Sunday 20 November 2011

2188 Satyagraha, the Bhagavad Gita and Philip Glass (1)

Discovering only this week that Philip Glass’s opera Satyagraha was to be shown on Live HD cinema relay from the Metropolitan Opera House at the Cineworld Bolden on Saturday evening 19th November 2011 at 6pm, I was filled with excitement and apprehension in equal measure.

Philip Glass is regarded as one of the most important composers of the 20th century but also as a minimalist and I knew beforehand that the Opera is in Sanskrit which in itself is not a problem as most opera as are not sang in the English language. There are always excellent sub titles included although sometimes these can be intrusive to the visual appreciation.

In this instance the libretto does not tell a traditional story but uses lines from 700 verse Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita which are constantly repeated in what I discovered and can be describe as musical and visual scenes which have the form of a slow moving tableaux reflecting the inner calm and peace at what one is doing.

It was in 1959, when I was twenty years that I paid attention to the life and teachings of Mahatma Ghandi and purchased the UNESCO published edition of his life and work All Men are Brothers. In fact the day was 1st December and I wrote on an opening blank page. “This day shall be remembered annually as the day from which the way became clear. May the light always shine the way and may you always give courage, strength and humility to serve you until the end.”

I have not recorded when during that extraordinary period of 18 months that I managed to buy in England for twelve shilling and six pence one of the 1951 2000 limited edition first printing of Satyagraha by the Jivanji Dahyabhi Desai Navajivan Press in Ahmedabad.
The writings led not only to my participation in the civil disobedience movement but to adopting non violence as a form of protest but not the way of life contained in Satyagrapha although had I the confidence and the skills to support myself I would have joined a community espousing the principles..

It was during the six month voluntary prison sentence that I discussed with colleagues the idea of undertaking a reverse direction Jarrow type march which would commence from Trafalgar Square at the end of the Easter four day March from Aldermaston to Holy Loch in the South West of Scotland which was to become the home of the United States nuclear warhead Polaris Nuclear Missile submarine. The intention was as with the salt marches to gather a human tide of supporters as progress was made with the objective in this instance that the UK should unilaterally abandon the possession and potential use of weapons of mass human destruction.

Although the Direct Action Committee against Nuclear War sponsored the event which was also subsequently supported by the Lord Russell’s and Ralph Scheonman’s Committee of 100 I debated with Pat Arrowsmith by correspondence my naive belief that it was possible to translate the Gandhian experience into 1960’s Britain. She was right of course and although the six week march did attract support from the communities visited and a Daily Mail journalist was embedded, the general public did not join in numbers although the finale which I helped to organise as a field officer over the final four weeks was an spectacular events with thousands witnessing and world wide publicity, the primary purpose failed.

I stayed up until 2 am on Friday night working on a study of the transcript of the contributions from three important core participants to the Leveson Inquiry - The National Union of Journalists, the Guardian Newspapers and the group of 51 victims.

I rose and was back at my desk around 9 and after a short night of interrupted sleep wishing I had decided to work on and I was not sure what condition I would be in to attend the Opera relay. I ended the work around 3pm having completed a piece on the attempt by Associated Newspapers to constrain the role of the Assessors and impose on the Inquiry someone considered sympathetic to their cause and then the important contribution from Michele Stanistreet of the NUJ. I listened to the first part of Newcastle’s visit to Manchester City in the Premiership and then got myself ready deciding to get to the cinema before the traffic from the Stadium of Light joined in the road to the cinema from Cleadon Village en route to the A19 dual carriage road to the Tyne Tunnel.

As anticipated the car and cinema’s entrance were full of excited young children and teenagers going to the two films of the weekend, the two and three dimensional showings of a new film about Christmas and six screens given over to the opening weekend of the first part of the final part of the Twilight saga of vampires and werewolves. I think there were only two other films on in the evening because of the demand for the latter, an indication of the nature of the British Youth of today. I also anticipated that there would be plenty of seats available in the small theatre showing the relay and I was able to select a mid row seat on my own just below midway in the seating towards the screen.

There was time to purchase some liquorice and a carton of mushrooms from Asda and then relax in the upstairs lounge bar after checking the prices of ice creams, pop corn and drinks which continue in their astronomical rise in price. I had no intention of purchasing, just curious. A tube of Pringles Crisps rated £3 with special offers at supermarkets from time to time at £1. You could get a two scoop ice cream for £2.20 but promotions cost £4 to £5 and similarly the pop corn drinks seemed to range from £6.50 to £8,50 for combinations. All stuff which if you wished could be purchased from the adjacent supermarket at substantially less.

