Tuesday, November 2: Dharma tea at 2pm led by Alex Langlinais. Use this link to join. If asked for a password use 897614
For our tea discussion today, I thought it would be fun to talk about the music that inspires us to practice or that captures something about the dharma. Although Buddhism has a rich musical tradition (see below), we don’t always talk expressly about music as a vehicle for awakening. So I’m curious to hear what tracks occupy that space for you. In advance of the tea, please think of one or two songs that you associate with practice or turn to for inspiration. You should feel welcome to share during discussion or just drop your faves into the chat box. Afterwards, I’ll assemble a playlist for the sangha with our picks! Music gets incorporated into the tradition in so many ways. Just to name a few:
- Of course, there is our Soto Zen chanting. Check out Deshimaru Roshi’s iconic rendition of the Heart Sutra to get your blood pumping or Rev. Taihaku Priest’s touching instructions on the Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo.
- From the Pure Land tradition, there’s the venerable and deeply peaceful practice of nembutsu chanting (most commonly in the form of “namo amituofo” or “namu amida butsu”). Two great versions can be found here and here.
- From the Nichiren tradition, there’s the powerful Daimoku, reverent chanting of the name of the Lotus Sutra (“nam myoho renge kyo”). You might have seen that the incomparable Tina Turner has many Daimoku tracks.
- On the instrumental side, there’s the introspective and (to me) heartbreaking practice of Honkyoku using the Shakuhaci flute. Here’s a wonderful concerto by Alejandro Vazquez, a good friend of Shoryu’s who passed away last year.
- There’s also the high energy and communal practice of Taiko drumming. Here’s a recording of a group connected to the Ekoji Temple in Fairfax Station, VA.
And then there’s the ocean of pop music. I’ll offer up Elvis Costello’s “Peace, Love, and Understanding” as an example, which reminds me that bodhicitta/way-seeking mind is a kind of throwing down the gauntlet on the side of, well, peace, love, and understanding! From the video, you can also see just how far music videos have come since the early days. Take a listen if you have a chance today. I’ll play some of these to get us started, but more looking forward to hearing about the role music plays in your practice! 🙏 Alex