A Buddha-ful life

Subject: A Buddha-ful life
From: Lotusland
Date: 23 May 00 - 09:10 PM

About two weeks ago there was a celebration of Buddha's birthday in my local park. There were drums and bells and gongs and speeches and flowers and fruit,but no songs. This led me to wonder what one sings at Buddha's birthday party. I thought up the following, but if anyone knows a customary Buddha's birthday song, I'd love to know about it.

"Why was he born so Buddha-ful Why was he born at all? His karma was a spotless one So why be born at all?"

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 May 00 - 09:23 PM

Peter....oh Peter..........got one for you here................Peter...............

Spaw

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 23 May 00 - 09:32 PM

Let me guess Catspaw...........
Peter will be flying in shortly riding on the back of a Blue Heron, right?

Little Neo

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Mbo
Date: 23 May 00 - 09:45 PM

That one made me flip my upanishad!

--Mbo

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 May 00 - 09:49 PM

Could be Bonnie!!! I figure Peter is by far our best shot at this. I mean, what do I know......write something maybe............hmmmm.............

Gee ain't it great, when you self-immolate
Blowin' the Buddh's candles out.
Gee ain't it swell not to worry 'bout hell,
Blowin' Buddh's can-an-dles out.

(sorry Peter....)

Spaw

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: TerriM
Date: 23 May 00 - 09:54 PM

what about Carly Simon's " Coming around again"?

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Mbo
Date: 23 May 00 - 10:15 PM

Or "Back on Earth" by Ozzy Ozbourne?

--Mbo

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: mactheturk
Date: 23 May 00 - 10:50 PM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU(the word "now" is like a bomb through the window, and it ticks)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU(there is no cure for birth and death, save to enjoy the interval)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU(time is but the stream that I go fishing in)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR BUDDHA(reality is where we are from moment to moment)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU(the bird of paradise alights upon the hand that does not grasp)

and many more...

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 23 May 00 - 11:09 PM

...and I'm sure there were songs there but you have to listen with more than just your ears.....

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Big Mick
Date: 23 May 00 - 11:38 PM

When, oh when will I learn not to be drinking a beverage when I read Peter's posts and Spaw's responses. At least it wasn't hot coffee getting spit up through my nose this time. But Diet Coke has its own charm................

And yes, I am beginning to get the problems worked out of this f#^%$$g computer. I am now able to get back into the old 'Cat. I have missed this place..............but remind me never to be drinking Guinness when these layabouts get on line

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: JenEllen
Date: 23 May 00 - 11:44 PM

Aw crap....mental image of Joe Cocker.....

'You are so Buddah-ful.....to....meeeeeeeeeeeeee'

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 24 May 00 - 12:39 AM

Peter's still watching replays of the Linda McCartney movie, Spaw.

Rick

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Max
Date: 24 May 00 - 01:09 AM

Dear friends, your fearless Mudcat creator, is a devout, practicing Buddhist (no shit). You may be able to tell by my acts of leadership (or lack thereof). As, I think, any Buddhist musician might tell you, most music is Buddhist in nature (everything except Gordon Bok).

I have written one very Buddhist song entitled "The Point of Life is Happiness". It goes like this:

The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness
The point of life is happiness

You can find other Buddhist songs here: http://library.thinkquest.org/28601/main/12-music/music.htm

And let us not forget this classic that is also a VERY Buddhist song.

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 May 00 - 01:34 AM

Ah....very nice, Max, that first site even had Buddha's Birthday (except the page wouldn't load for that one.) The others sounded really beautiful. Thanks for the link.

Oh, and your song certainly captures the essence! No wonder you are so balanced, well, most of the time, well...except when something surprises you like Bert bellydancing etc.**BG**

katlaughinghappily

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Art Thieme
Date: 24 May 00 - 01:46 AM

Lotusland,

To quote Somerst Maugham in THE RAZOR'S EDGE, "You don't get it. I just doesen't matter."

Art Thieme

Subject: Lyr Add: HYMN SONG (Utah Phillips)
From: Art Thieme
Date: 24 May 00 - 02:02 AM

That should read, IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER !

Oh, a song?!

Try Utah Phillips' fine "HYMN SONG" (--@ 1973 Bruce Phillips) This is the only Buddhist song I know of from someone not from the Eastern world.

----------------------------------------------------------

CHORUS: I believe if I lived my life again,
I'd still be here with you,
I believe if I lived my life again,
I'd still be here with you.

You know I think if lady luck was blind,
And that old sun would never shine,
You know I think if death really held a knife,
We'd all be beggars of life. CHORUS

Sometimes I wish that I could close my eyes,
To some things I don't want to see,
I believe if you lived your life again,
You'd still be here with me. CHORUS

I'll never see the ending of my mind,
Everything will have a time,
Why should I ask for things that I don't need,
Or pretty lies to hide my greed?

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Callie
Date: 24 May 00 - 02:25 AM

"Don't just do something, stand there"

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 24 May 00 - 04:21 AM

Oooom (refresh as many times as needed)
RtS

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 24 May 00 - 07:29 AM

Callie, that was very funny

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Peter T.
Date: 24 May 00 - 09:54 AM

Sorry I missed this one first time around -- actually there are different versions of Buddha's birthday, depending on which bunch of Buddhists you are (we Buddhists are really like organizing a cat parade), and the dates differ. Many communities bring together what is called the Baby Buddha celebration with other stuff, so there are all kinds of different chants. My personal favourite (good for spring, and especially good for growing things in gardens) is a woman's Korean chant which goes "Chi-jang bosal" over and over again (you can do it to "Bright Morning Stars", though there is a Korean version). This is a chant to reawaken the dormant Buddha nature (the energy of awakening in the womb of life) in all beings after winter. It is used in Baby Buddha ceremonies.

On a lighter note, there is a great album of Broadway Buddha tunes called "Dharma Moon" by a member of the Zen Buddhist Temple in Chicago.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: catspaw49
Date: 24 May 00 - 09:59 AM

............Organizing a cat parade???

Why do I have this mental picture of a bunch of folks in flowing robes, bent over and walking in a line, sniffing each other's rear ends?

Spaw

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Hollowfox
Date: 24 May 00 - 12:35 PM

Spaw, that's a DOG parade. Cats sniff each others whiskers.

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 May 00 - 06:39 PM

Not MY cats! They are absolutely shameless in offering their *rosebuds* to each other and US! In fact we have a family joke, when one of them jumps up and sashays across the table in front of us, we say, for them, in a funny accent kind of like Arnold Schwartzenegger's, "Lick my arsehole!" They are always after each other with their noses under each other's tails!

Peter, thanks for the info, the chant sounds lovely.

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: Peter T.
Date: 24 May 00 - 06:53 PM

Chi-jiang is the same as Jizo in Japanese, the Buddha of the womb, energy, birth -- bosal means Buddha. It is a slow chant -- as I said, you can do it to "Bright Morning Stars" -- at least I experimented with it -- I could never get the hang of the Korean tones -- and my then teacher (Korean) said it was great.

Chi-jiang bosal,(Bright Morning stars are rising)
Chi-jiang bosal (Bright Morning stars are rising),
Chi-jiang bosal (Bri-ight Morning stars are rising)
Chi-jiang Bosal, Bosal(Dawn is breaking in my so-ul)

and so on.
You do it for long hours to grow vegetables, get your garden started, etc. Often women do the Korean version in childbirth (or so I am told)

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: A Buddha-ful life
From: catspaw49
Date: 24 May 00 - 06:53 PM

yeah 'Foxy, y'all got some strange cats. Ours are inveterate bum whiffers too.