Now

I feel that this song is about living in the present, the here and now. The don't believe everything you hear read see could mean only believe what you see for yourself in your own life. It's about making the best of the time you have, and not assuming that everything will be handed to you, or that once you have something it will never change. Reality is transitory.

I think you hit the nail on the head there, Great job.

to me this really is a blatant statement of the philosophy behind buddhism, perhaps zen buddhism to me. there's no "meaning", there's nothing to believe, there's only the present moment to witness

zen has no doctrine, no scripture, no teacher you can believe in, no claims to take on faith. there is only your personal path to enlightenment that you can only reach through your own insight and living in the present moment.

all these things the song warns you not to believe in are things that can disappoint you when you find out the belief was unfounded. just don't believe at all, live in "now" and you'll be much happier.

as far as I can comprehend, the idea of enlightenment is throwing off shackles of attachment that hold your head down and keep you from seeing the true nature of things. "put no head higher than your own" as Sasca sings in "blood". supposedly, part of the nature of enlightenment is realizing that everything is connected, that there's no duality between the cycle of rebirths and nirvana. one's fundamental perception of reality is another shackle that is thrown off, which I believe explains the line "Don't believe that anything's for real"

"Whether you're facing inward or facing outward, whatever you meet up with, just kill it! If you meet a buddha, kill the buddha. If you meet a patriarch, kill the patriarch. If you meet an arhat, kill the arhat. If you meet your parents, kill your parents. If you meet your kinfolk, kill your kinfolk. Then for the first time you will gain emancipation, will not be entangled with things, will pass freely anywhere you wish to go."