The Way of the Gong™

This has been a long journey. My personal history with the Gong started over 40 years ago. This blog has been around for over 3 years/129 posts now. I haven't gotten this far without commitment every step of the way. Even when I'm tired, angry, frustrated, or any of a thousand seeming emotions, I can always come back to the sound.  It is my life.  It is my refuge. I'm not as young as I was all those years ago, and carrying around all these instruments and stands is not as easy as it once was.  I complain. I Swear. I wonder why I'm still doing this. Atlas Shrugged But it all becomes clear when I pick up the mallets and start bringing forth the sounds: “This is why I continue to do this.” Who wouldn't want to do this?  It's magic.  It's amazing.  It gives so much back for the effort I put into it. I have learned patience. I have learned devotion. I have developed a deep spiritual practice. And it's all connected to the sounds. It's...

Devotion is an often misunderstood word and concept. Most people think of it in a religious way, as in being devoted to some sort of deity. Or they think of being devoted to a spouse/lover/family. Or quite often, being devoted to a sports team, as in being a devoted follower. But devotion is actually different from that. The word d evotion comes from the Latin,  devotus , which means to vow, or consecrate .  vow vou/ noun 1 . a solemn promise. a set of promises committing one to a prescribed role, calling, or course of action, typically to marriage or a monastic career. verb 1 . solemnly promise to do a specified thing. 2 . archaic dedicate to someone or something, especially a deity. con·se·crate ˈkänsəˌkrāt/ verb make or declare (something, typically a church) sacred; dedicate formally to a religious or divine purpose. Be Devoted How many of us ar...