Martin

by Peter Fell

Namaskar Everyone

I'd like to share some thoughts and memories about my connection with Martin

My first recollection of meeting Martin was at the Clyde Street Ashrama almost 20 years ago. Our connection steadily developed with time as we began to have regular meetings for Veda Parayanam, or the chanting of the Vedas; which in those days were called 'Live Vedas'

During Live Vedas, generally held on Saturday evenings, my acquaintance with Martin deepened into a special friendship. I remember Martin mentioned that when he first heard the chanting of the 'ganapati atharva-śirśa upaniśad', that he was amazed at the power and majesty of the sound. And I think that may have been the first time he heard Vedic chanting.

He decided that he wanted to learn vedic chanting, so he studied sanskrit in the devanagari script diligently. Martin was blessed to study with one of the most influential teachers over the past decades, Dr.Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian^[1], who is not just deeply steeped in the vedas, but has also been an energetic leader in the promulgation of sanatana dharma, having received the honarary title 'Dharmatma' from the Sringeri Shankaracharya about 8 years ago.

Martin used to tell me how he approached Dr.Yegnasubramanian and asked for instruction in the veda parayanam. Dr.Yegnasubramanian responded that he would teach Martin, but only chanting, not the performance of pujas, since he was not born as a brahmana. Even so, how many westerners have had instruction in the tradition of veda parayanam from such a revered teacher. I think that Dr.Yegnasubramanian saw that Martin was a deeply devoted sadhaka who, in his own way, might go on to benefit many other devotees with the power of the vedas and through his own intruction - which he certainly did.

It was amazing that Martin and I chanted almost identically even though our teachers were trained in different parts of India. We could chant together, and each of us would blend with the other and both support each other.

The 'Live Veda' events at the Ashrama were a wonderful way, as Martin said numerous times, to offer veda parayanam or 'veda seva' to the Ashrama. When we would schedule the next event, Martin would normally write to Dennis or Bandhu to confirm the date and would say "Peter and I would like to offer veda parayanam. This certainly shows the spirit with which Martin approached vedic chanting. When devotees would come to the Ashrama and hear the vedas, it was Martin who could speak to them experientially of the impact of the vedas and their ability to still the mind. It was he who had the authority to speak like this. I always deferred to him because I felt that Martin had truly been transformed by the tradition and could speak from experience. I remember that towards the end of every veda parayanam, whether in the evening or during the day, as we were coming to the end in the final chanting of 'na karmana' Martin put on his woolen shawl, depending on the weather, and make himself ready to sit for meditation, with no break, as soon as the last mantra was chanted. Clearly, he felt the impact of the vedas in clearing the mind, leaving it still and one-pointed and he could convey that experience to devotees.

Martin and I continued to offer veda-parayanam every other week or so when the Ashrama moved to Edgerton Boulevard. After a suggestion by Sri Comal-mama we decided to change into dhoti and angvastram prior to chanting, as a way of honoring the tradition. This had the unforeseen benefit of allowing us time to speak privately before and after each veda-parayanam event, when we changed out of and back into western clothes.

We talked about the impact of Martin's sarcoidosis on his health and his ability to chant that day and about veda-parayanam, events in our lives and in our families and so many things that two friends with a common interest would discuss. Martin's health challenges were not easy; there were issues with the lungs and breathing that seemed to worsen with time. He had very bad migraines. More recently I believe, he had developed serious back-pain. The fact that Martin continued to come regularly from New Jersey to the Ashrama in Queens multiple times per month speaks of his willingness to move forward, notwithstanding all the physical obstacles. Even as the sarcoidosis created difficulties in chanting, Martin remained focused on doing just the best possible chanting at that given time, all things considered. I never heard him complain about the physical challenges he faced. He placed enormous importance on listening to the other members of the group that were chanting, to ensure that everyone was together. No matter how he felt on any given occasion, he always adhered to this approach.

