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Birthday bUKEdah


Ukulele Buddhism



--[from the story] This clip is part of a presentation by the UCLA Buddhist Association at a University Religious Conference event (4-15-2010) called, 'Soul Cafe'... I followed their talk with some Buddhist music on my Ukulele a 'Kelii' mahogany soprano.


[My adds] At that time, he wasn't able to find many so he got an idea to put his own words about the practices to popular songs people already knew.


"Spin well, sweet Dharma wheel, coming for to wake me up

Spin well, sweet Dharma wheel, coming for to wake me up"


He was also teaching young children about Buddhist precepts - how to live your life in a skillful way. He knew they didn't like to chant nor to memorize so he put the 5 precepts into a song.




Do Buddhists Celebrate Birthdays?


[from the article - click link to learn more] In a recent discussion on social platforms, people pondered whether Buddhists celebrate birthdays. The conversation revealed a mix of beliefs and practices, especially across different cultural backgrounds.


Interestingly, not all followers adhere to the same customs. While many People celebrate, others, like a Vietnamese Buddhist, mentioned their family's preference against the tradition for unknown reasons. The significance of birthdays among Buddhists has evolved, and now many see them as a chance to gather with family and share joy, akin to other cultural celebrations.




An Engineer's Journey to Buddhism


[from the article] Through our discussion, we delved into many topics.  Tenzin Laksum provided profound insights into the concept of emptiness. He explained emptiness is an absence of independent existence, everything is interdependent and constantly changing. So, why is this important? He elucidated that the most challenging difficulty we are facing today is a mental problem. We have strong desires, fixed ideas, ego-clinging and selfishness. These are the causes of our unhappiness and difficulties in our daily life. Understanding the interconnectedness and interdependence of everything helps us lose our ego-clinging and strong self-cherishing tendencies. [Source: next link]


An engineer’s journey to Buddhism (includes a 15-minute podcast interview)


Daily Practices for the Roads of Life...


As we learn and practice how to live more mindfully and compassionately...We and all the people we interact with experience this renewal...


Here's an article about how one musician helped another bring a song to life. YES, it includes a ukulele - played by the young man who composed the lyrics: Skylar Lam.



FYI - Gathas are mindfulness verses that help us dwell in the present moment and live with awareness. [Source: Thich Nhat Hanh]


Here's the finished song from a link in the above article:





“In the swirling of the storm

Recite the Nembutsu

And become

my lantern in the darkness”




More tunes for waking up...


Kevin Griffin Spotify (free listen with the app)


I found him through my 12 Steps recovery practice.


Here's his "Wake Up" number - same wisdom provided by Kusala's homemade song mentioned at the beginning of this post.





Kevin Griffin Spotify (free listen with the app)


Rock & Roll (Kirtan* Roll) - Krishna Das


With his energetic musicianship, this guy makes waking up fun. A few years ago, I participated in one of his joyful gigs in NYC.


Krishna Das traveled to India in 1970, sat with Neem Karoli Baba alongside Ram Dass, and has devoted every decade since to sharing that love through kirtan. [Source]


*With roots in the Vedic anukirtana tradition, a kirtan is a call-and-response or antiphonal style song or chant, set to music, wherein multiple singers recite the names of a deity, describe a legend, express loving devotion to a deity, or discuss spiritual ideas.[6] It may include dancing or direct expression of bhavas (emotive states) by the singer.[6] Many kirtan performances are structured to engage the audience where they either repeat the chant,[7] or reply to the call of the singer.[8][9][10] [Wikipedia]


Documentary on Krishna Das:



For our hearts...




For our soles (not a typo)


Let's go out dancin'...


Krishna Das was born a Long Island Jewish kid interested in music and psychedelics...finds Eastern spirituality and in this next video is playing in a NYC Christian church WITHOUT changing any lyrics but with the addition of a harmonium and other Eastern instruments... [Source: Bio]







 
 
 

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