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Robbie Williams – Bodies Lyrics 16 years ago
Thought I'd post this here if anyone's interested in the throwaway Bodhi Tree reference. This is taken from verses of "Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch." It features a covnersation between Hung-jen, the Fifth Patriarch and the Enlightened Master, Shen-hsi, an old Senior Monk, and Hui-neng, an illiterate woodcutter and the soon-to-be enlightened 6th Patriach; the sutra is pretty much about his journey into spiritual awakening, and this verse shows part of his journey of understanding;

SHEN-HSI:
The body is the bodhi tree,
The mind is like a clear mirror.
At all times we must strive to polish it,
And must not let the dust collect

HUI-NENG:
Bodhi originally has no tree,
The mirror has no stand.
Buddha-nature is always clean and pure;
Where is there room for dust?

The mind is the Bodhi tree,
The body is the mirror stand.
The mirror is originally clean and pure;
Where can it be stained by dust?

"Bodies in the Bodhi tree" is pretty much translated as, both in the Buddist text and I think this song, as a sudden awakening of faith and enlightenment; it fits the theme really, but the pop star narcissism is still there with "God save me rejection/ From my reflection/ I want perfection..." Or it could be another nod to the above Platform Sutra text.

Either way, not bad for a dancer from Take That ;)

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