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Showing posts from April, 2017

Your Life is Your Practice

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Playing the Gongs/Bowls/Bells is a Journey. It's a commitment. It's a transformational experience. The question is asked, “Where do I start?” The answer always is, “Here.” Here and now. Now and here. Here now. Now here. There is only ever now. - Singal Rinpoche  Too often there is waiting.  Waiting for the right time. Waiting for the urge. Waiting for the inspiration. Waiting for permission. Waiting for the fear to subside. Waiting for the world to welcome us. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. But in the moment there is no waiting, just doing. Waiting is passive. Doing is active. Make the time, take the time, to play your instruments. To explore. To practice.  Bring your life into it. Buy food. Cook dinner. Wash dishes. Do laundry. Chop wood. Carry water. Play Gongs. Live your life, but pay attention to how everything is connected. Pay attention to how everything enriches your musical experience.  ~ MB Chop wood /...

Transcendence Is An Artform

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When you reach the horizon, there is still the horizon ahead of you. - Singal Rinpoche As a species, mankind is always striving for new horizons. We seem to have a restless spirit, that despite various set backs over history, continually moves ahead. It seems that we are predestined to not just sit still, but to explore and discover the universe around us. A big part of this is our personal universe, for we all contain worlds within. As an artist, whether you dance, sing, paint, sculpt, or play an instrument, there is often this sense of the act of doing our art being a sacred sacrament . It's no accident that religions throughout history have used music and other arts as a way to reach the divine. If anything, the arts are a bridge to another world, to the heavens. Who hasn't been moved by the exquisite motion of a dancer, the plaintive voice of a singer yearning for a lost love, the grace of a marble sculpture, or the way a painting reveals new worlds. There is transce...