I have always loved Philip Glass’ music.
 My favourite is Satyagraha, the opera about the life of Gandhi and his philosophy of non-violent resistance to injustice.
Satyagraha’s libretto is based on the Bhagavad Gita, the sacred Hindu scripture, and is sung in Sanskrit.
The music is hypnotic. You are slowly drawn into a series of typical Philip Glass loops able to lure your mind to a place of total surrender.
I listen to Satyagraha when I meditate or walk on the treadmill. It gives me a great sense of peace.
I went to see a performance of this opera last week at ENO. I liked it much more than their previous one in 2007. The scenes are more interesting and the singers have more personality. It was mesmerising…
Here is my favourite passage from the last act:
In what for others is night, therein is the man of self-restraint wide awake, separate from passion and hate, self-possessed and drawing near to calm serenity. This is the athlete of the spirit, whose ground remains unmoved, whole soul stand firmly on it. This is the fixed, still state which sustains even at the time of death the athletes of the spirit, who event then set forth, some to return, some never to return. Outstanding is he whose soul views in the selfsame way comrades and enemies, loving all alike.
Working on it…. It is all but easy. That’s why such a powerful reminder is important.
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