People assume that if you play music that your life has meaning, but many of us who play know that’s not necessarily true.

Once I was talking to a well-known musician (who shall remain anonymous because he is famous in jazz). He had just come from a dinner attended by some other great jazz musicians. It was a male bonding kind of dinner, as they talked about their fathers and their careers, and basically what their inner feelings were.

He said something that was very revealing. Even though they were all great players and very successful, what did it all mean? I could really identify with the question, and felt compassion for him at that moment.

I didn’t say anything, though I had an answer in my mind.

The answer could be that nothing really does have meaning, no matter how much success you achieve, no matter how much of a master you become at what you do, if you do not offer it up to the divine power; God, if you like.

Without the desire to know this part of myself, or my true Self, I would be groping for meaning every second. It would very hard to please me, no matter how good things were going. I am grateful for the pain that led to the pursuit of a higher Self.

Every spiritual teaching confirms that it is better to give than to receive. This is a well-known, but little followed teaching. What happens is, by giving as much as you can to something, you become a channel to receive. The bible also says, “I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his work.”

I feel the same way about my solos. Whether you believe in the Father or not, this is the principle of effortless action.

Let the higher power play the music!

Thank you.

–excerpt from Effortless Mastery, (c) Kenny Werner
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