| The Cure – Bloodflowers Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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This is an incredibly beautiful and most profound dharma song about perspective and letting go of the view of self-grasping ignorance. The two perspectives in the song present the views of nirvana and samsara, tantra and sutra, and express how the sutra view (the truth of suffering because of ignorance) forms the foundation for the mind to move to the tantric view (the truth of the purity of all phenomena being manifestations of the mind) through the development of renunciation. There are no contradictions between the bliss of nirvana and the sufferings of samsara, only a difference in view... which completely changes the experience of the consciousness. We can see how the character "you" in the song is the spiritual guide who gives teachings on profound THATNESS and the character "I" is the sentient being. In the verse "Between you and me" onward, the sentient being expresses trust towards the spiritual guide by recognizing and accepting the confusion and uncertainty that pervades his mind without control and implicitly his wish for liberation. In the final words the consciousness of the sentient being is realeased from suffering through reliance upon the spiritual guide as the samsaric mind is abandoned. |
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| The Verve – One Day Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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The Verve is one of the best bands to emerge in the 90’s with music and lyrics that promote a healthy amount of contemplation. The words of Richard Ashcroft can be interpreted in several ways by the listener, and thus reveal his brilliance. There is vast Dharma meaning to be found implicitly and explicitly within this beautiful song… This song begins (stanzas 1&2) with hope for peace and true lasting happiness, attained through the Wisdom ‘fire’ understanding Ultimate Truth. Having abandoned the deluded states of mind that are the root causes of suffering (ignorance, attachment, anger), and having cultivated the supreme bliss of universal Love (wish for others to be happy) and Compassion (wish for others to be free from suffering), we are free to experience all of existence as unified and pure. Richard states explicitly (stanzas 3&5) the problems of the unbalanced deluded minds of sentient beings and is asking the listener to tune in to their own virtuous minds as a means of bringing about positive change. The line “Can’t you hear this beauty in life” resonates strongly the message of understanding dependent relationship. This is the means to realize emptiness of inherent existence (Ultimate Truth). Sound is used as an example here because it is easy to understand how sound arises in dependence upon causes and conditions, and is un-findable when searched for, which reveals that sound’s (and ALL phenomena’s) True nature is mere appearance to mind. The most powerful line (stanzas 4& end) within this song is that of “You’ve gotta tie yourself to the mast my friend and the storm will end”. This line embodies the universal foundation of all religions/ spiritual practices, that is, that of exchanging oneself with others. Giving of oneself unconditionally and selflessly is the actual method practice to attain permanent liberation from cyclic existence. If one were to die with a mind of pure compassion (as Jesus demonstrated) they would be instantly reborn in a pure land (Heaven) and never experience suffering again (FOREVER). As stated in the song also however (stanza 6), our own fears and reservations prevent us from developing faith and engaging in the actual actions of body, speech and mind that lead to these outcomes, and thus these are our principal obstacles to be overcome. ;) |
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| A Perfect Circle – Orestes Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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This song is just one of several that Maynard has written that includes very profound Dharma meaning, but I find this song to harbor the most powerfully inspiring words of transcendental wisdom. For those unfamiliar with Dharma (wisdom that is the protection from fear) this may seem quite heavy… Maynard begins by paying homage to the wisdom realizing Ultimate Truth (“Metaphor for a missing moment”= Emptiness), and by explicitly seeking refuge in this precious mind (“pull me in…etc.”). He then goes on to expound the divine characteristics of such wisdom, by stating that all things arise from the perfect clarity that is mind (“one womb”= conceptual imputation) and that this ground of all creation (“one shape”= formless) is unstained by the wrong awareness of an ignorant mind, and therefore has no faults (“one result”= perfect union of all phenomena). The last line of this stanza can be taken as: 1. A request from Maynard (or the listener) to the enlightened beings (Buddhas) to bestow their blessings upon one’s mind in order to generate universal compassion for all beings (“liberate this will to release us all”) in order to attain full enlightenment (the means by which to free others from all forms of suffering), and 2. A plea to all other human beings to develop such a wish. The chorus is explicit instruction on how to become free from cyclic existence by removing the stains of self-grasping ignorance from one’s mental continuum (“Gotta cut away, clear away, slip away and severe this”). The mind that conceives of oneself as inherently existent (the belief that this ‘I’ we grasp at truly exists) is referred to as “umbilical residue” because we have had this ignorant mind since birth and it has been present in all of our countless previous lives. The line “keeping me from killing you” is not referring to anyone other than oneself and the self-cherishing