Martin was a very generous person and taught veda-parayanam to many people - with patience, determination and skill. He was an excellent teacher. He had gone through the process of learning and was alert to issues that can arise. He had thoroughly learned the technique, the rules and the vocabulary, and so, had the tools for teaching. His veda-parayanam students were not just in the U.S. but also overseas. His teaching extended beyond vedic chanting. For instance, he recently taught members of a yoga community how to pronounce sanskrit correctly.

Martin was my guru too, as he taught me the 'ganapati atharva-śirśa upaniśad' which we would chant together at the veda-parayanam events. He also taught several of us the mahāshanti mantras. That instruction ended on February 1, 2020. That was the last time I ever saw Martin in person, because of the pandemic. I feel a special bond with Martin's other students, as we are all gurubhai's - students of the Guru.

The mahāshanti mantras were very special to Martin. He only started to chant them around early 2019, during the veda-parayanam. Martin chanted them solo at the end of the program, after the upadesa saram and before the final 'na karmana'. The poweer of Martin's rendition was such that after he first chanted them, I could chant them from memory afterwards, even though I had not done so for many years. I could only hear Martin's voice and the echoes of peace from Martin's chanting. After that, I made sure to have the text open for 'na karmana' so as to be able to continue without break after Martin had finished the solo chanting.

During the pandemic, we would chant almost every week via whatsapp. We would alternate backand forth between the mantras since it was impossible to hear each other if we chanted simultaneously. This was a wonderful time for us both as we benefited from the practice in this different format. Our last such session was over the weekend of February 6th, less than a month ago.

Martin was attuned to the sound itself of the vedas. He had a clear sense that those sounds were in&of themselves deeply purifying. He would often comment after our whatsapp sessions, that it was wonderful just to hear the sound vibrations of the chanting

Martin had a deep connection with Sri Bhagavan's teachings and found in the nasadiya hymn special echo of those teachings. He said that it had a strange power, with him. So Martin learned the nasadiya suktam some years ago.

In our veda-parayanam events at the Ashrama, when we would recite the taittiriya upanishad, we would start by chanting the nasadiya suktam. He also chanted that at least once during the twice monthly zoom satsangas of the Ashrama that have been held during the pandemic. In fact he shared with me his own translation adapted from various academic translations into a form that crystalized its meaning most directly for him.

Martin was incredibly generous. He would take time to write notes of support to me. For example, I lost my voice for about a year starting in early 2012 and could not speak, let alone chant, for any length of time. During the Advent celebration in September of 2012, we were all gathered as usual after prasadam to chant Sri Rudram, Camakam and other hymns. I just sat with the group without participating. Martin wrote me a note afterwards to say how much he valued that I was sitting, listening, even though I was not able to chant. Martin had the ability to speak and write from the heart. It was disarming how clearly one could tell that he was speaking directly from his own experience.

This is from an email of December 2018. "I think it's great that our differences in tuning are so accommodatable and that we can work together in earnest though it seems as if we are in different places physically. That is the jiva viewpoint, but the Guru says that it is not so. There is only One, and if that is at least acknowledged, even before the full realization of it, it is possible to work together with that one-ness as the base rather than the usual separate idea.I am so grateful for a partnership like this. I look forward to our continuing work together in an effort to offer the community that which is beyond the jivas [who are] supposedly making that effort."

More than anything else, what I treasured in Martin was his warmth and generosity of spirit that made one feel the ego is just a very small thing. He once said to me, that he had a sense or intuition that the ego did not exist. I could feel that in my interactions with Martin and I always felt inspired by him.

Years ago, I began to feel that Martin was like an older brother to me. Since I have only one sibling, an older sister, his role in my life is completely unique. With Martin's passing, it is like a beloved member of our family has departed. I am only one of many, many people that will miss him terribly. Most of all his loving wife, Billee and his entire family.

om namo bhagavate śrī ramaṇāya