In the bar lounge I became concerned at the behaviour of who appeared to be a father with a eight to nine year old girl and a teenage elder brother. The girl waited on her own while the menfolk purchased a coffee and a bottle of Pepsi for themselves. The teenager proceeded to drink and pour in a glass more than three quarters of the bottle pretending to offer the girl the remainder from time to time. Eventually the father intervened and snatched the bottle from the teenager which he gave to the increasingly distressed girl. It was another insight into family behaviour without the presence of the girl‘s mother and I wondered which of the films they were going to see.

As the other twenty four people attending the relay sat behind me other than a couple who clung to one end of my row against the wall I was able to recognise the majority from my visit at the end of last season and wondered if they were prepared for such an usual operatic form. It was evident from the comments at end of the first act they were not. On reflection I should have been better prepared to have maximised by enjoyment

Whether because of its unusual nature or it is a new season innovation in addition to the written notes handed by a member of staff just before the performance commenced the main structure and content of the opera appeared on screens before the relay commenced. There are acts with the third lasting one hour and two other intervals which means a three hours over performance spread over four hours.

The first two acts each have three scenes, some from the life of Gandhi in South Africa and some fictitious although to describe them as scenes is inaccurate because a scene usually means a chronological sequence of words in voice and orchestral music. In this instance I suggest each scene is a slow moving tableaux, with the words verses from the Gita reflecting the stillness and inner peace required of the Satyagraha.

The set comprise a single circular structure of a corrugated wall, with apertures which open from time to time at different levels as well as a central floor level opening and central part can slide back to the wings. There are five four human components. Gandhi, a tenor played by Richard Croft who communicates the strength of purpose throughout, There are other eight soloists, a second tenor, two sopranos, two mezzo Sopranos, a baritone and two basses. The chorus also so functions as South Africans and Indians.

There is also a 12 person ensemble of aerialists, puppeteers and stilt walkers. The Puppets are huge sometime filling the stage. I was not convinced by the their role and wonder if the opera would have been better without them and that they were there to please an audience used to experiencing visual treats. There was one device which I thought meaningful and which I will comment more within sequence.

In addition windows remained open in during each act to reveal figures which influenced or who were influenced by Gandhi Act one Tolstoy with whom Gandhi corresponded, Rabindranath Tagore who shared in his work and Martin Luther King Jnr who is seen standing on a plinth addressing a crowds with his back to the audience and who was influence in his ideas and approaches by Gandhi.

The first Act first scene has Gandhi arriving in South Africa wearing the suit of the day and holding his copy of the Gita and the music, the voice and the visuals attempts to communicate what he feels as much as what he thinks. The scene is a mythical battlefield the Kuru Field of Justice in which according to the verse sung by Ghandi all the rulers of the world are assembled with the main character Krishna representing God addressed by Arjuna who recognising friends and relatives among both the armies assembled is filled with compassion.

Arjuna sings; With mind perplexed concerning right and wrong I ask you which is the better course? Krishna answers Be wise in matters of death and duty” and then a line of basic Hinduism... “For sure death to all that’s born, sure is birth to all that dies and for this, you have no cause to grieve.” For me this is also core of Satyagraha and also of the fundamentalist Catholicism that you act, you commit because you need to because you believe it is right and important to do so irrespective of the consequence for you, and which you anticipate could be painful and terminal, but which you accept because it is for a great good which you also hope others will recognise and share but if they do not that does not lessen or alter the conviction or the purpose.

Krishna also says “brace yourself ready for the fight. So you will bring no evil on yourself.” I suggest that in fact the pacifist practitioner of non violence action accepts the evil of others on themselves in the same way that Christ accepted and absorbed the evil others and forgave them. The pacifist stands their ground when challenged whatever the outcome while the direct actionist intervenes in a non violent way and which often provokes violent retaliation which is then absorbed.

The Chorus representing Krishna reprimands the feint hearted and declares “Give up this vile feint heartedness. Stand up chastier of your foes to which Gandhi responds “Hold pleasure and pain profit and loss, victory and defeat to be the same: then brace yourself ready for the fight. So will you bring no evil on yourself” it is only over the past two decades that I have understood the paradox of the duality.

My understanding is that the scene is designed to represent the beginning of the transition for a new lawyer brought to a country to help out in a case between two business families who becomes aware of the plight of the Indian population regarded with suspicion and hostility by the predominant white and indigenous black populations.

It was the Russian Writer Tolstoy who established the first collective farm rather than the Communists or the Chinese but as with all political and social movements the concept only works if they are collectives of independent and committed volunteers. Once they imposed on those who are unwilling or lack understanding or committed they are doomed to failure and become contradictions such as anarchist organisation! I am not sure if the second scene is mythical or real because it feature Gandhi creating a collective farm for Indians in South Africa.

Gandhi: Between theory and practice, some talk as if they were two- making a separation and a difference between them, Yet wise men know that both can be gained in applying oneself whole heartedly to one. For the high estate attained by men of contemplative theory, the same state achieve the men of action. So act as the ancients of days old, performing works as spiritual exercise.

