Indian Classical Music – A Bridge to The Divine

I recently had the opportunity to investigate my all-time favourite fairytale, Cinderella, in a new light. I realised that we can infact extract very practical principles to apply in our daily lives. But for this, we need to look at the story that we are so familiar with, through a new lens, leaving behind our preconceived notions for a moment. I began to slowly peel off layers, to attempt to read between the lines, and to grasp the symbolism deeply embedded in the characters and plot.

If you have visited Stonehenge on the Salisbury plains of England, perhaps you sensed a powerful feeling of mystery, of something hard to define. To the eye they are a series of immense standing stones set in circles. But rather, “Stonehenge is a symbol of Albion, the ancient wisdom of Britain and of different cultural values from a vanished time” writes Archaeoastronomer Robin Heath.

It is natural to wish to live a successful and meaningful life; to feel we managed to contribute, and make some difference, some impact on the world around us; to feel we fulfilled our life. To do so, it can be logical that one would seek to influence others,  to be considered successful in their eyes, and someone worth learning from. It is certainly a means to impact others, to get positive attention. It could become a problem however, if we tend to mix means with aims, forgetting that one cannot replace the other. To be considered successful on the outer doesn’t stand for the quality of the inner and the actual.

Perhaps no other civilization captures the imagination of intellectuals and dilettantes alike, as does Ancient Egypt. Arguably one of the earliest, longest lasting and most influential civilizations of history, it is recognized for its stupendous artistic, scientific, social, and spiritual achievements. In this slim volume Livraga gives us a penetrating and reflective insight into Ancient Egypt, its highly developed culture, its enigmatic symbols and its sacred philosophy.

Tagore always criticized power and materialism for its own sake. The more one accumulates treasures, and the more one amasses all the power in the world, one is actually chained.

In the wee hours of the morning, Emperor Akbar awoke to the sweet melodious singing of Haridas, guru of the celebrated singer of his court, Tansen. Haridas had been singing a dawn raga. Overwhelmed, Akbar inquired why Tansen was not able to sing like his guru Haridas. Tansen replied that there was one big difference between him and his teacher; while he sang for his lord Akbar, The Great, Haridas sang for the Lord of the universe – God.

On 30th October 2021, New Acropolis Culture Circle hosted renowned architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, sharing his life experiences in a talk titled ‘A Lifetime of Architecture’.  Charting out his early years of learning and practice in the field, he spoke passionately about understanding architecture as a living and ever-evolving concept. “It’s about living, and not just living, but living together, about how communities and societies can grow and become one.”, he explained. Mr. Doshi was born in Pune, he studied at JJ School of Architecture Mumbai, and moved to London and Paris to study under the famous architect Le Corbusier. Later in Ahmedabad, he worked with Louis Kahn. He has founded and taught at various institutions of planning and architecture like the School of Architecture & CEPT in Ahmedabad. Some of his renowned works are IIM Bangalore, CEPT University, Aranya housing project in Indore, ‘Amdavad ni Gufa’ which houses the late artist MF Husain’s paintings, along with Mr. Doshi’s own workplace ‘Sangath’, which is also a public space.

New Acropolis is an international organisation that promotes an ideal of timeless values. Its aim is to contribute to the development of individuals and societies through its work in the fields of philosophy, culture and volunteering. New Acropolis is present in over 50 countries across the five continents and has more than 400 centres worldwide.

Its action in the world is based on three founding ideals:

The ideal of universal fraternity, promoting respect for human dignity, beyond any differences of gender, culture, religion or social background.

The ideal of knowledge, encouraging the love of wisdom through the comparative study of philosophies, religions, sciences and arts.

The ideal of development, enabling each human being to realize their best qualities and values, as a solid basis for a better world.

The president of New Acropolis, Carlos Adelantado, explains how these shared ideals can be achieved.

The New Acropolis Culture Circle explores the diverse expressions of culture through a series of intimate and interactive presentations, in an attempt to revive the spiritual essence that forms the basis of all classical art and culture. Far from being definitive, this article is an attempt to share a synthesis of my learning from some of the gracious speakers who have shared their inspiration and wisdom with us in the course of the last few years.

This article is the result of a trip I recently made to Athens, Epidaurus, Olympia and Delphi. Walking through its stunning archaeology, pausing at monuments, and gazing spellbound at its sacred temples, I couldn’t help but ponder what might have inspired such a civilization.

Nursing at her bosom, Greece nurtured such an altitude of knowledge and amplitude of wisdom that it came to be called the cradle of Western Civilization. Herodotus, regarded as the Father of History, lived here. Solon envisioned the origins of Democracy here.

The universe is a place of balance…Yin and Yang, night and day, summer and winter, masculine and feminine. A balance achieved by complementarity – the equal and opposite effect of dualistic entities. Yin is as essential as Yang, just as night is as essential as day; each has its role and function in the service of life as a whole. So too, the feminine is as essential as the masculine.

What makes this poetry so popular and why do so many admire its beauty? Perhaps because the poet describes beauty in words which create such powerful imagery that you feel as if you are in a field of daffodils. It captures a range of emotions, contemplation and connection with nature as one might experience.

All the greatest spiritual teachers have spoken about the need for man to awaken, to pursue a shift of consciousness. Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Plato all offered a clear, discernible path of spiritual growth towards a more meaningful life, which begins by recognizing and operating from a higher aspect within us, separate from our personality which is controlled by prejudices, fears, subjective emotions and egoistic thoughts. Beyond the religious customs that subsequently developed, these ancient traditions speak of Discipleship; an ardent and persevering path of constant self-development which illuminates man’s potential. Likewise, emerging from the ancient tradition of the Indian sub-continent, Yoga, if understood in entirety, also offers a discipular path leading to self-knowledge, transmutation and truth.

For New Acropolis members across the globe, every day in a way, is World Philosophy Day. Through history, classical traditions have employed philosophy as the central axis of education, recognizing the pivotal role of wisdom and ethics, in the formation of human civilization. Therefore, we mark the special opportunity of UNESCO’s annual endorsement of World Philosophy Day to further emphasize the value of Philosophy, as a practical tool by which to improve our lives.

The quality of a civilisation’s culture is most visible in its art and more particularly in its architectural accomplishments, for these are usually its most complex and long-lasting forms. It’s hard to conceive of a more awe-inspiring architecture than that found in ancient Egypt. The essence and message of Egyptian architecture remained unaltered throughout the millennia, while its majestic and aesthetic style still manages to convey forgotten psychological and spiritual truths.