Beethoven's sincerity speaks¹

Ludwig van Beethoven, an immortal composer and musician of the highest order, once offered a magnificent piano performance. The audience gave him a standing ovation which lasted for a long, long time.

At the end of the programme, an elderly lady came up to Beethoven and said, “How I wish I could be a genius like you! How I wish I could have magic hands like yours!”

Beethoven immediately replied, “Madam, there is no genius involved; there is no magic involved. If you are prepared to practise eight hours a day for forty years, like me, then you can easily play like me. Just start practising many hours a day, and do it for many, many years. One day you shall most definitely play as well as I do, I assure you.”

Commentary:

Many other great musicians are admired by the world as true geniuses, and they may most assuredly think and feel that their musical capacities are far, far beyond the reach of ordinary and even extraordinary human beings. They may act as if they are divinity’s most precious gift to humanity. In Beethoven’s case, he was one of the greatest musical geniuses the world has ever seen. But he was not at all bloated with pride or arrogance. What wonderful encouragement he offered the elderly lady! Other musicians might not have been as sincere. Others might proudly have said, “Thank you! It is true that I am a genius, and this genius comes directly from God. Right from my birth, God created me as a supreme musician.”

We all need to receive the sincere encouragement that Beethoven offered. When this encouragement comes from the greatest human beings in any field, it has tremendous power. How hard these geniuses work for years and years, and often they go totally unrecognised for decades. There are so many extraordinary and pre-eminent scientists, musicians, artists and others who work extremely, extremely hard day in and day out for years and years.

In the days of Beethoven, and for centuries before, people who created or discovered something really great simply offered it to the world. Usually they did not receive any special recognition or extra money.

Nowadays, if a scientist, for example, discovers something most significant, the Nobel Committee is there to present the scientist with a million dollars. If not that, then a major university will offer the scientist a new laboratory and so on. Then the person becomes very rich. He offers his great discovery and also receives great compensation.

Yet in no way were the discoveries of the hoary past inferior to the modern-day discoveries. What did the brilliant scientists of some two or three hundred years ago receive? On the one hand, they did not or could not fill their pockets with very large amounts of money. On the other hand, they were inundated with appreciation, admiration and love. Because of their big hearts, they offered their discoveries and services for the betterment of mankind without charge. God Himself compensated these great scientists with His infinite Blessings, Love and Pride.

Each person must choose what he wants: money-power or heart-power. Do we desire the increase of our money-power, or do we aspire for the expansion of our heart-power? While the two sometimes go hand in hand, it is the inner aspiration of the individual which is of paramount importance.