In Indian culture, the concept of indebtedness or obligation plays a strong role. As humans, we are being obliged by God, children have an obligation towards their parents, students are indebted to their teachers. How do you remove that debt or gain rana mukti?

I always tell my students that music has to be digested. Laya (variations of rhythm) have to become a part of you. The experience that one gets when music becomes apart of your being is incredibly beautiful.

It angers me and saddens me – the lack of effort/ research that is put into finding the right teacher for Indian classical music.

Indian classical music has the potential to spiritually uplift the musician and listener.  It is a vidya (art/ knowledge) whose learning is said to carry forth from one birth to the next.  It has the ability to heal and empower and do so much more, yet when someone seeks to learn this art, they often spend less time on finding a teacher than they do on buying a shirt.

Man is alienated from himself.  He has become that which he is not and that creates confusion.  This confusion is the biggest hurdle to his spiritual growth.