Culture and Integrity (where do I fit in?)

[lucidinterval1]

I went through a rather questionable phase a while back. You see, I am a rocker by nature. My first memories were of the Beatles. I was 8 years old when they broke up. I cried and cried. I prayed at night that they would get back together. When I got older I learned guitar - I am self taught. I spent many many hours every day learning and conquering this instrument. That was about all that I did. My quest was feverish. I have been in rock bands since I was 12 years old.

Back in '95 I was attracted to meditation and yoga. I don't know why, but the pull was very strong. After a while, I began to see alot of wrong things in lifestyles and attitudes. I went through a pretty rough phase of not really accepting many attitudes. Gossiping and whining, pointing fingers... I got really detached. My friends and loved ones annoyed me at times. I did not want to be part of "The Grand Illusion".

I almost stopped playing guitar. What's the point, God is all that matters. Here I am trying to make God contact, and all that I am comfortable with is writing is rock and roll.

My meditations are pretty profound and very important. Yet I still have a burning desire to write heavy rock songs. Recently, I have decided that my musical path is an ingredient that I was born with and  I am not going to leave it behind. I am pretty sure that a Saint would not pursue this angle on life. If so, I am not destined for sainthood in this life and I have to be ok with that. I was born with a drive and a gift, should I abandon it?
Paul

[david_obsidian]

Paul,

>>I am pretty sure that a Saint would not pursue this angle on life.

Seriously,  are you sure a saint wouldn't be a rocker?  Why ever not?

[Anthem]

I agree with David, most Saints we read about were from centuries past, rock n' roll is a pretty new thing on the grand scheme of things, so maybe it's time for a rock and roll Saint!

I don't think you have competing interests, music resonates within us and if it is written from the heart, it will resonate in our higher centers and become a vehicle which aids in lifting people's consciousness. Forget the societal image of rock and roll, your music is what you make it. It can be empowering, it can help people overcome fear and aren't most rock songs about love anyway?

I believe that it is important to be true to our hearts and that they will lead us home.

[david_obsidian]

There's more.  Those saints we hear about are stylizations,  charicatures of saints,  which become very limiting if we have the idea 'saints must only be this way'.

Perhaps one of the most limiting ideas is 'saints can not be sexual'.  'Saints can not be rockers' is just a derivative of that.  It's the persisting notion that saints have nothing going on at all in their first two or three chakras.

Find the Undying Lord in the Hearts of all who die.  Then you will be a Saint for sure.  If you do find it,  you'll probably write heavy rock songs which come from what you have found.

[Victor]

Rock On!!!!

[lucidinterval1]

Thanks guys for the input.

I like David's phrase "Find the Undying Lord in the Hearts of all who die."
Sounds like there is a song in there somewhere!

Rockin on...
Paul

[Lili]

I just remember a Steve Vai (not sure of the spelling) song saying God gave rock'n'roll to you

Why don't you post some of your texts in the enlightened poetry section?

[Jim and His Karma]

I'd say it's actually helpful to ignore the "style" issues of spirituality. Pity the teachers who must act in a way students expect spiritual people to act. Non-teachers don't have this burden. This path is about unity and nonduality. No paternal God is clucking his tongue at you in your MegaDeath t-shirt or slam dancing in some mosh pit, because God is everything and everywhere, filling every seat at an Ozzy Osbourne concert (he's even the bat).

You can turn your back on that and dress in white and act all stuck up and holy and take a sanskrit middle name if you want, but to my way of seeing things, that's just more trap of mind. It doesn't matter what you do or how you act (so long as you're not being harmful to others or yourself or grasping or doing those other things listed in yama/niyama which we all know tethers us more tightly to delusion and muddies our windows). It's all just samsara.

And art (which certainly includes rock and roll songs) is a shortcut. Take the blessing of your talent and run with it and don't look back. Just don't stop your practices; they'll guide you.

[mystiq]

Dear Friends, Im sure Im in the right place cause all of you echo my thoughts on this subject. Its great to know that we have such a talented fellow member in Lucid. I play the guitar too self taught mediocre, and spirituality has come a long way to interfere with inborn talents instead of fostering them. In my opinion you have the right combination of spirituality and rock. And anyway the universe is music only and the differentiation between different things is their tone only (Google string theory of Physics)

mystiq