Hollow Reed: Song by Swami Tadatmananda on the Role of Emotional Healing (Shadow Work)
Some spiritual teachers downplay the need to resolve old emotional wounds, whereas others claim that purity of mind and emotional maturity are prerequisites for enlightenment. These opposing views are examined here based on the personal observations of the presenter and his famous guru. Includes Hollow Reed Song composed by Swami Tadatmananda.
0:00 Introduction
11:16 Personal Observations
14:59 Symbolism of Flute
18:47 Hollow Reed Song
It's not unusual for spiritual seekers to suffer from unhealed emotional wounds. Many of them assume that their emotional problems can eventually be overcome through prayer, yoga, meditation, and other practices. But that assumption doesn't always prove to be true.
Spiritual practice itself fails to heal many deep emotional wounds for a basic reason - the right solution is needed for a particular problem. For example, pain medication doesn't remove the sadness of a broken heart. Nor can a therapist help you when you have chest pain. Spiritual problems like desire, disillusionment, and emptiness require spiritual solutions, whereas emotional problems like hurt, anger, resentment, and guilt generally require emotional solutions.
According to Shankara, Vedantic teachings can lead to enlightenment only for those who are fully prepared, those who are endowed with certain qualities or prerequisites that Shankara calls adhikaritvam, preparedness. Unless you possess each of these prerequisites, and in sufficient measure, enlightenment will forever remain out of reach.
One of those prerequisites is shama, mental quietude or serenity. Shama is the quality of a mind that never gets disturbed by strong emotions or painful memories that often seem to bubble up, so to speak, especially when triggered by certain events. Those emotions and memories can force themselves into your mind because they're driven by a kind of mental pressure. And that pressure can accumulate when emotional problems are left to fester for a long time without being addressed. The very fact that Shankara considers shama to be a prerequisite for enlightenment suggests that every aspirant needs a great degree of emotional maturity.
Flute Symbolism: Like bamboo must be hollowed out before becoming a flute, in a similar way, our emotional obstacles must be removed before we can become fully prepared for enlightenment. It's as though our hearts are clogged at first, they're choked by hurt, resentment, guilt, and so on. When those obstructions are removed, our hearts become pure.
Hollow Reed - refrain
Lord, make me like a hollow reed, A flute for you to play.
Through this hollow flute of reed You'll breathe your (blessed) song.
I try to be loving, warm and kind to all,
But sometimes my heart shrinks, cold and brittle and small.
A little voice cries deep inside, her tender spirit bruised,
Feeling she has been rejected, lost and confused.
I want to be peaceful, free from all desires,
But some of my cravings still rage on like fires.
A hunger burns within my soul, nothing satisfies,
As these yearnings are fulfilled, still more do arise.
I try to be cheerful, thankful for this life,
But some of my memories pierce me like a knife.
The wrongs I suffered long ago smolder on inside,
From the searing pain of my past, I can't hide.
My mind churns with troubles, whining like a child,
Yet when I ignore it, it's fury turns more wild.
As each season passes by, I advance in years,
Why then have I not grown wiser through all my tears?
I want to be selfless, helping without fail,
But how can I help when my own needs prevail?
Driven by my own desires, blind to other's needs,
Caring mostly for myself in each of my deeds.
I want to be gentle, never causing pain,
But sometimes when I react, my power of judgement wanes.
Just a moment is enough to inflict a wound
By a hurtful action or a word spoke too soon.
I want to be righteous, honest, just and fair,
But life is confusing, simple truths are rare.
Dharma must be understood, nothing's black or white,
I must seek the greatest good and choose what is right.
Swami Tadatmananda is a traditionally-trained teacher of Advaita Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit. For more information, please see: www.arshabodha.org/
Пікірлер: 152
This song made me cry , I’m a alcoholic and I harmed so many people with my words when I’m drunk, please Krishna help me be unattached to drinking alcohol
@swatimeswani6531
Ай бұрын
Your surrender to Krishna 💐🙏 will help you overcome ur addiction 🙏 my prayers are with you🙏
@honestal2684
Ай бұрын
@@swatimeswani6531 thank you so much, I appreciate the support
@SB-vj5sn
Ай бұрын
Please hang in there, It will work out. Prayers and good wishes for you, dear friend.
