Let’s follow our SON: a China Cat Sunfollower…
- Thomas Tittmann
- Oct 8
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 13
Hello! We're going on a journey to a far off land where we'll connect with our son John who, for the second year in a row, has traveled to the East, where he's continuing his studies in traditional Chinese medicine...
For much of his life, John has followed paths of healing. Eileen and I have learned much from him and are so grateful.
"And you of tender years (Can you hear and do you care)
Can't know the fears (And can you see)
That your elders grew by (We must be free)
And so please help (To teach your children)
Them with your youth (What you believe in)
They seek the truth (Make a world)
Before they can die (That we can live in)
Teach your parents well
Their children's hell
Will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick's
The one you'll know by"
This post includes links to two separate posts with photos from this year's excursions to China and Tibet. At the end of the post there's a link to last year's September trip.
On the Road to Find Out...
If you're in a hurry to catch a bus...(from the mundane)...click any of these next 3 links to places "Furthur"...
Otherwise, let's continue on the road to find out...
Those who know him, know that John spends a lot of time in the sun…
The sunflower’s genus Helianthus comes from two ancient Greek words, ‘helios’ which refers to the sun, and ‘anthos’ meaning flower. There’s even a Greek myth surrounding sunflowers, explaining why they always face the sun.
Chinese Folklore
Sunflowers in Chinese culture symbolize good fortune and longevity, reflecting the flower’s ability to turn towards the sun. Historically, they were valued by Chinese nobility, who consumed them as snacks, believing they could promote a long life.
For more sunflower myths from around our shared world, please refer to the link under this next image.
This next article provides guidance on using sunflowers in our spiritual practices. It begins with...
The Sunflower’s Connection to the Sun
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are named for their unique behavior—they turn their faces toward the sun, following its path from east to west in a phenomenon called heliotropism. This trait has made them a powerful symbol of:
Light and Positivity – Just as they seek sunlight, sunflowers remind us to seek out the light in our own lives.
Resilience and Strength – They stand tall, even in harsh conditions, teaching us about endurance.
Faith and Devotion – Their unwavering focus on the sun mirrors spiritual devotion.
The Spiritual Meaning of Sunflowers: A Bright Guide to Their Symbolism - Wisdom of the Spirit (2025)
Music for Life's Road Trips...
My 2024 post about John's adventures in the Orient included a lot of music...So, here are some new tunes...
First stop via some English explorers...
"Brave Helios, wake up your steeds,
Bring the warmth the countryside needs."
--"The Day Begins" - Moody Blues
...Next, on our planet...Xavier Rudd guides us...
When you feel love coming down on you
Like a heavy wave
When you feel this crazy society
Headin' to the strand
Take a straw to the nearest waters and
Remember your place
Many moons have risen and fallen long
Long before you came
--lyrics for this song are at the end of the post
--Linhai, the leader of this and last year's expeditions, includes surfing and playing guitar in his medicine bag... He's the guy seated on the left sporting a blue hat. John is seated in the back row to Linhai's left.
...Moving further into the Cosmos...with Trevor Hall as our guide...
Life is more colorfully vibrant when we travel with "companions" **
**word means "those with whom we share bread"
--lyrics for this song are at the end of the post
--Trevor is among my favorite mindful music makers. First saw him live at Mulcahy's on Long Island.
John Tittmann: Unafraid of new faces...strange places...
"Eight Miles High"
--the Byrds
Eight miles high and when you touch down
You'll find that it's stranger than known
Signs in the street that say where you're going
Are somewhere just being their own
Nowhere is there warmth to be found
Among those afraid of losing their ground
Rain gray town known for its sound
In places small faces unbound
Round the squares huddled in storms
Some laughing some just shapeless forms
Sidewalk scenes and black limousines
Some living, some standing alone
NOW...for this next one, let's tune into the energy of John Lennon's birthday (today, Oct. 9) and
IMAGINE...
...G-d as a woman who's joyfully singing this number to one of her creation that has chosen to love HER...
Weekend Prayer Warriors: These words are addressed to you...See, we gotta keep our focus for 8 Days a Week...
Channeling the loving birthday energies from son John (Oct. 8) and John Lennon (Oct. 9)...I was greeted by this lawn sign today while out on my daily rounds through our neighborhood:
"There's a Grateful Dead song for every occasion..."
...So says longtime friend Steve Bermont. We surfed together around the country and Steve was my Volkswagen repair mentor...as he calls it "playing with cars."
In some posts, a particular Dead song emerges as I listen to my Muse and tell the story. In this case, "China Cat Sunflower" provided a lot of the initial motivation to celebrate John's adventures...
Chanting for Tibet...Dead plus Monks...
[excerpts from the article] "Hart and a few of his rock band colleagues formed the Society for Gyuto Sacred Arts in the late 1980s to support the monks’ efforts to draw international attention to persecution in Tibet."
