One Note Pitch Piper Man

One Note Pitch Piper Man? Well that’s my live experience beyond imagination. However, I would like to share it with all readers interested in knowing more about it. I was traveling to Yamuna Nagar in Haryana with some of the SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Classical Music and Indian Culture among Youth) team in a car. Dr. Kiran Seth was sitting in the front left next to the driver’s seat. He was sitting with Mrs. Suman Doonga. Abhishek and Divya were happy to be sitting in the back of the car (it was INNOVA). I could see Dr. Seth through the rearview mirror of the car. It was wonderful to watch Dr. Kiran Seth completely absorbed in yoga and meditation. He was a man of action and did everything he taught others. He was spreading the message to young people around the world to promote SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS, CULTURE, MUSIC, ARTS AND DANCE. According to him, this is the movement of young people studying in various schools and colleges. Young students undergo the Orientation program and understand the simple message of SPIC MACAY.

Various artists, musicians, dancers, film directors and anyone involved in culture and tradition are invited and show their talents to the students. These events are organized in the form of annual circuits of VIRASATS programs throughout the country. There are workshop demonstrations in which performers visit schools and colleges. With the help of their performances, they present the importance of music and dance. GURUKUL SCHOLARSHIPS are provided to students where they can pass and stay with great spiritual leaders and artists for a month. This allows them to interact directly with the great masters and observe their lifestyles. Students get incredible exposure by learning about the inner journey and progress received in the outer world. There are Calligraphy and Craft workshops and these are just great for students and they learn directly from the different artisans. There is a special screening of classic movies and movies directed by great characters like Akira Kurosawa, Satyajit Ray, Adoor Gopoal Krishnan, Ritwik Ghatak, Shyam Benegal, etc. for the students.

I was lost in my own thoughts. Ms. Suman Doonga pointed out something and this was my intermission for the next part of my experience for the rest of the day. Dr. Seth placed a spherical thing between his lips and pulled it out after a few seconds. I thought it was his breathing machine (used by asthma patients). However, I observed that he was behaving the same way and it was a rocking action: put the spherical thing between the lips and take it out after a fraction of seconds. I was hungry? Was it part of the yoga exercises?

Meanwhile, Ms. Suman Doonga recounted her experience at the Pre-Play School started by Dr. Seth. It was called ARAMBHA GAMES SCHOOL. Nothing better than teaching young children and being in their company constantly, learning and teaching take place simultaneously. She told me that he takes classes twice a week and spends his time with these children. He also added with amusement that he teaches them just ONE NOTE FROM CLASSIC INDIAN MUSIC. This is “SA” (it is the same as the note “DO” in western music). Woof! I thought. I remembered my own lesson from PLATO’S REPUBLIC. This is a true vision of the great philosopher PLATO.

What is this? Dr. Seth was busy with his ritual and didn’t stop him. I checked my cell phone to keep track of the exact time and found that two hours are spent in the car. Still, he didn’t bother and took a little nap. Ms. Suman Doonga observed the same thing and started to smile at me. I was very curious as to why Dr. Seth did this continuously after a few minutes. Do you suffer from any kind of illness? Was he addicted to something? Was he hungry and chewed on cookies? Why was he behaving in a peculiar way? Was it because of his age? I kept asking myself. I really wanted to know more about this behavior of Dr. Seth. I was taking my time to question him. So I was creating my own set of conjectures and questions, a typical trait of a philosophy student.

In the end, I plucked up the courage and asked him a few questions. I leaned into the front seat and saw that it was not a spherical COOKIE. It was black in color and circular in shape. There were certain designs present on both sides of the spherical disc and it was placed firmly between Dr. Seth’s fingers. I asked him, “What is this, sir? Is it useful for yoga exercises?” He took a deep breath and was silent for a few seconds. He pronounced: “It’s a PITCH PIPE.” Later he added placing it between his lips and I could hear a sound through him. He said, “This is the SA Note. I’m trying to focus on it.” They just beat me up and I just looked at him in amazement. I didn’t know what to question him, and I kept thinking about it. I was thinking – “SA NOTE”. Very humbly he said, “I’m trying to FOCUS ON THIS ONLY ONE NOTE called SA.”

He continued with his side of the story. He is a disciple of Wasifuddin Dagar, the famous teacher of Indian classical music. He was the Dr. Seth to focus on exactly this ONE NOTE by practicing it for at least eight hours a day. This practice would allow you to experience the “SA” NOTE and perceive it directly. Dr. Seth was practicing it for the past 12 years and hoped to get direct insight into it. This was really mystical for me. This refreshed my own memories of the ONE HANDSTICK METAPHYSICAL KINGDOM in Zen Buddhism, the perception of ULTIMATE CONSCIOUSNESS, the power behind the physical world, etc.

I was trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind those phrases narrated by Dr. Kiran Seth. The summary is as follows:

1. Try to focus on only one thing at a time.

2. Regular practice would make the individual perfect in his daily life endeavors.

3. Abhishek added: “It is better to focus on the bird in our hands rather than two in the bush.” To my amazement, I replied, “The bird in the hand could die or be given the freedom to fly. The birds in the bush could fly due to the disturbance created by our end. However, true and regular practice would be be our own inner journey that cannot be stolen or given to someone else. This is the true metaphorical bird for us. There is no need to fear that someone might rob us. It is our own consciousness and experience. No one can interfere with Stays with us until the moment of death. We can share our experience with others. ” Bingo, we were already experiencing the journey in our discussions as well.

4. Too much in our hands would get us nowhere in our lives.

5. There are 7 notes in our musical system. It is the regular practice of exactly one note that one could earn something rather than become a JACK OF ALL TRADES.

This is the important spiritual lesson that I learned from my mentor, Dr. Kiran Seth. This is the true understanding that I learn from him in the car without any kind of classroom, book, blackboards, etc. Nor did I pay him fees. That’s the real lesson I learned from THE ONE NOTE PITCH PIPER MAN.