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Episodes
- ATOM
(0mb)
Wed, 12 Dec 2007 19:12:12 +0000We have a new sound subscription piece that calls itself Atom. It is designed for a 20 minute Qi Gong session. It was recorded in three places, at three different times and includes some White Tara mantra. Some of the crickets are from the Sky Islands southeast of Tucson. The rest were singing with us in the desert west of town. There's a low frequency didgeridoo sound underneath everything to penetrate those hard to get at emotions. Intentionally created to benefit the listener. Enjoy
- Padma Soundsystem 2.0 (0mb)
Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:30:23 +0000
As we get ready for all of the changes coming our way this Fall, as the world turns, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about the evolution of Padma Soundsystem. We are about to launch our own social networking site for yogis who love sound. This will be a meeting place for all of you who love music, spirituality, and the various yogas that help us through the transitory nature of appearances. This our chance to create an enhanced sense of interconnectedness. And its going to be fun!I have developed technology and a unique creative process that allows you to custom design your own sonic environment, and I'm stoked to share it with you. My heart intention as a sonic mystic is to transform your consciousness and benefit your mind, body and spirit. We all need to relax. I love my yoga practice. I love my Dharma practice. I love the power of mantra and sound. So I have somehow discovered a novel way to give you the tools to create your own hour of music for yoga, relaxation or intentional sound healing environment, and you don't need any musical knowledge or technical skills. Doesn't this sound like sound we all need now? New sounds for now people. People who want to offer a present of their presence, each moment, more and more, every day. For the benefit of all beings.
In the coming month please keep returning to the website to see the latest news on our progress creating the Padma sonic pueblo, a village made of sound and you. We'll also be creating new music, beginning with the lunar eclipse this Tuesday, August 28th. This could be a memorable night for many reasons, and I'm looking forward to sharing this music with you.
Please start letting your yogi friends know there's a site where they can create their own music for yoga! Our intention is that this is going to benefit an increasing number of people seeking calm in the eye of the storm. The more people you can invite the more merit we all generate together...
Peace
- The Eight Verses on Transforming the Mind (0mb)
Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:26:48 +0000
While we're gearing up for the new release of Padma Soundsystem 2.0 I thought I would share this song Night. It mashes the field recordings I made while in India walking around a sacred lake in Rewalsar with the rhythms of some of my drumming friends under a full moon in the Sonoran desert.
I thought these words from His Holiness the Dalai Lama might be helpful to you as well:
The Eight Verses on Transforming the Mind -
With a determination to achieve the highest aim
For the benefit of all sentient beings,
Which surpasses even the wish-fulfilling gem,
May I hold them dear at all times.Whenever I interact with someone,
May I view myself as the lowest amongst all,
And, from the very depths of my heart,
Respectfully hold others as superior.In all my deeds may I probe into my mind,
And as soon as mental and emotional afflictions arise
As they endanger myself and others,
May I strongly confront them and avert them.When I see beings of unpleasant character
Oppressed by strong negativity and suffering,
May I hold them dear-for they are rare to find
As if I have discovered a jewel treasure!When others, out of jealousy,
Treat me wrongly with abuse, slander, and scorn,
May I take upon myself the defeat
And offer to others the victory.When someone I have helped,
Or in whom I have placed great hopes,
Mistreats me in extremely hurtful ways,
May I regard him still as my precious teacher.In brief, may I offer benefit and joy To all beings,
both directly and indirectly,
May I quietly take upon myself
The hurts and pains of all beings.May all this remain undefiled
By the stains of the eight mundane concerns (gain and loss; pleasure and pain; praise and blame; fame and obscurity)
And may I, recognizing all things as illusion,
Devoid of clinging, be released from the bondage of attachment. - A Dzogchenpa View of August Weather (0mb)
Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:11:33 +0000
The largest structure in the solar system
We are currently going through some very strange weather all around the planet. This is influenced by the Heliospheric current sheet.
Obviously I like to think big, this comes from my practice and perceiving the interconnectedness of all life. Dzogchen is a view, the view that perceives the essence of our true nature. I often find myself connecting my view with space weather Last year during a performance of the group, we spontaneously improvised the flight of some imaginary sky dragons coming down from the heavens to purify all of our obscurations and assist our planet during these tumultuous times.
With all of the climate changes and strange weather patterns, it seems like there is very little we can do. We create our music in response to this feeling of helplessness or powerlessness in the face of seemingly insurmountable planet wide changes.
So I have decided to broadcast the Sky Dragon Dzogchenpa Edit for the August 12 new moon and its interaction with the Heliospheric current sheet.
Soon we will be announcing some exciting new changes and music for Padma Soundsystem. Stay tuned, stay open, and follow your heart.
- YogaSangha Green Tara (0mb)
Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:13:37 +0000
This podcast features a recording from our workshop at YogaSangha in San Francisco. Nicole, Heather, Hetty, Ari and Angie joined Heidi and me in chanting the mantra of Green Tara. Om Tare Tuttare Ture Swoha. Tara means "star," "planet," or "she who ferries across." She is a bodhisattva embodying compassion in the female form of a young goddess. She is often considered to be such an advanced bodhisattva that she is actually a Buddha.
