Hi Newcastle
I haven’t been to Newcastle for, like, ever. 20 years or so. My main memory is arriving on tour with my band, going to the local radio station for an interview, only to find that the interviewer was the Aussie rock legend, John Paul Young. Memories of a forgotten past; I guess we’re all yesterday’s heroes now…
As for new memories, we forged some bright ones. I’d been invited by the kindness of some friends, Sarawati and Richard, who I’d met thru the AABCAP course on Buddhism and psychotherapy. They do kirtan, a kind of Hindu devotional musical mantra, at a local yoga center, and they invited me to share some meditation.
When we arrived, Richard and Saraswati were doing a very beautiful, gentle chant based on the Heart Sutra mantra, ‘Gate gate parangate…’ Saraswati told me she wrote it after doing my metta retreat last year, which gave me a big happy.
We had a lovely afternoon doing some metta. They weren’t a regular meditation group, so of diverse backgrounds and levels of experience. There was that easy Australian sense of relaxed earnestness, and a lot of appreciation for the chance to learn and practice.
In the evening, Saraswati and Richard together with some friends did two kirtans. One was based on ‘Namo tassa..’, the other on
‘Nataraja…’ (Lord of the dance, an epithet of Shiva). I’d never experienced it before, and I found it very moving. It’s a slow, repetitive call-and-response, very gradually building in intensity. I found a surprising depth of stillness among the sound – which is, of course, the whole idea. It really was a great experience. I loved the way they managed to bring everybody together very simply and share an uplifting experience.
And what made it even better was that it was by donation, and the donations went to help orphans in India. Thanks to Saraswati and Richard, and to the Ashtanga Yoga Center, for putting on such a great event.
Sounds lovely!
Sorry, off topic. Being a former animal liberationist I thought maybe you could do a post on this dairy calves issue that I’ve been getting emails from Animals Australia about (they also have ads in the papers this week). I’ve been trying to give up meat (without success as my husband does most of the cooking & I don’t have much spare time, although I have cut down) but since finding out about the fate of these calves I feel even more guilty about consuming dairy. Have switched to soy milk but the habits of a lifetime (many lifetimes?
) with relation to butter & cheese are hard to break! Actually my father died of a heart attack in his fifties & my family tends towards high cholestorol so you would think that would be enough incentive.
I just really want to find clarity on this whole issue, not just treatment of animals but personal responsibility with regard to environmental issues as well.
Yes, isn’t the kirtan beautiful. Here is Saraswati and Richard’s website for anyone in the Newcastle area who might like to go along to their regular sessions: http://www.callingyourspirit.com/