70 Dissonance

Madal: Chinmoy, no doubt you are a musician. Unfortunately I cannot call you a good musician, for you have never sung a song or played a piece of music without making some mistake. Anyway, I want to ask you if dissonance bothers you?

Chinmoy: Madal, the pure and clear sincerity within me shakes hands with your proud assessment of the musician in me. But to answer your question, I both like and dislike unharmonious effects in music. I like dissonance because the child in me still likes restlessness and excitement. I dislike it because the old, traditional, austere Indian Yogi in me finds it difficult to appreciate anything that creates restlessness and excitement.