I love Beatles music. As with others of a certain age, some of us fall under the category of a product of the 60s – dedicated to the mantra love, peace and harmony. I recall some hippies preferred the other hippy mantra of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll while some fused both mantras. Continue reading
Christopher Titmuss Dharma Blog
A Buddhist Perspective
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The Buddha and Rod Stewart. The Raft and Sailing to be Free
At first glance, you probably cannot imagine much connection between the Buddha and rock/pop singer, Rod Stewart. I have found one. Admittedly, it is a little tenuous.
The Buddha gave a classic discourse on The Simile of the Snake on grasping onto the teachings which end up causing harm and suffering, such use of the teachings for self-righteousness, putting down others and inflaming self-importance.
The same discourse contains the much-loved Simile of the Raft.
The Buddha – Dharma teacher, using discourses, stanzas, expositions, verses, exclamations, sayings and personal (birth) stories. 563 BCE – 483 BCE.
He offered the Simile of the Raft – on crossing over from the shore of suffering to Freedom from Suffering.
The Buddha said:
“I shall show you how the Dhamma is similar to a raft, for the purpose of crossing over, not for the purpose of grasping.
Suppose a man in the course of a journey saw a great expanse of water, whose near shore was dangerous and fearful and whose further shore was safe and free from fear, but there was no ferryboat or bridge going to the far shore. Suppose I make a raft and get safely across to the far shore.
‘This raft has been very helpful to me.
I got safely across to the far shore.
Suppose I were to hoist it on my head or load it on my shoulder, and then go wherever I want.’
The Buddha said to the Sangha, “Should that be done?”
“No, venerable sir.”
“I have shown you how the Dhamma is similar to a raft, being for the purpose of crossing over, not for the purpose of grasping.
When you know the Dhamma to be similar to a raft, you should abandon even good (healthy states of mind), how much more so bad states (unhealthy states of mind).
The Buddha teaches freedom which includes freedom from holding onto the Dharma, freedom from holding onto healthy states of mind as well as unhealthy states.
This is a radical statement – a teaching of seeing and knowing freedom from any kind of grasping including what ends any kind of mental suffering.
Rod Stewart (rock/pop singer/Scottish/English, 1945 -)
In one of his best loved songs, Rod Stewart sings about sailing across stormy waters to be free. He uses another verse about flying through the clouds and passing through the dark night of suffering to be with God. Can you hear me? Rod appeals to God to hear his suffering as he crosses over to the other shore.
The Buddha heard the suffering of humanity and provided the raft to cross the stormy sea to freedom with a reminder not to hold onto the raft.
I regard the song as deeply spiritual in its meaning. Sutherland Brothers wrote the song. Rod recorded it in 1975.
SAILING
I am sailing
I am sailing
Home again
‘Cross the sea
I am sailing
Stormy waters
To be near you
To be free
I am flying
I am flying
Like a bird
‘Cross the sky
I am flying
Passing high clouds
To be near you
To be free
Can you hear me? Can you hear me?
Through the dark night, far away
I am dying, forever crying
To be with you, who can say
Can you hear me? Can you hear me?
Through the dark night, far away
I am dying, forever crying
To be with you, who can say?
We are sailing, we are sailing
Home again
‘Cross the sea
We are sailing
Stormy waters
To be near you
To be free
Oh, Lord, to be near you, to be free
Oh, my Lord, to be near you, to be free
Oh, my Lord, to be near you, to be free
Oh, Lord.
Official video of Rod Stewart singing Sailing.
https:/
The background to the video appears to be New York harbour. Rod and others (we are sailing) appear to be departing across the sea from a dangerous and fearful USA. I have friends who can appreciate such motives for sailing out of the deeply troubled USA.
Enjoy the song. More than 44,000,000 have watched this Rod Stewart video.
Take the lyrics to heart.
PS. Am offering two 60 minute sessions on The Buddha’s discourse on the Simile of the Snake on Saturday 25 June 2022.
‘We contemplate eternity beneath the vast indifference of heaven’ – A song of Buddha wisdom written by Warren Zevon and sung by David Lindley
A Dharma friend, Klaus in Germany, kindly wrote a comment to my blog on The Outsider by Albert Camus. He sent me a link to a song written by Warren Zevon (1947-2003), an American singer-songwriter, who died from cancer. Continue reading
Ten Songs out of this World. Including insightful lyrics.
I felt mentally tired on the train from London Paddington to Totnes after full-on teachings/travel in Germany for 18 days. Out of the daypack, I dug out my mobile phone, earphones and played around 10 rock songs listening to insightful lyrics, on Spotify. Continue reading
Joan Armatrading sings Willow.
During the 1990s, I drove down to Cornwall, the neighbouring county, to listen to Joan Armatrading, the English singer, sing her signature song, Willow, at the end of her concert.
I played the record regularly at home – a soulful song with fine lyrics on offering another refuge in a storm.
I had a couple of reminders of the song this week including her guest appearance on television and a short conversation in Totnes with a person in their 20s whose name echoes the song. She did not know of the song. Willow is the name of Totnes’s first vegetarian restaurant started in the early 1980’s by Isabel L, our wonderful cook (from Germany) for our retreats in India in the mid-1970s.
Here is the link to Youtube. Joan sings Willow in Edmonton, Canada in 1999.The audience quietly sings at the end. She is singing in the zone. Beautiful.
Here are the lyrics.
WILLOW
I may not be your best
You know good ones don’t come by the score
You’ve got something missing
I’ll help you look you can be sure
And if you want to be alone
Or someone to share a laugh
Whatever you want me to
All you gotta do is ask
Thunder
Don’t go under the sheets
Lightning under a tree
In the rain and snow
I’ll be your fire side
Come running to me
When things get out of hand
Running to me
When it’s more than you can stand
I said I’m strong
Straight
Willing
To be a
Shelter
In a storm
Your willow
Oh willow
When the sun is out
A fight with your best girl
Prettiest thing you ever saw
You know I’ll listen
Try to get a message to her
And if it’s money you want
Or trouble halved
Whatever you want me to
All you gotta do is ask
I said I’m strong
Straight
Willing
To be a
Shelter
In a storm
Your willow
Oh willow
When the sun is out
Shelter in a storm
Your willow
Oh willow
When the sun is out
Thank you, Joan.
May all know a willow in their life who offers shelter in a storm.
May all beings remember to engage in the Dance of Life (Lila in Sanskrit)
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PS. We can listen to music, sing with the song or dance to music.
In case you are wondering.
It is not Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson or Mick Jagger.
It is not Fred Astaire (1899-1987)
– regarded as probably America’s finest dancer of all time
along with his dance partner, Ginger Rogers.
Photo taken at a party in Brighton in a dance studio.
