The Taste of Peace and Practice of Love in North Indian Drumming
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arts and art history
research papers
published 30/11/2007
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The knowledge gained by practicing the North Indian tabla drums situates the musician within two spiritual modes of the Hindu tradition: the tantric, via rasa, and the yogic, via bhakti. Is there a limit to the spiritual efficacy of such musical practice? Citing the lack of common measure between the ends to which riyaz and yoga are used as a means, one scholar contends that riyaz is primarily a means to acquiring an artistic skill. However, he concludes that musical riyaz essentially reflects the spiritual modality of bhakti.
Table of Contents
- The student is the prime auditor of the ustad to whom his bhakti is devoted. Within the music tradition this union is known as ilm-basina, the musical knowledge (ilm) stored within the body of the disciple.
- Abhinavagupta's tantric philosophy draws a connection between aesthetic experience and Brahmasvada, the tactile experience of divinity.
- It is a paradox that tranquility should be a means toward liberation via mastery of tabla drumming, a practice of apparently frenetic activity.
- Jivanmukti is the yogic ideal in which 'the physical life of the free person is carried on without any connection to the atman, which has found its meaning in itself.?
- The practice of music is effective as a sadhana through such devotional surrender.
- The practice of tabla is in itself nothing special. It need not be anything liberative or yogic.
- It is possible that the tabla could be a tantric method towards moksa.
