Past Programs
Hinduism - 2008
Dear God: Songs of Doubt
06/06/2008
Aristotle described philosophy as the art of doubting well, but in the world of religion doubt's generally unwelcome. Of course that doesn't stop a lot people, including many devout believers, experiencing severe doubt at some stage in their life and this week we hear songs exploring that sense of doubt and uncertainty, from Jeff Buckley, XTC, Morrissey, and Katie Noonan with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Swamiji and the Bhajan
30/05/2008
Bhajans are Hindu devotional songs in praise of the Divine. They began centuries ago as Hindu religious hymns, sung during puja or worship, and are considered to be the words of great masters or saints. Over time they were simplified so that ordinary working people could understand and relate to them. This is reflected in the musical style - simple repetitive melodies and dancing rhythms - and in the easy to follow lyrics praising God. His Holiness Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, an Indian Yogi born in Rajasthan, has encouraged the use of bhajans today and in this special program we'll hear from Swamiji himself talking about this tradition of devotional singing, and introducing several Rajasthani bhajans. We'll also sample the best of modern India, with the new album from Anoushka Shankar, Breathing Under Water which blends sitar and electronics.
His Holiness Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, simply known as Swamiji, comes from a lineage of respected yogis in the Hindu tradition of Yoga Vedanta. He was born in the harsh desert region of Rajasthan in north-west India, and met his spiritual master 'Holy Guruji' at the age of thirteen. After years of rigorous spiritual practice, in 1972 he moved to Europe where he developed a comprehensive system called Yoga in Daily Life based on traditional yoga practices but tailored to modern life.
Music and the Maharishi
22/02/2008
The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who died this month aged 91 was the founder of the Transcendental Meditation movement. The Maharishi became world famous as the Indian swami who brought meditation to the West and cosmic consciousness to The Beatles and The Beach Boys in the 1960s.
The Beach Boys met the Maharishi in December 1967 and took him on tour with them during 1968 with disastrous consequences. Between songs he would chant and deliver wise teachings but the crowds usually booed him off stage. Most of The Beach Boys moved on but Mike Love remained a long-time devotee of the Maharishi. The Scottish folk singer Donovan and flautist Paul Horn were also followers and we'll hear both those artists later tonight as we follow the music and the Maharishi. We'll also hear from the swami hismelf, interviewed on BBC Radio in 1969.
The Beatles spent several weeks at the Maharishi's ashram in Rishikesh, India in February 1968 but left soon after hearing rumours that the guru had made sexual advances to one of the women on the meditation course. There was never any evidence behind these accusations but it was enough to plant a seed of doubt in their minds. It was during the course that about half of The Beatles White album was written, mostly on acoustic guitars giving the album its laidback feel.
The Maharishi's message was always a simple one: 'Life is bliss. Man is born to enjoy. Within everyone is an unlimited reservoir of energy, intelligence, and happiness.' Meditation, and a personal mantra, were a means of tapping into this reservoir of energy.
Although he was mocked as the 'giggling guru', he was an ordained monk in a venerable Hindu tradition. According to the TM movement, more than 6 million people have undergone TM training.
The Abbey and the Ashram
15/02/2008
Evening hymns from the Benedictine nuns of Jamberoo, an enclosed order in an Abbey in rural NSW, and the Moola mantra sung by Deva Premal and Miten, devotees of Osho, formerly known as the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
The nuns were featured in the ABC TV series The Abbey late last year on Compass. Unlike an ashram which encourages devotees to live an integrated spiritual life in the world, the Benedictine Abbey at Jamberoo is totally enclosed, devoted to meditation and prayer, and they stop whatever they're doing to sing the Liturgy of the Hours seven times a day.
It's evening and the final office of the day, Compline, when the nuns are officially released from the day's activities to a quieter night watch. We'll start with a hymn by Hildegard of Bingen, O Quam Preciosa featuring Sister Magdalene Mather, and then the Nunc Dimittis.
Following that we hear the Moola mantra, sung in the ancient religious language of Sanskrit. It affirms the Oneness of God, the eternal reality and begins OM SAT CHIT ANANDA - the primordial sound of the universe, truth, pure consciousness, bliss...
Deva Premal, who was born in Germany, and Miten, a one-time rock musician from England who toured with Fleetwood Mac and Lou Reed in the 1970s, are devotees of Osho, formerly known as the Bhagwan Sri Rajneesh. They've been together since 1991 and are massively popular around the world for their music and chanting which is based on the principle of music as a spiritual practice, one of the daily devotions of every ashram or spiritual retreat.
