JOIN USContentment, wellness, free thought
Yuval Harari wrote eloquently in his books from the last decade about humans chasing bliss, immortality, and divinity as we become ‘Gods’. I do agree that these goals, albeit unreachable, will define humanity’s progress over the next couple of decades. However, to make progress against these goals, today’s concepts of happiness, health, and creativity need to evolve to contentment, wellness, and free thought. The differences between happiness and contentment, health and wellness, and creativity and free thought are told in this story of Krishna that I recollect hearing as a child.
Krishna and his spirit are represented in his constant companion – the flute. The simplicity of the flute and the spontaneity of the notes it plays are the epitome of Krishna. Krishna was a Vrishni. The Vrishnis of Gokula were cowherds by profession and playing the flute was their passion. They believed that the cows whose master played the best notes on the flute were the healthiest and produced the best milk. Krishna started playing the flute very young – even before he learnt to run. When Krishna played his flute, joy filled the hearts of the men and women of Gokula, who went about their daily chores with an added spring in their steps.
It is said that there was an older Vrishni, Gopanna, who prided himself as being the best flautist. He was trained in the classical form of music. He had spent many years learning the ragas from several masters. Whenever he heard Krishna play the flute, Gopanna’s heart would flinch. Gopanna recognised Krishna’s notes as the sweetest melodies he had ever heard. No master had taught Gopanna how to produce this kind of music. The worst part of it was that Krishna’s notes did not follow the classical ragas. Technically, Gopanna was the master, but divine music was Krishna’s slave, and Gopanna could not understand this paradox. He felt that Krishna’s foster father, Nanda, had somehow procured a magical flute for Krishna. Gopanna even hatched a plot and swapped out Krishna’s flute to prove his point. But the flute did not make a difference – Krishna’s music was still beyond compare. Gopanna’s health also was impacted with his constant and unhealthy obsession of besting Krishna.
As his condition continued to deteriorate, Gopanna quelled his pride and approached Krishna to learn the secret of his divine music. The smiling Krishna explained to Gopanna that music was like a living entity and that it made its abode where it had the greatest freedom. Krishna was unfettered by the desire of fame or any other gains from playing the flute, deriving only contentment. Furthermore, Krishna was just spontaneously channelling the music in nature through his flute. Gopanna had learnt too much, was too proud and too rigid, and nature’s music had no way to express itself through him. Gopanna listened to Krishna in open wonder at the simple words explaining contentment, wellness, and free thought.
As we come out of the pandemic, there is an opportunity to stop chasing bliss, immortality, and divinity and instead explore contentment, wellness, and free thought. This exploration will be onerous, and the outcomes will benefit not just the individual, not just mankind, but the planet itself. Let us understand the way of the flute!
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