@AdvaitaVedantaHUB
Ай бұрын
hello my friend, i am an alcoholic a very severe alcoholic who has recovered, i am 9 years sober today... i prayed to ishvar and the answer provided to me was aloholics anonymous. i was not capable of getting sober any other way, please pray to the lord and attend AA, it's important to get support and dwell among like minded people with experience.
@honestal2684
Ай бұрын
@@AdvaitaVedantaHUB i thank all you guys for support, I’m letting my friends and family know that I’m quitting drinking alcohol and how embarrassed I am for acting a fool while being drunk.
This video surprised me. I did not expect such a direct acknowledgement of deep pain in life that can block the benefits of spiritual practice, such as meditation and devotion. Many philosophical and religious teachers ignore this reality and refuse to acknowledge this fact, so a big , heartfelt, thank you to you Swami Tadatmananda for doing this. And the song is lovely! I want to try singing along.
Beautiful!!🎉❤ Please do more songs!!! Namaste!!!
Brilliant. So tired of spiritual gurus and teachers proposing that awareness of our true being, meditation etc will magically make trauma and the remnants of a bad childhood go away. Well done. Modern Western culture loads people up with a lot of wounds and deficits.
@denboy666
Ай бұрын
When you no longer identify with your mind then all suffering will cease. Don't give up your practice so easily.
@complexi_Lexi
Ай бұрын
Realisation of the Self as Awareness is not necessarily mutually exclusive to the visceral experience of a sympathetic nervous system programmed to respond in a specific way to a perceived threat, as a result of (oftentimes repeated) traumas which it experienced earlier in its corporal existence. @@denboy666we should not take for granted that some spiritual seekers may have a difficult time integrating mental or bodily emotions.
@silverly0
Ай бұрын
@@denboy666 thats why the trauma work is SO important, its helps so much in your practice by removing the emotional 'noise' from the self that interferes with your spiritual practice
@denboy666
Ай бұрын
@@silverly0 Who is it that's hears the emotional noise?
@brandankelly4069
Ай бұрын
@@denboy666This is the most common question asked by neo advaitins. Unfortunately, it misses the point of what the swami was talking about.
Yes, I want to hear the new songs which you have not recorded yet. Pranams, Swamiji Peace , Love and Blessings! 🙏💖🕉
Swamiji you have a wonderful singing voice! Thank you for sharing this song. It brought up a lot of tears for me. All I want is to be a hollow reed for Krishna’s music and yet the struggles of life interrupt my serenity every now and again.
Beloved Swamiji you touch our heart in all its chambers - thank you thank you 🙏🏻 loved the bhajan would love to hear more 🙏🏻shirin
You never stop surprising us dear Swami!
Beautiful composition Swamiji , thank you and humble Pranams for showing how tricky the mind can be and despite best of sankalpas - one deviates from the good path! Om
This message really spoke to me. I have been struggling to overcome my emotional issues and ever so often get sabotaged by them. I didn't realize this was a universal 'spiritual newbie' problem. But today I got some Maha-validation knowing that others struggle like me😂 Swamiji your gentle humour is filled with empathy and makes connecting with you so easy. You are wise and scholarly yet you really know how to empathise with ordinary humans who are struggling. The bhajan spoke from the heart... more please🙏🏽
Thankyou Swamiji. It's a great message and I love the song. I will add it to my practice because the song is a valuable meditation and prayer all in one. I really get alot from this channel and I regularly attend your satsang. Slowly the flute is being cleaned, so it plays the right notes 😊 🕉
Absolutely beautiful soulful and truly speak the myriad emotions, notions and ideas which plague many an aspirant or sadhaka. Have been following you and listening in to all your post Swamiji and many are those to whom I have shared your posts with. It would be wonderful if you were to interpose these videos with a copious videos you post on such wonderful saints sages seers and your own Guru Swami Dayanand. Share your art work and prowess at music , composition and the artistic heights you have scaled to the zenith, this is my assessment. Do we have your YES to be with some, at least one with every 5 of the spiritual highs and heights which you peruse and teach to so many students. These shares and the imparting of making known to those whose faith belief