"Here there is no talk of the world's affairs - those matters that make wild the hearts of men." Chia Tao (779-843); trans. Mike O'Connor

Saturday, January 15, 2011

My Zen View and Haiku - The Role of Music - January 15, 2011

The most sublime music for meditation, for many Zen Buddhists, is the sound of wind through trees or the quiet sound of water bubbling over smooth rocks. The simple quiet of a distant ticking clock or the random melody of wind chimes can be a fine support to tranquil moments of meditation.

In the ceremonial sense, the drone of monks chanting sutras is a harmonious musical accompaniment that creates a spiritual, yet subdued, background for any solemn event. The role of music, or sound, is to create a non-intrusive atmosphere to help the discursive ‘monkey-mind’ of our everyday thinking in slowing down to a blissful silence.

A breeze through redwoods
Is the soft sound of beauty
Caressing your soul.

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