"Tibet was annexed by the Chinese in 1950. It has since periodically experienced devastating attacks by Chinese Communists. In the 1959 Tibetan uprising, 10,000 people reportedly died. A few monks escaped with their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to northern India, where they have been living in exile."
[excerpt from this article] "Mickey Hart, a drummer for the erstwhile Grateful Dead, is also a serious ethnomusicologist who now works with the Smithsonian Institution. Fascinated by the Tibetan monks’ multiphonic chanting, he put the infrastructure of the Dead to work and helped organize six sellout coast-to-coast tours with twelve of the Gyuto monks."
Read on to hear about their being led to pray with San Quentin inmates...
Yes...this "tail" includes a cat on the path to enlightenment...
[Excerpts from the article]
From the Himalayas to the Grateful Dead
"At the age of 12, Donyo’s parents asked him if he wanted to be a monk, and he 'maybe accidentally' said yes. A few weeks later his father dropped him off at the Gyuto monastery. So began a life of service."
"At the time, he had no money. He lived, in his words, as an 'undercover monk,' delivering auto parts and working as a busboy. In 2000, he finally founded the Gyuto Foundation in a small house in San Jose. But the monastery’s history goes even further back, and it involves the Grateful Dead — a group that Donyo intermittently refers to as 'the hippie guys.'"
"The story goes like this: In the 1960s, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart received a tape recording of the Gyuto monks’ chants and developed a fascination. When the monks began touring the U.S. to call attention to the persecution of Tibetans, he sponsored several of their tours around the country."
Related article:
Monks' chanting begins around 06:50 as deep guttural utterances.
Lyrics to "Follow the Sun" & "Moon/Sun"
Follow the Sun - Xavier Rudd Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Follow
Follow the sun
And which way the wind blows
When this day is done
[Verse 2]
Breathe
Breathe in the air
Set your intentions
Dream with care
[Verse 3]
Tomorrow is a new day, for everyone
And brand new moon, and brand new sun
[Verse 4]
So follow
Follow the sun
The direction of the birds
The direction of love
[Verse 5]
Breathe
Breathe in the air
Cherish this moment
Cherish this breath
[Verse 6]
Tomorrow is a new day, for everyone
And brand new moon, brand new sun
[Verse 7]
When you feel love coming down on you
Like a heavy wave
When you feel this crazy society
Headin' to the strand
Take a straw to the nearest waters and
Remember your place
Many moons have risen and fallen long
Long before you came
[Verse 8]
So which way is the wind blowing?
And what does you heart say?
[Verse 9]
So follow
Follow the sun
And which way the wind blows
When this day is done
Moon / Sun -Trevor Hall Lyrics
Here we go again, creation
Clap now for the jubilation
Look at all that light you making
Send it out no reservation
Like a river we let it flow
Still hot like a volcano
Mother Earth still got my soul
In the hot, in the cold, in the rain, in the snow
Hey lo, wish on a butterfly wing
Take that crown, put it on that king
Sing like a child, no care for opinion
Real love across our dominion
Oh, so bountiful
Pull it back and let it go
Like ocean wave, we're powerful
Constellation, magical
So, this love still holds true
Now what you gonna do?
I won't give up on you
I won't give up on you
Between the moon and sun
This life is never done
I won't give up on you
I won't give up on you, ah
I won't give up on you, yeah
Send up, send up, send up my love, ah
I won't give up on you
I stand up, gotta put my hands up
Fruit down straw like Mauna Kea
In the ocean, holy motion
Ride that flow, I'll see you later
In the park of Shangri-La I see my ma
She's standing holy, all those colours filled with glory
Open up and hear this story
Oh, and this love still holds true
Now what you gonna do?
I won't give up on you
I won't give up on you
Between the moon and sun
This life is never done
I won't give up on you
I won't give up on you
This love still holds true
Now what you gonna do?
I won't give up on you
I won't give up on you
Between the moon and sun
This life is never done
I won't give up on you
I won't give up on you
I will follow you
I will follow you
I will follow, follow, follow you
I will follow you
I will follow you
I will follow, follow, follow you
I will follow you
I will follow you
I will follow, follow, follow you (I will follow you, yeah)
I will follow you
I will follow you
I will follow, follow, follow you (I will follow you, yeah)
I will follow you
I will follow you
I will follow, follow, follow you (I will follow you, yeah)
I will follow you
I will follow you
I will follow, follow, follow you (I will follow you, yeah)
I will follow you
I will follow you
I will follow, follow, follow you
Yeah
I will follow you, yeah
MORE PLACES TO GET ORIENTED...
#John #JohnTittmann #China #Tibet #TraditionalChineseMedicine #Furthur #Snoopy #GratefulDead #sunflowers #TheMoodyBlues #XavierRudd #TrevorHall #Linhai #surfing #guitar #Byrds #KatrinaAndTheWaves #DeadAndCompany #Buddhism #TibetanMonks #GyutoTantricChoir #DalaiLama #SmithsonianInstitution #MickeyHart #CrosbyStillsNashAndYoung #SteveBermont
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