in your prowess and your immense talent, in itself, will heal many of these tangles and intangible labyrinth of strings knotting the inner realms. Emotion and much of the vibrations and frequencies which operate in the spaces, are often times, very much like the phantom ego, playing truant, when confronted and quested incessantly. We all love you Swami Tadatmanandaji. Many of us are from the days of the late 50's and 60's when all matters external, mostly fabricated, as we glean and know, Now - are instrumental. Young and fertile in mind and sensitivities, many of us fell prey to these, and the gross elemental energy spaces within take their own time to unwind and allow to be annihilated and permanently removed. A bit long this post, I needed this outburst of emotions to share with you the intensity of what you so willingly and beautifully shared with us. Thank you. Love and Light 💞🙏
Thank you Swamiji, from the bottom of my heart 💜…. You are truly an instrument of peace that the Lord is using to send His music out to our ears and hearts….. Blessings to you 🌺🪷🌊
Hi Swami, I know you read every single comment so I'll leave my thoughts even though I am usually a passive watcher/lurker on your channel. Your singing vibes reminded me of the late Swami Kriyananda who composed hundreds of songs and would have loved to sing with you. It's also nice to see you're in touch with your humanity. As uplifting as your videos are from a spiritual standpoint, you're also very human and you're unashamed of it. It helps to make your teachings more accessible. You're just a great dude. ❤
@AdvaitaVedantaHUB
Ай бұрын
before enlightenment chop wood, carry water; after enlightenment chop wood, carry water :)
I didnt know Swami Tadatmananda could sing. For a nerd, you sing so beautifully. 😉 Please share more of your wonderful songs!
Thank you for the video and song, Swami-ji. 🙏Typical of many Westerners, I'm from a family that is quite dysfunctional and has been for decades. I know the limits of my remaining family members and simply can't talk to certain people about certain things that I would like to. I may not be able to talk to them, but I can pray and have maha validation, as you say, and I think it's very helpful. Prayer is a good option when the mind is confused.
Wonderful Swami ji. No words to describe. Pranaams
Through tears...many thanks.
I don't know why but I cried when hearing your song....Thank you Swamijji.
Thank you so much for this Swami ji. This has resolved an ongoing question for me regarding the different psyches of the east and west. It made so much sense. I also loved your musical composition. As a typical western knowledge seeker I actually felt the emotions arising within me on listening to your singing and playing. The words very much went to the heart. More please. 😇🙏🕉️
Swamiji thank you for this. You present the process of spiritual cleansing in a real and relatable way, with your own vulnerable experiences. You bring this seemingly high goal, in the reach for any of us. Yes! 😊 Would love to hear more of your poems put to music. 🙏🏻💕
Swamiji you're a Gem amongst all of Pujya Guruji's disciples Glory Glory to Pujya Dayanandaji and your expertise.. Wonderful✨😍✨😍✨😍 to be with you again Tadatmanandaji... ❤🙏🌹👏🌹🙏
Salutations, Guruji! Wow, the whole video was so beautiful. One can’t help but feel as if a big burden has been lifted off our shoulders after listening to that melodious offering to the Lord. Thanks very much for sharing your experiences, Swamiji. The Ashram looks wonderful. Om Shanti 🙏🏼
Swami-ji, your beautiful heartfelt song spoke to my seemingly shriveled heart. Thank you and please share more of your compositions with us.
Wow, Swami, that was a lovely song. Honest and hopeful. Trust and surrender to God is priceless. Respect! 🙏♥️😊 Please share more with us when you are able. 😊
@chandrarajan8228
Ай бұрын
Namaskaram Swamiji. Grat balm to my acheing heart. Iam a regular listener for many years. Would love to hear more such songs. Thanks is an inadequte word for such a gift. I pray to Lord Krishna for good health and long life for You Swamiji.
Spot on , Swamiji. ❤ many pranams & thanks ❤
Thank you Swamiji for this wonderful Blessing! I listen to it everyday , it has become a ritual . It has a profound calming effect. Please bless us with more such wonderful compositions.
Thank-you, Swamiji. More, please.
Pranam Swami ji
thank you
Wonderful. Thanks for sharing. 🙏
Thank You Thank You
Thank you
I love it! ❤
So beautiful, thank you for sharing this.
Pranam Swamiji Brahman is shining through the "instrument" for all to see and hear.
