There may be a Buddhist flavor in the lyrics, as one thing Siddhartha said upon becoming enlightened, was that viewing the world in that new state was like 'being in a constant state of astonishment'.
Could be the Thai-like headdress and costumes in the video, as well as Yukimi's upbringing with a Japanese dad, which natives of which are still predominantly Buddhist, are a stylized expression of this.
The lyrics have tons of this 'flavor' baked in:
'I was walking home
Looking at the trees
Got the feeling that they
Were looking back at me'
A description of the stages leading to enlightenment during training, is that 'a tree is suddenly no longer a tree, then after enlightenment, a tree is a tree once again'. To me, this is bumper-stickered in this verse -- that oneness often means you see the trees as a part of you, inseparable like an arm or leg.
'Thoughts that occurred to me
Not of the usual kind
And I don't take it for granted no
I don't call them mine
I don't call them mine
Cause in my life things
Are built on [constant surprises]'
Another verse about how the Buddha saw the world after he rose from the bodhi tree. 'Thoughts.../Not the usual kind/I don't take it for granted/I don't call them mine' perfectly describes how thoughts are treated in the enlightened mind -- you don't ignore them, but they are not you, either.
'The higher forces want to connect
Last night in my dream I was talking to you
You know who you are
Were you dreaming too
'Cause in my life
Things are built on
Are built on [constant surprises]'
'Life is but a dream' is a tenet of many sects of Buddhism, as the world as we see it is full of things coming into and out of existence, like clouds across the sky... impermanent, dependent on so many other things to be -- as wispy and ethereal as a dream. 'Last night in my dream I was talking to you/You know who you are/Were you dreaming too' made me smile for this reason. :)
'Then on my way home I met this guy
He was not so shy
You know not that kind
We spoke then suddenly I could read his mind
You think it's mad
But I don't fool myself
You think its odd
'Cause in my life
In my life things are built on [constant surprises]'
This verse has to do with how one, whether training in martial arts or less violent disciplines, can 'become one' with another. In martial arts this is vital to predict and defend, and in anything else it allows the subject to understand an object intuitively and naturally, allowing whatever goal you seek to realize as close to full potential as possible. In Buddhism the point is that there is really no such thing as 'me' and 'you' -- we put those labels on to separate, rather than accept that we're all originally just waves on the same ocean.
Even the chorus 'Constant surprises/Coming my way/Some call it coincidence/But I like to call it fate' is a Westernized way of describing the complex interplay of cause and effect in our daily lives.
This song is dope, Zen or not, though. Don't put that label on it; just my observations. ;)
There may be a Buddhist flavor in the lyrics, as one thing Siddhartha said upon becoming enlightened, was that viewing the world in that new state was like 'being in a constant state of astonishment'.
Could be the Thai-like headdress and costumes in the video, as well as Yukimi's upbringing with a Japanese dad, which natives of which are still predominantly Buddhist, are a stylized expression of this.
The lyrics have tons of this 'flavor' baked in:
'I was walking home Looking at the trees Got the feeling that they Were looking back at me'
A description of the stages leading to enlightenment during training, is that 'a tree is suddenly no longer a tree, then after enlightenment, a tree is a tree once again'. To me, this is bumper-stickered in this verse -- that oneness often means you see the trees as a part of you, inseparable like an arm or leg.
'Thoughts that occurred to me Not of the usual kind And I don't take it for granted no I don't call them mine I don't call them mine Cause in my life things Are built on [constant surprises]'
Another verse about how the Buddha saw the world after he rose from the bodhi tree. 'Thoughts.../Not the usual kind/I don't take it for granted/I don't call them mine' perfectly describes how thoughts are treated in the enlightened mind -- you don't ignore them, but they are not you, either.
'The higher forces want to connect Last night in my dream I was talking to you You know who you are Were you dreaming too 'Cause in my life Things are built on Are built on [constant surprises]'
'Life is but a dream' is a tenet of many sects of Buddhism, as the world as we see it is full of things coming into and out of existence, like clouds across the sky... impermanent, dependent on so many other things to be -- as wispy and ethereal as a dream. 'Last night in my dream I was talking to you/You know who you are/Were you dreaming too' made me smile for this reason. :)
'Then on my way home I met this guy He was not so shy You know not that kind We spoke then suddenly I could read his mind You think it's mad But I don't fool myself You think its odd 'Cause in my life In my life things are built on [constant surprises]'
This verse has to do with how one, whether training in martial arts or less violent disciplines, can 'become one' with another. In martial arts this is vital to predict and defend, and in anything else it allows the subject to understand an object intuitively and naturally, allowing whatever goal you seek to realize as close to full potential as possible. In Buddhism the point is that there is really no such thing as 'me' and 'you' -- we put those labels on to separate, rather than accept that we're all originally just waves on the same ocean.
Even the chorus 'Constant surprises/Coming my way/Some call it coincidence/But I like to call it fate' is a Westernized way of describing the complex interplay of cause and effect in our daily lives.
This song is dope, Zen or not, though. Don't put that label on it; just my observations. ;)