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Kirtan
with Rick Roberts and friends
Green River Yoga
158 main street, 2nd floor | greenfield, ma
Saturday, December 19
7:30 - 9 pm
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Namaste! Again we arrive at the last Kirtan of the year, and on
Monday the Winter Solstice which marks the reversal of the gradual shortening
of days that has been going on since the Summer Solstice. I'm just now
recovering from a nasty cold so I'll be brief, but read on to learn about the
greeting Namaste you hear so often and to read a quiet piece of inspiration
by Gunilla Norris excerpted from her work Journeying In Place.
let it be love,
Rick
How precious our time together here truly is! |
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Sanskrit Primer
for your reading pleasure
Learning Sanskrit is a beautiful challenge with many
surprises and inspirations along the way. Sanskrit in the beginning was a
spoken language and so there evolved rules for joining words and syllables to
facilitate the chanting of the sounds. These rules of "joining" are called
sandhi rules and when applied cause a most wonderful sensation in the mouth!
But before we get to the sandhi let's look at the two words that make up the
greeting Namaste.
Namaste is derived from namah (a bow, salutation, obeisance,
adoration) and te which is a pronoun in the second person, meaning you.
Pronouns (like nouns) in Sanskrit can have different endings attached to them
to indicate slightly different meanings, which is what helps make the language
so rich and so precise. For instance, by changing the ending on the pronoun
"you" we can indicate that "you" are the subject of the sentence, something was
done "by" you, something comes "from" you or something was done "to" or "for"
you. In the case of "te" we're saying that something was done to/for you. And
what was done? Namah (a bow, salutation, etc...) was done to you.
What isn't obvious in this writing is that the word Namah
ends with a visarga, a slightly aspirated "h" and this is where the sandhi (or
joining) rule comes into play. When a word ends with a visarga and the next
word begins with a t (or th) then the visarga transforms into the letter s,
making the beautiful sound Namaste. Try saying Namah Te a few times and you'll
be able to feel how pleasing it is to then say Namaste!
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Inspirational Corner
White Ash - Gunilla Norirs
It's late December. The leaves have all fallen and the trees
stand naked. Stripped, the trees have a sculptured look, and I have the curious
sensation that I can both see and hear better in these winter woods. The wind
is blowing hard. Above my head, tree limbs are clashing, making boisterous,
wooden music. Here below, where I stand, the trunks seem to glow. On their bark
the lichen shimmers in the blue-gray light of this season. Subtle, muted
colors...ochre, gray-white and the palest moss green...patinas made by slow quiet
growth.
This is the stuff of life and of art. Nothing dramatic...just
years of persistence...growing in the same place...extending a little
farther...becoming a little more. A quiet work that enlarges by seasons.
Bare bones of ash trees...shimmering berries...lichen growing
without ambition, just true to its lichen nature. When I allow myself to be and
allow others to be just as they are, what wonderful bare bones of connection
that is. When I can notice and savor the many flashes of color that happen in
life, the bright berries of delight, what constant praise that is. When I can
be patient and know that what develops over time...little by little...with
consistency...is what ultimately is rewarded and lasts, what wonderful relaxation
in growth that is. I can stop hurrying to be what I cannot yet be, and rest
simply in what I am now.
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nine bows to the musicians!
who continue to give so much
Gurucharan........................tabla
Kevin Germain....................yayli tanbur
Dona O'Dou........................tamboura
Divya Shinn........................vocals
Rick Roberts......................harmonium |
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Kirtan
with Rick Roberts and friends
Every 1st and 3rd Saturday
...is a time
for people to come together, open their hearts and sing. For years
chanting has helped people to effortlessly reach a state of quiet and
stillness that easliy leads to meditation. While it's true that we can
chant in our car or in the solitude of our home, there's nothing like
chanting with others and with live musicians. Every kirtan is different
depending on the energy of the group, but as the evening progresses one
becomes saturated with the Name, the mind becomes one-pointed and
dropping into a deep state of meditation becomes effortless.
Suggested donation is $10 but please remember that a donation is not necessary. Anything is
appreciated, and all are welcome regardless of their ability to pay.
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