That's exactly what I needed to see and hear today 😊
Pranam Swami ji, Many thanks for sharing this prayerful song along with your thoughts and experiences from your own spiritual journey. I feel blessed to have access to such a profound and heartfelt prayer. Today, as I have listened to it again, it resonates with my feelings, even though I am not able to express them so beautifully. Thank you!
Beautiful! Pretty much described my life since embarking on a serious spiritual path. Thank you so much Swami T!🙏❤️
I am speechless ❤
Swamiji, Deeply touched by this soulful song. Great song to meditate with eyes opened.
Great video, awesome song. Hari om Swamiji
Beautiful song
This video is so right on time! Thank you. 🙏
Thank you for acknowledging the difference between therapeutic intervention and spiritual intervention .. it almost feel like a Maslow’s law .. I’ve pondered a lot on this difference and your video just gave me a stamp of approval for my question ❤ after being in therapy for 3-4 years , working on myself , it feels like my spiritual journey has gotten expedited :)
Thank you so much for this video. It validated something that I’ve been experiencing for so many years. I would love to hear more of these songs Swamiji 🙏
So beautiful words and vibrations of Krishna’s flute
Amazing swamiji
Thank you swami! I needed this song, thank you so much
Very good song.
Tremendous thanks for sharing it with us. Impressed and encouraged.
A beautiful composition & lyrics that aptly capture the various dilemmas of a sadhaka's journey.Simple & soul stirring melody , the rendition evokes emotions. Only a Guru knows how his disciples struggle . Thank you Swamiji. Look forward to more 🙏
Thanks
Thank you Swamiji, om.
This was beautiful 🥹 thank you 🕉️
Gracias querido maestro 🙏
Dear Swamiji, what a wonderful song, and a beautiful voice! You touched my heart deeply. Thank you humbly! Please post more songs if you have more, and I believe you do! 🙏❤️
Lovely work Swami T ❤
Thank you Swamiji! Very emotional and beautiful song you have shared with us! 🙏❤
Very beautiful Swami, thank you for sharing and inspiring us go trough our inner healing process. OM
这首歌让我有很深的感触。我这7-8 年被压着的情绪都浮上面来了。Swamiji, 我喜欢你的教学，你所呈现出来的就是一位很有正念的老师，很到地，你没有将自己神化。我和我的孩子都很喜欢听到你那不怕人笑话很开朗的笑声。2020 年在巧合下，我看见了你的视频，从那时候起，你全部的视频都让我至少看完了一遍。我也每个星期没有间断的跟你每堂课，虽然我还是个初学者。谢谢你 Swamiji 无私奉献，让我在人生最艰难的这些年，有个心灵上的寄托。
What an inspirational song and metaphor! Please share other such songs with us. So much appreciated.
The song is so beautiful, brings a lot of peace to me. Dhanyavadah Swamiji..🙏
Grazie ❤🙏🏻🌟
Namaste lovely song the need of the times for many.Amazed at the emotion it provoked in us all.Gratitude Swamiji!
Please keep following your intuition Swami Tadatmananda. This song is great and this self expression adds so much to your teaching/passions. Art/Self Expression is one of things that we can use to channel the divine in its pure form :)
The song, i can relate it totally. Tq swamiji.
Shanti, shanti, shanti 🙏
Soothing tunes, love the words and meaning. Please add more of your songs with your commentary. 🙏🏼
Such a rare gem! Swamiji, thank you for making this video and sharing such a personal tale of overcoming past trauma. I've not seen any other monk talk openly about their personal experience in overcoming hardship. Not sure why. But this is the BEST way to directly reach lay people's hearts. I love your talks on vedanta but always wonder how to apply the lofty teachings to my day to day struggles. This video explains clearly that it's "different medicine for different problems". Can you please post more teachings of this kind? I think many of us would benefit enormously by learning from your personal experiences.
Dear Swamiji, thank you for sharing this beautiful message and song with us. With Sri Krishna’s grace I will carry this with me all the time. I felt as if your songs lyrics spoke to me with such precision as many commenters here have also acknowledged. Please share more!
प्रणाम स्वामिजी 🙏🙂
Felt like listening to those beautiful Bhajans of Meerabai. Beutiful !! I would like to listen to or at least read your other poems..... Pronam Guruji🙏.... H. Talukdar, Moldova, Europe.
