“Water doesn't have a colour of its own. If the sky is blue then its reflection in water will make it blue. Similarly, nothing has its own intrinsic character. Everything exists in relation to something else. The name of this comprehension is ‘shoonya’.” - Krishna Nath
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Find many other reflections on mystic poem and thought at http://ajabshahar.com/reflections/all
Discover a universe of Bhakti, Sufi, Baul poetry and music at http://www.ajabshahar.org.
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In the year 2004, we got drawn to the forested environs of the Valley School to immerse on a few occasions in reflective conversations with a person of deep insight and subtle humour – Krishna Nathji – who shared with us his own experiences and nuanced insights on Kabir, Buddhism, Vedanta, oral traditions, the spiritual and the socio-political…
Born in 1934 in Varanasi in a family of freedom fighters, Krishna Nathji graduated in economics from Kashi Vidyapith. Subsequently he got deeply involved in socialist movements in newly-independent India, even being imprisoned for his activism on several occasions.
At some point, Krishnanathji was deeply attracted to the practice of Buddhist meditation (vipassana), thought and literature, and has made a close study of Nagarjuna’s and Vajrayana philosophies. He is one of the Buddhist scholars to have held dialogues with the well-known thinker J Krishnamurti. He is the author of several books, notably on life and traditions in the Himalayas, and has also edited prestigious journals such as ‘Kalpana’, ‘Mankind’ and ‘Aarthiki’ at different times.
He now divides his time between his ‘kuti’ (cottage) near Sarnath and the Krishnamurti Study Centre at Haridvanam in Bangalore. To make contact with him, call the Centre at +91-80-28435243
(Click on Settings for subtitles in English. Click ‘B’ on keyboard to remove the black background in subtitles.)
Ajab Shahar is a digital archive of mystic poetry and music drawing from the rich Bhakti and Sufi oral traditions in India and beyond... Explore a world of sung and spoken wisdom at https://ajabshahar.com
Translation: Shabnam Virmani & Sharanya Gautam
Video Credits:
Interview by: Shabnam Virmani & Tara Kini
Camera: Shabnam Virmani
Camera Assistance: Rumah Rasaque
Editing: Sharanya Gautam
Sub-Titling: Sharanya Gautam & Shabnam Virmani
Collection: Kabir Project
Place: Valley School Study Centre, Bangalore
Year of Recording: 2004