Majority of the human population listen to music and some watch movies, TV shows, and documentaries as well. At times, some
of the music we listen and the movies we watch seem to reflect our personal
situations, moods and emotions. For
example, when we are in love with someone, and happen to listen to love songs, the
lyrics and the music seem to be more meaningful and written basically for
us. The love songs express many feelings
including joy, longing, praising, expressing gratitude or even blaming the
beloved. In those cases, the lyrics and
the music expresses our moods in a beautiful manner. We get invigorated by the song.
On the other hand, it is not necessary that we would listen
to music only when it expresses our personal situations. We also enjoy listening to the love songs
even when we are not in love with anyone specifically. We would
also sing along with the music with or without comprehending the meaning of the
songs. We couldn’t really say is it the very
good lyrics or pleasing music that we enjoy at that moment. Bottom line, there is always a love for
music, irrespective of whether it reflects our given situation or not. The question may arise to whom we are singing
those songs?
When we endeavor
spiritual quest, go inward and recognize the Truth (Self), then we will find
those songs are intended to express the love towards our own Self (God, Truth,
Reality). Where is this Self? The Reality exists within oneself devoid of
thought [1↓] [2↓] . The
individual (identified with body & mind) is longing for recognizing the
one’s true Self. We are the lover, the
beloved and the love song[3↓] .
This seeking and the eventual recognition of the Self are expressed in those
songs.
Generally speaking, love means a kind of
affection / attraction / attachment to a specific object that we see in the
world. The love can be towards anything
including human beings, pets and our possessions. This type of love is just an accumulation
based on the perceptions through senses and mind. The love towards that object changes when the
perception changes. So, it can never be
the True Love. More importantly, our
love towards our relations, consciously or unconsciously brings in other
qualities that are detrimental to that love itself. How? When we are deeply in love with some
being / object (external), we want to hold on to it, we want to keep it within
our realm or presence as much as possible.
But the object cannot be within our realm all the time. So, there arises a feeling of losing it. This fear of losing causes insecurity within
us. To secure the beloved, we try to
control or establish boundaries to that being / object. However, that beloved being / object may have
its own likes and dislikes and may resist the boundaries that we try to
establish. Since the external being / object is not
under our control at all times, it brings forth the aggression towards the person that we
are supposed to be in love with. Thus,
the love turns into hatred and it is unavoidable. Obviously, this love won’t stand the test of
time and has also constant struggle.
Moreover, if
the beloved was taken from us either by nature or other factors, it apparently
creates a big void, which seems to be impossible to fill in.
What about
love towards our true Self? Once we find
that our beloved is within and inseparable from us and we are THAT, then there
is no fear of losing it at any time[4↓] . In fact,
that Self is our true Self. This Self is
God[5↓][6↓] . Is there anyone who is not aware of himself? We always exist. This existence or being is the Self[7↓] . How
one can lose oneself? It is impossible. Unlike the external objects, the Self (not
the self that identifies with the body and mind) doesn’t have its own agenda
& goals and doesn’t change at any time.
Since there is no fear of losing, there is no insecurity and there is no
need for establishing boundaries. That
means the love is eternal, never changes and stands the test of time at any
given situation. This love is the God[8↓] . It is
the Self, it is the peace and it is the bliss.
This love is Supreme love and devotion[9↓] .
Even if we love someone deeply, we look forward to
our personal time as well. Even the
mother, who loves the child more than anything else, leaves the child aside
for some time period to have personal time.
This indicates there is always love towards within[10↓] .
Since the
Self is within each one of us and the Self is synonymous with Love, it is the
universal love. This love is not
specific to any object, but the source behind all the objects and that is
within all of the objects. However, the
ignorance may veil sometimes by not paying attention to it or when we get
entangled in the world. But, even once
if we recognize the source of love, even if there is a veil afterwards, it
would be temporary and we will find our way to back there through self-enquiry.
This blog will
try to explore the various Tamil, Hindhi & Western songs, some movies, TV shows and documentaries to
elucidate that they express the love towards the Self (God) and / or how they reveal that perception is not the reality. The songs would include all kinds of emotions
of love including joy, praise, celebration, gratitude, longing due to
separation, criticizing, blaming and taunting the beloved. The posts in the blog will point to two paths: self-enquiry and devotion to recognize the Self.
Once we recognize that love is always towards our true Self then we abide in that love. Then the songs that we listen to, the movies that we watch, the objects that we see in the world all point to that Self or the Truth or how the perception apparently draws a veil over the reality. Then there is no difference between devotional / spiritual songs and movie songs. It doesn’t matter even if the song is in an unfamiliar foreign language or just an instrumental music. The life becomes One, no more division between spiritual and material life. All points to the One[11↓] .