mind. This powerful line is showing that in order to abandon this ignorance (that is the root cause of all suffering) we must no longer identify with this conception of a ‘self’ or an ‘experiencer’ behind the appearances of ‘our’ body and mind, and therefore give up concern for our own welfare and our selfish pursuits. Maynard gives credit to the self-cherishing mind as a formidable adversary by recognizing that this mind is innate and will not go down without a fight (“I can almost hear you scream”). He then cries out for peace in his mind and freedom from the dominion of the evil self-cherishing mind (“Give me one more medicated peaceful moment… ‘cause I don’t want to feel this overwhelming hostility”). I state that this mind is evil because it has concern only for one’s own welfare. Due to it’s presence we create many causes for our own future suffering by engaging in harmful actions towards other living beings. Although explicitly he uses the word “medicated”, this does not mean that there is freedom to be found through the use of intoxicants or drugs. Meditation is seen as an ‘antidote’ to ignorance and therefore ‘medication’ needed to heal oneself. Many people begin their spiritual path through having endured a profound awakening while using drugs, and seek to recreate the experience of peace or profound illumination they were subject to. A lasting experience of liberation from the suffering of the limited self-grasping mind can only be found through training in the spiritual paths set out by those who have attained such freedom (Buddhas). It may seem at times that indulgence in drugs has a beneficial effect on one’s perspective, but in the long run we are exhausting our own potential to attain permanent freedom. Therefore, the message is that the adaptation of moral discipline and meditation on Ultimate Truth is the true path to Nirvana. ;) |
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| Matthew Good Band – Strange Days Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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This song is especially meaningful for those who are serious Dharma practitioners, but the deep heartfelt message leaves a resounding echo in the minds of ordinary beings who have heard it. It is arguably the most wide open Dharma song that Matthew has ever put forth, ranking in amongst songs like ‘Apparitions’. I will now attempt to convey some of the profound beauty that is encased in this jewel-like composition. This will be a long one… The song begins with a welcome message (“Good morning”) for those who are just waking from the sleep of ignorance, and whom the true nature of their existence, suffering, is finally being ascertained. A plea not to lose faith in the seemingly arduous spiritual path that lay before them (“don’t cop out”) is emphasized by a reminder of the great rarity of this precious Human rebirth relative to lower rebirths, (“you crawled from the cancer…”) and then reinforced by exhorting it’s impermanence and the importance of developing the mind of renunciation (“… even for a while”). A hard hitting profundity of Ultimate Truth is expounded next by the lines “we’re making this shit up” and “our reasons for being are easy to pay” proclaims that it is our attachment to worldly life that has kept the cycle of death and uncontrolled rebirth in motion since beginingless time. “You can’t remember the others, they just kinda went away” speaks of the countless previous lives we have endured without freedom of choice, and that within these lives we have wasted time performing worldly activities that lack any real meaning. “So you’re driving, it’s rush hour”, this statement is referring to our basic driving wish to find happiness and freedom from suffering. All living beings share this wish and so are all striving towards whatever they conceive of as a source of happiness. The truth of the matter is that “the cars on the freeway are moving like slugs” means that although living beings only seek happiness, out of ignorance they are unaware of it’s true causes, and so are very slow to develop the wisdom that will lead them to this goal. “When you drift off to wake up, do you always hit the brakes?” is saying that in this life and countless previous lives, we have had many insights that have shown us the true nature of our existence and that the pursuit of worldly enjoyments will not cause real happiness. Despite our own wisdom, we have mostly chosen to ignore these small awakenings and continue to distract ourselves with worldly concerns or become depressed by them, rather than seek liberation. The chorus is a triumphant call to all those who have decided that ‘enough is enough’ and that it is time to seek real freedom and happiness from the ocean of suffering that is cyclic existence, ‘samsara’. This is marked by the words “We’re done lying for a living”, because wisdom teaches us that all of the conventional appearance to our mind are untrue. “The strange days have come” is referring to the relatively obscure perception of a spiritual practitioner having entered the path to liberation, and “you’re gone” states one’s decision definitely to abandon cherishing one’s ‘I’ or self by eliminating the ignorance of self-grasping. “Either dead or dying, dead or trying to go” the first part is conveying the life of a worldly being, who is as good as dead, because they are just wasting another life, and the second half means that the choice is clear: Attain liberation as swiftly as possible before this life is spent and the ‘lord of death’ catches up to you. “It’s evening… a robot out to the street” recognizes our responsibility to maintain this human body and to appear ‘normal’ by performing everyday mundane activities such as working, taking out the garbage etc. We must patiently endure whatever circumstances arise for us and transform these conditions into the spiritual path. Once again the line about renunciation is repeated in order to keep oneself focused. This time around, “the cars on the freeway are moving backwards into a wall of fire” indicates that living beings are not only without the happiness they seek, but that they are continually creating the causes for future suffering and lower rebirths. Explicitly this line depicts a rebirth in a Hell realm and the repetition of the line is emphasized in order for the listener to develop compassion for others. Compassion is the root cause of attaining full enlightenment and it is an essential component to any Mahayana practitioner’s spiritual progress. Finally the song ends with one last motivational push, and the listener has become inspired to apply new effort in their daily activities. This song is such a beautiful gift to all who have the good fortune to hear it. ;) |
