Robin Beck

There is a Sutta in which the Buddha cautions about setting the teachings to music. IIRC, his concern was about attachment to a certain tune.

I like different styles of mantra chanting. The main general distinction I see is 'energetic' and 'mellow.' I recall one time during open daimoku chanting at the Chicago center, there was a battle between young men chanting with the roar of the lion; and some women who wanted to chant more slowly and melodiously.

Energetic chanting can be bouncy and rhythmic; or very fast and intense. Mellow chanting can be calming, sweet and pretty; or more of a lamentation like slow blues. That is what I have picked from cursory observation.

Kagyu Media used to have an animated Chenrezig altar in line, with a nice sound track -- Om Mani Padme Hung chanted to a vaguely familiar tune. I never could place it; but it reminded me of the mockingbird song.

Hush, little baby.
Don't say a word.
Mama's going to buy you
a mocking bird.

Anyway, that is my perception of tonal quality. It also seems like some chants work more on the intellect; while others work more on gut feelings and or complex emotions. The former are kind of cool and dry; the latter are sort of warm and wet.

I think some music; talking blues, story telling music, some rap, is like chanting. Like Dylan's "A Hard Rain is Gonna Fall." On the most recent play list; "Little Sparrow" and "Pretty Polly."

Some slow blues type music approximates the emotion of karuna compassion -- "Long Black Veil" and "Faded Love."

Roy Clark sang "Yesterday, When I was Young" at one of Bill Anderson's recent country reunions. There were not many dry eyes.

Yesterday, the moon was blue,
And every crazy day, brought something new to do,
I used my magic age, as if it were a wand,
And never saw the worst, and the emptiness beyond

Your comment about singing Gathas-

I remember listening to my mother chant Daimoku - she actually kind of sings it. Trying to think of how to characterize the tune. Determined without exuberance. Sober but not melancholy. Could a tune be characterized as "navigating suchness"?

Mississippi John Hurt, yes!
Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor.

If you want only one mantra; Then I would say just just chant Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Then include others as you understand them.

Nichiren had followers who chanted Nembutsu and Daimoku. He told some to just chant Daimoku and avoid Nembutsu. He told others it was all right to do both.

Nichiren himself, when he was a child, attained Enlightenment by chanting the Morning Star Kokuzo Mantra.

Hi, I really need your advice. I have a personal problem and yet I'm not sure which mantra to use. I love so many mantras but don't know much about them. I stopped chanting NMRK as the members said I shouldn't chant any other religios mantra as well as NMRK

Anyway, please, please can you help me? I hope so.

Thank you...Lea

I do not know that slows blues is melancholy. It reminds me of the feeling of compassion cultivation. If I get through this cold I caught, I plan to post on how I do that.

BTW, the Chinese word for compassion means lamentation. I think.

The Blues... "suffer what there is to suffer"

Some forms can evoke a sort of melancholy, world weariness that can lead to feelings of compassion - though I'm not sure there is "hope" in the Blues, though there is defiance. Maybe the balance of the Blues is in Gospel or Spiritual music - sing and dance to the Blues on Saturday night, (enjoy what you can about life) then head to Church on Sunday morning for the hope and eternal salvation.

In some ways, the feelings Blues evoke reminds me of "wabi sabi", a term describing the shabby, melancholy aesthetic you see in Japanese Tea Culture, or in the haiku of Basho.

Old Country Music borrows the Blues aesthetic.

What do you get when you play Country music backwards?

You get your girl back, your house back, your dog back... etc.

Good Blues arouses a similar emotion to Karuna - Compassion; or sometimes kshanti-patience. Good Blues seeks to overcome sadness; not wallow in it.

Also, very sensuous dance music can definitely focus the sub-thinking mind & 5 senses. Mixed with alcohol, it can also cause one to act foolish.

Sorry didnt finish this thought, "The idea that these things that resonate with the senses" can promote enlightenment...

R,

In my book, some of the best music is about lust and greed. Even hate can motivate some great music. Joy, exaltation, etc. if music doesn't have emotion behind it, it usually comes out pretty flat.

But going back to the Buddha, my reading of the Nikayas presents a very stark and radical approach. The idea that these things that resonate with the senses, this is a later approach to practice - after the innovation of Nirvana=Samsara.

nichibek@gmail.com

Dear Mr Beck,
I send this message from Geneva Switzerland.
I found a ancient wood print of the Nishigen Mandala with a curious image and some writings added by a brush. Where can I send you the image ?
Could you tell me more about it sigification and age ? Hope youl'l be interested by this task: warm messages.
Nicolas Rossier eridan@infomaniak.ch
00 41 79 64 752 64 . 00 41 22 736 78 98

Robin,

Absolutely. I think if music evokes curiosity, abundance, positive energy (bob marley, the clash, maybe bowie), or a sense of interconnectedness, it is doing the buddhas work. It requires some effort on our part as lust, greed, and hatred and, my favorites, fear are easy to find in much popular music.

Music that arouses lust, greed, hatred etc?

I think the Buddha was talking about drinking & party music?

I think it depends on how you define meditation.

According to the Buddha, listening to music is a detrimental activity because it is a distraction and a cause of suffering.

Pleasant distraction. Hard to give up. For me anyways.

Yes, yes, yes.

thanks