It is said that in the presence of a Guru, five things blossom. One of them is that all talents in a person manifest. I used to wonder, “Is this really true?”
I used to play the guitar very casually, and knew a few Bollywood songs and chords, prior to the following event. I always wished to play AOL songs on the guitar, but struggled finding the right chords for them. My guitar teachers were also of no help, as AOL songs are Bhajans and the guitar teachers are not too fine-tuned with the same.
One day, I got to know about an Art of Living Songs chord’s book, which had the guitar chords for all the AOL Bhajans. I was so happy at this discovery. It was as if someone knew I needed the chord’s book. Soon, I formed a musical team in which I played the guitar, and my friend sang. We started singing in local YES!+ courses and conducted weekly Satsangs (hymns and chants) at various places. It was going great, and soon I bought a new electric guitar.
Eventually, my singer friend became irregular in attending Satsangs, due to certain personal commitments. By that time, I was not confident enough of playing the guitar as well as singing together. Rather, I wasn’t confident about singing at all. But I did not want to give up this beautiful practice of conducting Satsangs, so we continued to do so, taking Gurudev’s name each time we sang.
Once, there was a Satsang organized at a Yes+ devotees’ house, and we were invited to sing at the same. However, I would have to handle both the departments, guitar as well as singing, as my singer friend was not going to be able to make it that day as well. It was a new participant’s house, so I wanted the Satsang to be as amazing as possible, so that we could touch the hearts and lives of all the devotees present there. That day, the participant’s parents were also present, and many devotees sat across me. At that stage, I had only two options: either to cancel it or to go ahead with it. So I gathered all my strength and decided that I would sing. I closed my eyes and surrendered to Guruji. He would sail me through this, I had that faith.
Surprisingly, it went off well. I sang for one hour nonstop. I might have made a few mistakes during singing, and even contemplated in my mind about not singing again. But to my disbelief, both, the participant’s parents, complimented me by saying that my voice was very pleasant and soothing & that it took them to a different world altogether. I was thrilled on hearing this. It was all that my ears had been longing for. I realized that when you do something with utmost sincerity and a feeling of surrender, you are always appreciated. One must learn to strike the right balance between effort and effortlessness. This is a beautiful as well as beneficial skill.
All thanks to the Masters’ blessings, I was happy with myself. I felt victorious. Since this event, I started singing regularly at AOL Satsangs, and have also been a part of various on-stage performances for AOL, with audiences of over 500 persons. Truly, Guruji is always looking after us. We just need to have the faith, take the leap and surrender ourselves completely.
JGD
Rajat Mittal
