Worshiping the Divine Mother through Music — John Schlenck

Sunday, May 11, 2014

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worshipping divine motherSwami Vivekananda said, “Music is the highest form of art and for those who understand it, is the highest form of worship.”

Music is an integral part of all religious traditions. The songs of poet devotees and saints often express profound religious devotion, and God-realization.

Sri Ramakrishna was born into a rich culture of devotional music. When he moved to Kolkata, living and worshiping in a temple dedicated to the Divine Mother Kali, he began singing songs to Her. He especially liked the compositions of Ramprasad, an 18th C. Bengali poet and saint — Ramprasad’s songs express an intimate, childlike relationship with the Divine Mother. Ramakrishna would pray to Mother Kali, “O Ma, You revealed yourself to Ramprasad, why not to me?”

In this discourse, our Resident Composer John Schlenck speaks on “Worshiping the Divine Mother through Music,” singing part of several songs to illuminate his talk.