Soloists: Such a one is honourable who gives his mortal powers to worthy work not seeking gain. Do the allotted task for which one is fit, for work is more excellent than idleness and the body’s life proceeds not, lacking work. Such an earthly task do free from desire, you will perform a high task.

When the motives and the fruits of man’s actions are freed from desire, his works are burned clean from wisdom’s fire, the white fire of truth. When he casts off attachment to his deeds, a man embarks on his work ever content, on none dependent, With thought and giving up of all possessions, he cares for his bodily maintenance without excess; taking what chance may bring surmounting all dualities, the same in success and failure.

This begins to sound like a commercial for contemporary conservatism, the value of work even if its unpaid and acceptance of your allotted palace in society. Ghandi’s starting point became feed others before you feed yourself and clothe others before you clothe yourself with the purpose of feeding and clothing everyone. He was not a supporter of passivity or acceptance of the status quo.

The verse also seems to assume that every individual is of the same value to society which is clearly not the case and is why human beings basically want to be regarded for their different contributions but fairly, just as working for survival individual and family is different from working on something which is intrinsically of value and meaning as is freedom from with freedom to.

We saw want happened in China when everyone was sent to collectives and the middle class eliminated or sent to work on the land. While the population stopped starving there was no progress in the economic and social advancement of the people just as in Russia huge sections of the population became slaves of the state, instead of slaves to estates where the owners were often benign, with no choice or opportunity to be and live differently and where those given choice and opportunity was not based on merit or assessed potential but on ones relationships to the Party and dictatorship administrations including military and police.
While I share with Gandhi that to take on the role as a teacher, a guide, an authority one must deny the animalistic passions and desires, the difficulties can never be underestimated or that this should become a prescription for the majority or everyone. It is a question of self enlightenment and understanding but which is only achieved through a long process of experience which should include experience within the world of human interactions and activities and well as separate from them. What I came to object to is one person persuading another to undertake an activity without seeking out the implications of that activity. I would say to staff I may ask you to go over the top after me but only after I have explained to you why and that both us of may not come back, or come back lifelong wounded. I was fortunate in reaching that conclusion early life during my experiences in the those two years of exclusive direct action involvement fifty years ago.

In the third and final scene of first act The Vow of 1906, the British Government proposed a law which required the registration of all Indians and which then entitled the authorities to stop and search including entry into any household to establish that the individual possessed the registration and was not an illegal. The State of Arizona is proposing a similar system for Hispanics and I could see without the coalition a Tory government proposing similar as the Labour Identity card was intended to establish. In South Africa Gandhi through his newspaper and speeches encouraged the Indian Community to oppose the Black Act and the Operatic first act closes with a Vow to oppose to new legislation.

The world is not for the doubting man. For nothing on earth resembles wisdom’s power to purify and this a man find’s in time within himself. (I believe that the world will be a better place for more people if those in power doubt more the value of actions which attempt to control and affect others for their own good without first testing and assessing outcomes over periods appropriate for the proposed level and extent of change). (My experience is that in general the female, especially those who have relationships with men, especially those who give birth to new life gain wisdom quicker than most of the male of mind and inclinations).

I also have major reservations against the text: Whoever gives up a deed because it causes pain or because he shrinks from bodily pain, follows the way of darkness, knowing nothing of self surrender and which suggests that if the work in accord with the scripture then the surrender will lead to goodness. This has been used to justify the act of the terrorist suicide bomber. It ought to be morally wrong to knowingly cause any other human being harm except in individual, family and national self defence.

Chorus demands that These works of sacrifice must be done. They continue with the dangerous claim that sacrifice for the Gods leads to them sustaining you in return. There is a truism that you have to love to be able to be loved but when it comes to self sacrifice you should only do it because it is right and without any expectation or wish for a return on the investments of the action. It is best that you have no expectation just as while it is right to love without condition there should be no expectation of reciprocity on the part of any individual or individuals collectively.

It was during the first Act that the participants commence to strip themselves of their earthly possession by putting a garment onto a dangling hanger which then rises which I thought was a good effect. The audience is prepared for the nature of artistic experience by watching and listening without the benefit of subtitling and on reflection I wonder if the experience would be better without the subtitling or much of the visuals as provided through an audio disk. I have checked an purchased the disks for £11.88 from Amazon post free within a two day delivery. I shall stop now to put on a late lunch at 3pm, a seasoned chop with cooked fresh carrots, onion and parsnip with left over tinned new potatoes, watch a recording of the X factor and then do some work on the Rush Bridger opening statement to Leveson on behalf of Guardian Newspapers. With tomorrow devoted to the live testimony of the first victims at the Leveson Inquiry I am not sure when I will be able to tackle the second and third Acts. And the background work of Philip Glass. It could be that I will have listened to the music and voice which is alas is not longer in my head and upon without which the writing is sterile.

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