‘Where logic ends, the link with the divine begins’

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is a sarod player and composer who was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2001.

What does Spirituality mean to you?

In our family, we have been classical musicians for generations. And thus, everything we are and do is connected to spirituality. Our music is all about surrendering to God and connecting with the divine. Spirituality is this constant confirmation of a supreme force. It is about entering the world like a black tunnel with the hope of a sun ray, some day.


Do you believe you are guided and protected by a superior force?

Some power, some force has guided my whole life and actions. I have seen it over and over again. There was never a moment of doubt about it as for us God plays the most important role. This was always the way in our family. My father was quite religious, he had such faith in God. He always said, just practice and surrender to God and one day you will achieve your goal in life. So in our family, two plus two never was necessarily four. Two plus two was a big question mark. It could be zero, it could be the infinite. It was therefore never about planning things and life, but about trying to obey God.

And while trying to feel that superpower, that divine force, it is important not to be led by priests of any kind. Priests are not necessarily the wisest people in the world. They get a salary, they are paid by religious institutions. We should rather always be free to think on our own and figure out what is right and what is wrong. And this process should not happen through the intellect exclusively. In fact I believe that where the logic ends, the connection with God begins.


Do you believe you have a special mission or purpose in this life?

We have been musicians for generations. So even though I was the first child in the family to receive some education in school, there was never any doubt that I would become a musician as well.

After partition, so many Indians were obsessed about becoming educated, maybe as a hangover from colonial times. But you cannot maintain your creativity while getting your BA and becoming a clerk. Otherwise it would sound like a PhD is singing or playing the...