Tara’s name is said to derive from the verb meaning "to cross" or "to traverse". In Pali the verb tarati means "to get to the other side." This word is cognate with the Latin "trans" (across). The word Tara also literally means "star."
Green Tara (Shyama Tara or Dark Tara)) is seated on a white moon-disk. Her green complexion symbolizes the active function of the fully-enlightened being. The moon symbolizes her peacefulness. The moon is resting upon a lotus. The lotus symbolizes her freedom from any defilement, just as the lotus rises out of the mud of the swamp, but the blossom itself is pure and undefiled. In the same way, Green Tara arises in the world but is completely undefiled by the world.
Her posture is the 'lalitasana' or royal ease asana. Her left leg is withdrawn in the Lotus pose, to symbolize her mastery of Insight and detachment from the 5 Emotional Defilements (Klesha). Her right leg is in the Euro-posture in front of her body, slightly bent, with her foot on a lotus blossom. This signifies her ability to spring into action, to act swiftly for the compassionate protection of all sentient beings.
In each hand she usually holds the stem of a blue utpala flower. Each flower consists of three blossoms indicating that Tara, the embodiment of enlightened activities, is the Mother of the Buddhas of the past, present and future. The Buddha of the past is the Treasure Tower Buddha, the present refers to Shakyamuni, while the Buddha of the Future is Maitreya, the Buddha of Loving Kindness (Maitri or Metta).
Her right hand, (left-facing) is actually in the Dana or Varada Mudra (The Gift bestowing Gesture of Compassion) with the palm turned outwards. The five extended fingers in this mudra symbolize the following five perfections: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Effort, and Meditative concentration.
The left hand is held up, again with the palm facing outward, and grasping the uptala lotus. This is Abhaya Mudra the gesture of fearlessness and refuge. There is also a lot of other symbolism in the image, including the Aura or Halo, the Tiara, various jewels representing the paramittas, and her silk attire.
The origins of Tara are, as with most Bodhisattvas, obscure and sometimes contradictory. Since we’re dealing with a realm of myth and imagination, however, contradictions merely add richness!
In one myth, Avalokitesvara was looking at the world in compassion (the literal meaning of his name is "The Lord Who Looks Down") and saw innumerable beings suffering. He saw the pains involved at birth. He saw old age, sickness, and death. He saw beings suffering because they lacked what they wanted, and saw them suffering because they were burdened by things they did not want. He saw beings seeking happiness but creating suffering, and saw beings trying to avoid suffering but running headlong into it.
Since Avalokiteshvara had expended a vast amount of energy trying to liberate innumerable beings from the sufferings of existence, and since there were still uncountable beings suffering, he began to weep. His tears flowed down, and kept flowing until they had created a vast lake.
Then out of this lake — the quintessence of Avalokiteshvara’s compassion — arose a blue utpala lotus, and on this lotus appeared a 16-year-old girl in the form of a goddess. This was Tara.
In another myth, in a time long ago Tara was known as Jñ?nacandr? or Moon of Wisdom. She vowed that, rather than take the traditionally more advantageous form of a man in her future lives, she would continue to manifest in female form in order to save sentient beings. As a result of her prowess, the Buddha Amoghasiddhi gave her the name T?r?, or "Savioress."
Historically, there is no record of Tara before around the 5th or 6th century C.E. She seems to have evolved from the early Brahminical goddess Durg? [Durgaa] ("difficult or narrow passage") with whom she shares many attributes and names. According to the Hindu classic, the Mah?bh?rata, Durg? gets her name because she rescues people from difficult passage. This version of Durg? is not the same as the later warrior-goddess!
As might be imagined, Tara first appeared in India. She is one of the most popular Buddhist deities in Tibet, and it’s said that her mantra is second only to Avalokiteshvara’s. Although her form spread to the far east, the presence of Kwan-Yin, a female form of Avalokiteshvara, seems to have filled the "ecological niche" of the compassionate female bodhisattva.
- A Song For My Mother (0mb)
Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:50:18 +0000
I have been spending the past two months in a dream. I get in my car and drive to California. I camp along the coast and see Big Sur for the first time. Coasting on a golden road leading into the blue sky with the ocean heaving a thousand feet below hills covered with wildflowers. We find sea lions and watch whales spout off Drake's Bay, where the first colony was created in the name of Queen Elizabeth. I thought of my mother there because she always reminded me of the great first queen Elizabeth, indomitable. I get this idea to create a new sound healing recording using Yosemite's energy and play it for restorative yoga in Berkeley and San Francisco. Salt Point holds me in its craggy embrace for an afternoon and I cavort in Redwood forests.
Then I drive through the desert and talk to my mother. She tells me she has cancer. Soon I spend the day flying across North America to Toronto. Now its been three weeks spending my time at the hospital with her. So much wisdom to be found in a cancer hospital. All of the suffering being transformed into wisdom. What at first glance appears to be repulsive and queasy making becomes a powerful meditation on impermanence. My mother is withstanding so much difficult transformation and looks deeply in my eyes to say "What an opportunity we have."