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| Matthew Good Band – Apparitions Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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Alas, it is time to explain one of the best Dharma songs written by the Awakened One, known in this world as Matthew Good. Although many people have listened to this song extensively, very few have actually heard it. I now offer you the underlying truth... This song very clearly and explicitly tells the tale of all of our lives, trapped within cyclic existence (samsara). The opening four lines are the simple truth: Birth, Aging, Sickness, Death. The second paragraph speaks of "the rat in your brain", which is an analogy for the mind of ignorance within our mental continuum that grasps at an inherently or truly existent 'I' or 'self'. It is from this mind we develop anger and desire, therefore it "turns the wheel". "All your faults are in me" recognizes that all phenomena do not exist 'from there own side' and that their characteristics are imputed(labeled) from the side of the observer. This labeling process(the development of mental intention) is actual mechanism by which we create karma(actions that will give rise to similar effects in future lives). "What would you say... etc" is hinting to the listener that this world as it appears has a dream-like nature and therefore like their own TV show. "Besides all the things... etc." is refering to our being heavily influenced by whatever appaers to our mind. The chorus is as LOUD and CLEAR as any Dharma song's message could be. We have created this appearance of a singular 'self' through our actions of body, speech and mind while grasping the view of inherent existence. We have been doing this since beginingless time throughout countless rebirths, and the cycle will not end without us making an effort to attain Liberation(Nirvana). The word "Apparitions" is perfectly suited to explain the actual nature of this body, mind, and all phenomena, being that they are mere appearances to mind, having no substantial existence unto themselves. The second verse implies that having taken a human rebirth we are "kinda free", relative to our previous lower rebirths, but that we are still a slave to all of our accumulated negative karma. "From the comfort of your living room, tell me 'Are we leaving soon?'" refers to our laziness and attachment to sensory pleasures that has kept us bound within a life of suffering. So to all those 'Seekers' out there, 'Matt' is urging you on.... enter into the spiritual path and attain the wisdom realizing Ultimate Truth, emptiness. ;) |
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| Zwan – Desire Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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This is truly one of the most beautifully eloquent Dharma expositions written by Billy Corgan. The song begins with questions posed to the "Northern Star", which is an analogy for one's own very subtle mind(the mind of clear light). and recognizes that it is this mind that ultimately attains enlightenment (Buddhahood). He states that he is restless and still fighting, trapped within the suffering of cyclic existence. "Wait, don't breathe" yet again recognizes that while in meditative absorption with the very subtle mind(Tantric meditation) the gross winds of one's subtle body have dissolved inwards and the person is no longer breathing. He encourages the listener to sit still in this way and find inner peace. "The time destroys a man", is stating that the false conception of time is one of human-kind's strongest delusions. The child does not yet grasp as strongly to 'time' and does not yet have complex desires that adults have developed. "Fade away" is a powerful way of conveying reincarnation and the triviality of over indulgence of worldly activities, and "from the truth" means from our true nature, clarity(emptiness). Finally, it is stated that, like all produced phenomena, desires are impermanent and should be abandoned. The second verse speaks of "the lost prayers of my soul". Although living beings do not have a 'soul', this can be taken to mean the past virtuous intentions and prayers that have been made in this and countless previous lives, and the potentialities that abide within one's mental continuum. The "childhood dreams of death and titans" is recognizing that many small children can recollect their past life experiences. "Titans" or 'Demi-gods', is one of the six realms of existence within cyclic existence(samsara). "We were meant to be free to give ourselves away" is indicating that all of our suffering is derived from grasping at this self or 'I', as well as all other phenomena, as inherently or truly existent. Lastly, Billy indicates that those that have strong desire, and work to fulfill these, will only bind themselves more tightly to the dis-satisfactory state of uncontrolled rebirth. A Dharma song as inspiring as they can be. ;) |
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