Once we recognize that love is always towards our true Self then we abide in that love. Then the songs that we listen to, the movies that we watch, the objects that we see in the world all point to that Self or the Truth or how the perception apparently draws a veil over the reality. Then there is no difference between devotional / spiritual songs and movie songs. It doesn’t matter even if the song is in an unfamiliar foreign language or just an instrumental music. The life becomes One, no more division between spiritual and material life. All points to the One[11↓] .
Similar to love, the joy, peace, God, sense of Self all are
within and they are neither related to external objects nor dependent on
them. By recognizing the love towards
our true Self, our definition of Love, Self, Joy, God, and Peace change
totally, from what we had assumed previously. Thus the definition of love changes from
the love towards external objects to the love within (Self) each one of
us.
There is a Tamil song that can be interpreted to point to this particular theme (redefining the definition of Love, Self, Joy, God and Peace) from the movie “Nizhal Nijamagirathu”. This particular song could be a perfect example to the type of content that you can expect in this blog. The title of the movie itself declares the truth “The shadow becomes the Truth” – The assumed individuality (having given up the individuality) recognizes that it is the Truth. The song is “Ilakkanam Marutho, Illakiam Anatho” – The literal translation is “Has the definition of grammar changed? Has it become the literature?” Here the definition of the grammar has changed and become the literature that defines the grammar. In a spiritual context, the definition of love has changed and become the Truth which defines the love. For complete connotation of this song, please click here.
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1 [1↑]உள்ளபொருள்
உள்ளல் அற உள்ளத்தே உள்ளது – (Ulla porul ullal ara ullaththay ullathu.) The Reality exists within oneself devoid of
thought. Benedictory verse of Ullathu
Narpathu (Forty verses on Reality) and Sat Darshnam (Experience of the Reality)
– Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi
2 [2↑]aham atma gudakesa sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah - I
am the Self, Oh Gudakesa, dwelling in the Heart of every being – Bhagavad
Gita Chapter 10 verse 20
3 [3↑]You are the seeker, the goal, and seeking
itself - Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi.
4 [4↑]As long as we believe ourselves to be even the
least different from God, fear remains with us; but when we know ourselves to
be the One, fear goes; of what can we be afraid? – Swami Vivekananda
5 [5↑]தான் என்ற தானே தான் ஒன்றே தெய்வம் – (Than endra thanae
than ondrey theivam) – One’s own Self (devoid of adjuncts or ego), the I AM, is the (only) one that is (called as) God. –
Agasthiar’s Jnanam – 1 verse 5.
6 [6↑] I AM that I AM - Exodus 3:14 & Be still and know that I am God - Psalm 46:10
7 [7↑] Devotee: How to know the Self?
7 [7↑] Devotee: How to know the Self?
Bhagavan Ramana
Maharishi: Are there two ‘I’s? How do
you know your own existence? Do you see yourself with these eyes? Question
yourself. How does this question arise? Do I remain to ask it or not? Can I
find my Self as in a mirror? Because your outlook has been outward bent, it has
lost sight of the Self and your vision is external. The Self is not found in
external objects. Turn your look within and plunge down; you will be the Self. –
Talk 238 – Talks with Sri Ramana Maharishi
8 [8↑]அன்பே சிவமாவது
யாரும் அறிந்தபின் அன்பே சிவமாய் அமர்ந்து
இருந்தாரே – (Anbe sivamavathu yaarum arinthapin Anbe sivamai
amarnthu irunthaare)
Once one understands that Love is God, then he is embodied
as the love itself which is the true quality of God – Thirumular’s Thirumandhiram –
First Tantra – Chapter 11 verse 1.
9 [9↑] “Saa tvasmin parama prema rupa” - That devotion,
which is of the form of supreme (limitless) love is in this. Naradha doesn’t specify any name or form of
the God. Here “this” refers to near, within
and without any attributes - Naradha’s Bhakthi (Devotion) Sutra (second
sutra).
10 [10↑] சித்து அதின்
வயிற்றில் சிறியது ஒன்று
பிறந்தால் எத்தை தின்று
எங்கே கிடக்கும்? அத்தை
தின்று அங்கே கிடக்கும். Madhurakavi Azhwar asked Nammazhwar
“Sithu athin vayitril siriyadu ondru pirandhal ethai thindru engay
kidakkum? “When the individual born from
the womb of the Supreme Consciousness (Self), what will it eat and where it will
reside” the Nammazhwar response was “Athai thindru angaye kidakkum.” The individual will eat that (exalts in love
towards the Self and consumes devotional nectar) and reside there in that Self
(get bestowed in grace of the Self).
Here again Nammazhwar didn’t give any specific name or form. This is the supreme bhakthi (devotion).
வெட்ட வெளிநண்ணித் துட்ட இருளாங்
களையைக் களைந்துபின் பார்த்தேன் - ஐயன்
களையன்றி வேறொன்றுங் கண்டிலன் தோழி
Abiding in
the open vast expanse of Shiva’s blissful fertile land, I uprooted the
ignorance and looked again, this time I see nothing but HIS Radiance. – Thayumanavar’s Aanandha Kalippu verse
15.
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