(not necessarily in that order)
I hadn’t seen our virtual choir recording of “Channels” since it launched during last week’s Spiritual Renewal Week concert; I loved it even more as I listened to it for the second (and third and fourth) time.
This time around we had singers from Oregon, Washington, California, Texas, Mexico, Italy, India, and New Zealand! I love our virtual choir. 💖
Lately, “Channels” has become sort of my theme song.
There was a special workday this morning at “Gurushanti”, a large home right next to Ananda Village that was recently purchased by Ananda devotees.
Because this property had been neglected for a number of years, the plan was to end the morning with a blessing by Jyotish and Devi, followed by chanting and a processional to invoke the presence of the gurus.
Well, during the opening prayer, Jyotish also made reference to the trees and the nature spirits, which — of course — had me thinking about “Channels”!
So, when the blessings and processional were finished, I tentatively asked whether they thought it would be appropriate to sing “Channels” and they enthusiastically responded, YES!
And so it happened that we spontaneously performed “Channels” — outdoors, in the sunshine, before a stunning view of forests and mountains, with a river far below in the canyon, birds singing, and flowers blooming. Even the stars were present, though we couldn’t see them.
What a thrill it was. And what a blessing. A completely unexpected moment of serendipity and Guru’s grace.
These words by Swamiji about how we’re all channels are well worth deep reflection.
“Everything around you is a channel
for something greater than itself.
Have you ever thought of that?
The flowers are channels of beauty.
The trees channel calmness and strength.
The earth is a channel for life.
Yes, you, too, are a channel. —
But what is it you channel?
Is it moods?
unhappiness?
anger?
Or is it gladness?
kindness?
a laughing heart?
The world has so many gifts to share with you.
For God is like a Mother,
who loves all Her children,
And wants to see them happy and well.
But if you won’t look for Her, trustingly;
And if, when you see Her beauty in the rose,
you turn away —
You mustn’t wonder if Her channels wither, and close —
And if the flowers stop blooming,
and the trees hang drooping in the sun.
Worse still, you may find, if you turn away,
That your own heart begins to grow smaller,
And — in a world so full of miracles —
That you feel all alone, and afraid.
— Swami Kriyananda (from the introduction to Winging on the Wind: Songs and Poems)
Today we recorded backing tracks for our next Ananda Worldwide Virtual Choir project. We’re stepping it up a notch and doing the wonderful song, “Channels.”
“Channels” is more challenging than our previous virtual choir songs; mainly because there are six parts (representing the nature channels of birds, trees, stars, flowers, mountains, and rivers).
Even though doing backing tracks is always more work than I expect, I end up feeling grateful for the way it “forces” me to go deeper into the words and consciousness of the song and, in this instance, reflecting more profoundly on all that Divine Mother is constantly giving us.
I especially love the chorus:
“Mother, we thank You, Your joy shines in ev’rything!
Open these channels that the world once more may sing.”
I wonder…? What if I made a point of singing this to Divine Mother every single day?!?
In my jazz days, I had heard of tenor saxophonist, Sonny Rollins, but — being more of an alto sax girl (Paul Desmond of the Dave Brubeck quartet was my hero!) — I never really tuned into him.
So I was fascinated to learn recently that Rollins — now in his late 80’s — has been practicing yoga and meditation since the mid-1960’s, even taking a sabbatical from performing in order to spend an extended period at an ashram in India!
Here at Ananda, we seek to offer ourselves and all we do in service to God and Gurus; as musician devotees we ask to serve as channels for their inspiration, doing our best to stay out of the way while trying to always remember that “God is the doer”.
Which is almost exactly how Sonny Rollins describes his approach as an improviser: “I’m not supposed to be playing, the music is supposed to be playing me. I’m just supposed to be standing there with the horn, moving my fingers. The music is supposed to be coming through me; that’s when it’s really happening.”
Universal truths.