Wonderful, you have a great voice. Please share more 🙏🙏🙏
You master teacher vedanta 💖❤❤
So beautiful and truthful! This is what I needed to hear and pray for. Right guidance at right moment given by divinity through you 🥰Thank you so much for sharing your love and wisdom!
Just beautiful Swamiji. So profoundly truthful and also very helpful, I would love to hear more of your songs
adhbhutam! it is very melodious and magical, acharyavarya!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🕉🕉🛕
Thank you! A beautiful song to share for those of us who learn best in song…I will sing this chorus on my way ❤️
Lord make me an instrument of truth, of Sat Chit Ananda Atma. The truth of our selves is the truth of our heart… & every heart knows. Thank you Swamiji for your courageous, beautiful song and for facilitating & exemplifying the potent & complete teaching of Advita Vedanta. 🌸🌏⭐️✨🙏🕉️
Beautiful song Swami ji, thankyou for sharing it I would love to hear more of your hymns and song
Swami Tadatmananda your voice is so beautfull. Please, show us another songs.
Thank you for sharing your song. Not surprisingly, your expression impresses as very honest and genuine.
Such a lovely song. The song is so much like the swamiji himself -- simple, honest and melodious. Please upload more such songs.
Very touching Swamiji. Do share your other songs
Swamiji. Thank you so much for this song. I am in tears. This helps me a lot. Hari Om 🙏🏻❤️
Thank you so much Guruji for the brilliant advice, wisdom, and care in your guidance. The song was lovely. Thank you for sharing it and I agree with so many of the other comments - yes, we would love to hear your other songs as well.
Such a lovely song Swamiji . Please do sing the other sings also . Such a blessing to hear you and your teachings . Pranams from myside
Thanks for sharing this profound wisdom guruji🙏 It came to me at the right time just when I needed it❤
Pujya Swamiji, Namaskar - a beautiful video that includes amazing poetry accompanied with melodious music guided by your soothing voice. Reminded me of the legendary rendition called Pasaydan written by my favorite Sant Dnyaneshwar Mauli - he wrote it after translating the sacred Bhagwad-Geeta into Marathi - he also requests the Bhagwan to bless this entire world including evil-doers by destroying their evil nature while sparing them.
Beautiful song and soul expressions. These should be shared because it opens a persons heart and brings healing. Thank you for sharing and all you are doing for humanity
A truly inspiring song. Wonderfully composed. Great lyrics. After listening to it three times, I want to be like a Hollow Reed too;)
Wow it is so beautiful, simple yet powerful. Thank you so much for giving us so much peace through your teachings, translations, and musical interventions!!! Please make more🙏🙏🙏 and remove more emotional obstacles of spiritual aspirants across the world
Namaste, Swamiji, Absolutely, love your poems and the wonderful flute music! I have always been drawn to flute music from early childhood, I would listen with a fixed gaze, mesmerized. ♥ YES! PLEASE SHARE MORE SONGS!!! 🙏🕉 Thank you for sharing so much of your life experiences with all! Pranams, 🙏
Thank you Swami. The song is incredibly helpful. Please kindly share the other songs you have for us. Much graditude.🙏
Namaste Swamiji the words of the song were simple but so profound. Each stanza were words full of extreme bhakti coming from your heart. The part taken of your back sitting in front of Radha Krishna made me feel your love for Krishna . The peace on your face made me feel blessed to have you as my Guru . My isht devta is Durga and I am so grateful to her for guiding me towards you. Everyday I hear your pravachan old ones and new ones and with you guiding me I am trying to become a better human being . Thank you Swamiji for everything.
Wonderful more songs please. Release this song separately please.
Namaste Swamiji, this poetry and singing is very moving. Please share more of your poetry. hariH Om
Beautiful song and honest lyrics. Expressed all my inner thoughts and emotions so accurately. Have listened to it multiple times. Please upload your other songs. 🙏🏽🙏🏽
Swamiji, The matter of this video is nice one and the song is still very very nice. Please post this kind of songs some more. This song is making me listen again and again. Expect some such kind of videos. Learnt lot from you Swamiji. My sincere and hearty thanks.