So I am sending this podcast out to you all and especially to broadcast healing prayers for all of our mothers. It is infused with the energy of White Tara, healing feminine energies, and includes the voice of my three year old daughter Amrita. Be well my friends.
- Thing to mind is a terrible waste (0mb)
Tue, 29 May 2007 19:56:09 +0000
Well in the past month we've broadcast from Sonora, Yosemite, San Francisco, Drake's Bay and now downtown Toronto. I've been going with the flow, and finding Nature has a way with silence. Taking the sound of peace to create silence within us. My life has been so hectic and adventurous, with many unexpected twists and turns. I find myself helping my mother cope with cancer. Its a privilege to be with her now. Because I am unable to work on a new piece this week, I am sending you a file of Sa Re Ga, from October of 2006. I have created some special groupings of our music available for download, creating download pages for specific transformative intentions. This song has been very popular as a download and this is an unreleased version for our fans. People have sent me interesting stories about this song and so I'm looking forward to hearing from you about this version. We are expanding our pages of intentional healing music, so keep visiting the website to learn more.
Serenity is sonorous. Hence the highly popular Yosemite Restorative Sound Yoga, field recordings of my hikes there. People are really enjoying getting out into nature while closing their eyes and resting at home or in the office. The recordings were made using a special binaural recording technique that gives the headphone listener the impression of being there on the trails and in the meadows of this beautiful natural environment.
Tibetan medicine bowls were added to the nature sounds to create a very peaceful and healing sonic landscape. I use this recording in restorative yoga classes and yogis report that it enhances the benefits.
Please support our efforts to benefit everyone with sound by purchasing this Yosemite Restorative Sound Yoga through Paypal. There is also a five part set of sound mandalas for creating a sound yoga CD as part of this paid download. Two CDs of healing sounds for $5... check it out!
- Yosemite Restorative Sound Yoga (0mb)
Mon, 21 May 2007 19:21:37 +0000Yosemite Restorative Sound Yoga
This podcast is a chance to get inside my head. I recorded natural sounds in some incredibly energeticaly charged nodes of the globl web. This podcast is a recording of me speaking directly to you while sitting at the seaside. It also announces a new project and evolution of our approach to sound.
I recorded the podcast at Point Reyes California to announce our new Yosemite Restorative Sound Yoga - I have created a very special sound file for relaxation and consciousness transformation. This is over one hour and was recently completed during our performances in San Francisco. While on the west coast I was able to spend a few days in Yosemite National Monument and made some field recordings of my hikes there. The recordings were made using a special binaural recording technique that gives the istener the impression of being there on the trails and in the meadows of this beautiful natural environment.
Tibetan medicine bowls were added to the nature sounds to create a very peaceful and healing sonic landscape. It is beneficial for sound healing and also restorative yoga. I use this recording in restorative yoga classes and yogis report that it enhances the benefits of restorative yoga.
Please support our efforts to benefit everyone with Padma Soundsystem sound mandalas by purchasing this Yosemite Restorative Sound Yoga through Paypal.
- Binaural Recording of White Tara (0mb)
Mon, 30 Apr 2007 03:54:06 +0000In this recording, I dangled the left and right microphones from my ears. If you listen with headphones or earbuds on your iPod, you get the effect of listening to this improvised music from inside my head. I was accompanied by Nancy Green on cello and Heidi Wilson voice. This is the beginning of our April 18th sound yoga session at Yoga Oasis in Tucson. Three people wandering through space, in search of Tara.
- The poetry of our flesh (0mb)
Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:11:00 +0000
'And your very flesh shall be a great poem.' Walt WhitmanLately the wind has been blowing here in the Sonoran desert. It puts a great amount of particulate into the air, and drives people mad. Like the Mistral. This was the first wind I experienced that people associated with causing a form of madness. The people in Provence dread the mistral, a cold, dry, northwesterly wind that howls through southern France, sometimes continuously for days. Its created when air whooshes through the Alps-Pyrenees gap and down the Rhone Valley toward the Mediterranean. I rather liked it actually, but then I guess I would learn to dislike it on a regular basis. Humans do this rather well, our madnes comes from the rebeliouness of our thoughts. We forget we're in paradise.
Here in the beautiful desert, the wind picks up every so often and you'll see a giant wall of sand coming at you with tumbleweeds tumbling. You can also expect some weirdness to be reported by the barrista at your morning coffee, and learn that someone freaked out because the cake was too soft. You are plagued with thoughts of mass destruction at unexpected moments. You can watch everyone begin to lose their minds in all the emotional drama the wind kicks up. Then after you write this you turn on the radio and learn of the shootings in Virginia.
This is why we do sound yoga. We make our flesh a great poem. A sonic shelter in the storm. Om Ami Dewa Hrih
This sound piece is intended to create calm. It is a field recording of Ventana Canyon during a monsoon afternoon with a creek flowing temporarily, and a sonic layer of birds I was listening to outside my front door, and then some very calming Tibetan medicine bowls. For your enhanced sense of well being in these degenerate times.
