If asked who is the greatest musician in my time, I would say that it is the late Ravi Shankar the Divine Sitar Master who left India and the world with yet another Devine gift of the spiritual nature in the form of music and sound in particular. Yes I thought of listening to something classical tonight and decided upon one of the masters I used to listen to. For those who appreciate Indian classical music, the sound of the Tabla, the Veena and most of all the Sitar, will testify to the meditative effect on one's consciousness; it is like being transported into the ocean of Bliss itself. Imagine one being a cork beginning its journey down from the top of the mountain towards the vast ocean. This is the feeling i get whenever i meditate to Ravi Shankar's 'Raga', it evokes the rise and fall of the floating cork as it traverse the creeks, streams and rivers on its way, the rhythm of life as it flows along from one end to the other. Personally his tunes also evokes my childhood memories of going to the Hindi Movies with my mother when I was four or five. Images of the Black and white Indian landscape and the imaginary scenes created by the set artists like a water lily pond accompanied by the Hindi classical music stuck in my memory till this day, seventy odd years later. These were the best moments I had with my mother. As I watched his last performance on video which was at the Terrace Theater at Long Beach, Cal. just before he died with oxygen tubes sticking out of hid nose playing alongside his daughter Anouchka Shankar, it was a father and daughter farewell performance and his tribute towards his audience from all over the world leaving behind him a legacy to be remembered by ;t was the most moving scene I have thus far experienced of what being a Great Artist and Maestro is all about. His daughter Anoushka Shankar today carries the legacy of her father and Guru sharing it with the world all over.,. sharing the sounds of the strings on a Sitar. When not listening to the theme song from "The Last of The Mohicans" or The theme song from "The Gladiator" I would listen to Anoushka Shankar: She has taken Sitar to the next level.
I was attracted to the Maestro when I first heard Ravi Shankar play alongside The Beatles, sometime in the sixties and I was fascinated by the sound of East and West came together. I was young then but I felt the beauty of music being taken to a higher level at least spiritually. Spirit came into being in Music. I was young then but i was most fortunate to have be exposed to western cultures for as long as i can remember. I must have kept repeating this same story somewhere in this Blog and I will try not to bore myself from it. I was educated in a British System of education which simply means that English was the primary language. My primary school what at Captain Francis Light Primary School. The captain was said to have founded the Island to {which I disagree} of Pulau Pinang or Penang. But that is not important, its history, what I am saying is that my mind was educated in the Western narrative of consciousness. Read and speak good English and think most importantly how a Westerner would think. I did not realize this when I was young but on looking back for lack of better things to do, I realize the connecting dots were there. Call it predestined or destiny or whatever, but as one grows old and and if the mind is able to calm down and reflect the past as accurately as is possible, with no judgement or attachment, if one can retell the past to share the details of one's journey, why not? So long as the ego does not take too much of the center stage; let the show go on.
Some time in the early years of the 60s my eldest came home from England where he was studying and he brought back two books large beautifully decorate hard covers, one was Robin Hood and the other The Borhers Grim. My twin brother chose Robin Hood, This gift that came all the way England inspired me to excel in anything and everything English. Then while growing up Along the East Coast of Terengganu my eldest brother again provided the twins with enough materials to appreciate English. He had a collection of books and novels, from Playboy Magazines to Robert Ludlum, from the Marvel and DC Comics to the Iliad of Homer. My twin and grew up exposed to the Western Culture, in music and choice of reading. My mind was synchronized towards thinking as a Westerner, whatever or however that may be. I must declare that it has been a blessing and curse as well. Doors were opened , the level of consciousness expand and soon the accumulation of all the knowledge and experiences has wore me down, and so why not just sit and enjoy writing about it? As They say, and keeps on saying, the Devil is in the details.
Did Abraham attempted to sacrifice Isaac or was it Ismail?: who do you think?
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