radio producers, producers of sell-out musicals, composers and teachers.

Following the success of the jazz course at Leeds and the jazz teaching in the London conservatories, there is considerable growth in the provision of jazz education at both Further Education (post-school but pre-undergraduate) and Higher Education (undergraduate) levels throughout the country including Newcastle, Chichester, Middlesex and Doncaster.

For complete details about study in uk, visit abroad education corner.

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