Like this blog, this post will likely be all over the place. It's not that I don't realize that this blog is probably confusing to many - one day it appears to be about Zen Buddhism, the next about rock concerts, and then it goes off on a tangent about, say, geology, or politics, or just plain silliness. I have thought at times about setting up separate blogs for each of these disparate interests, but that would both be too much work to maintain and not true to the actual state of my mind.
After my morning meditation, I decided that with the arrival of the new year, it may be appropriate to outline my intentions for this blog, as well as to reflect on some retrospective thoughts on 2011 and a few forward-looking thoughts on 2012.
After my morning meditation, I decided that with the arrival of the new year, it may be appropriate to outline my intentions for this blog, as well as to reflect on some retrospective thoughts on 2011 and a few forward-looking thoughts on 2012.
2011, The Year Several years ago, I told my friend M. that I felt that I was going through a somewhat transitory period at that time in my life, and she replied that from what she's seen, my whole life has been one long transitory period. She's probably correct, and I do not regret it (Je ne regrette rien). But the later half of 2011, particularly the last quarter of the year, was as transformative as any period in my life.
For me, 2011 will be as memorable as 2001 is for many people, as it will mark the year that I took the big leap after nearly 30 years and left the corporate world and the appearance of security afforded by salaried employment. I've formed my own company, at this point a sole proprietorship, and have started working for myself. 2012 will prove to be the year that shows whether I've made the biggest professional mistake of my life, finally came into my own as a professional and businessperson, or taken a further step along the Buddha Way. As my Zen teacher told me, "I suspect that you will be pleasantly surprised that your livelihood does not and never did depend upon being employed by a company."
For those of you keeping score at home, December 2011, my first full month of self-employment, went very well and provided as promising a start to my new enterprise as I could hope. 2012 will demonstrate the sustainability of that initial success. Anything is possible, and I may encounter financial success or I might get foreclosed upon (and who's to say what's good or what's bad?). My prediction is that I will survive, but not without struggles. You're invited to observe, if you're so inclined.
The State of Pop Music A couple of days ago, I asked, rhetorically, if there were any doubt that 2011 was another incredible year for music. Writing in the NY Times, Jon Caramanica expressed just such a doubt, stating "2011 may well be remembered as the most numbing year for mainstream rock music in history. . . The genre didn’t produce a single great album, and the best of the middling walked blindly in footprints laid out years, even decades, earlier."
As it turns out, there's no disagreement. Mr. Caramanica was referring to the mainstream, the corporate-produced, radio-format rock that unfortunately is all that most people get to hear these days. The mainstream, as buffered by the major labels, has been resistant to new ideas for years now. But the music that I've been covering in this blog, and to which I had specifically directed my rhetorical question, was what Mr. Caramanica called in today's Times "college rock 2.0," noting that it could also be referred to as “blog rock,” or “what hipsters like,” or “what I learned about from Pitchfork.” While all of those titles are unnecessarily pejorative (I still prefer the catch-all term "indie rock"), he includes this broad category of bands united more by audience and distribution than by sound among the more promising genres "bubbling below the mook-rockers, the ’90s revivalists, and the toothless oldsters" of the mainstream today.
In 2012, Water Dissolves Water will continue to explore the thesis that popular music, whatever label or title one wants to put upon it, when removed from the corrupting influence of business interests, becomes no longer the bland, numbing corporate product bemoaned by Mr. Caramanica, but the expression of the true artists, who freed from the requirement to conform with some label's expectation of what the largest number of people will like (or more typically, what the fewest number of people will dislike), are able to create wonderful and original sounds of their own preference. True art has never been and will never be a popularity contest (sorry, American Idol), and while some people may not like some of the results, and its highly unlikely that any one person would like all of it, the music being played today outside of the controlling interests of the major labels includes some of the most exciting, rewarding, and interesting sounds I've heard in the 45 plus years I've been listening to pop music. Which brings me to the next point, namely:
All Music, Without Exception, Is A Direct Expression of the Buddha-Dharma How could it possibly be otherwise? If there were any exception, then no music could be an expression of the Buddha-Dharma.
When all categorizations and associations are dropped away, the sound of music is just sound, with nothing else added. Thus, one has the sound of strings vibrating, drums being struck, voices singing, and electronics being processed. To say that this music is "sacred" and that music "profane" is just adding an imaginary, unheard layer onto the music, a layer that does not actually exist in the real world but only in the discriminating mind of the listener. The same holds true for distinctions such as "pop" and "classical," "artistic" and "commercial," or even "good" and "bad." All such labels are in the ear of the listener. All music, even that which I don't like, is nothing but pure sound, and while it may be easier for some to recognize the Buddha-Dharma in an eastern raga than in death metal, in a synthesized drone than in a advertising jingle, all music is exactly as it is, it is thus, and is therefore a direct expression of itself, which is to say, the Buddha-Dharma.
In 2012, Water Dissolves Water will continue to attempt to recognize this universal truth.
The Buddha Way In 2012, I will continue to conduct my Monday Night Zazen sessions and will continue to support the Chattanooga center to the extent that I am capable. In fact, my new status as an independent contractor and my new-found emancipation from the demands of the 40-hour corporate work week should increase my availability to help propagate the Way. The teachings will continue to appear on these pages.
2012, The Year 2012, in addition to including the end of the world on Dec. 21, will also feature another Presidential election in the U.S. This election shows every sign that it will be just as divisive and rancorous as the last election, possibly as any in my lifetime. I know better than to blog about things political, as one inevitably winds up expressing one-sided, dualistic views that don't capture the full complexity and nuances of the factual issues. But I also know that try as I might to resist the temptation, I will most likely wind up posting at least a couple of rants about the election, the candidates, the issues, and the state of the political discourse.
I ask in advance for your tolerance and forgiveness.
For me, 2011 will be as memorable as 2001 is for many people, as it will mark the year that I took the big leap after nearly 30 years and left the corporate world and the appearance of security afforded by salaried employment. I've formed my own company, at this point a sole proprietorship, and have started working for myself. 2012 will prove to be the year that shows whether I've made the biggest professional mistake of my life, finally came into my own as a professional and businessperson, or taken a further step along the Buddha Way. As my Zen teacher told me, "I suspect that you will be pleasantly surprised that your livelihood does not and never did depend upon being employed by a company."
For those of you keeping score at home, December 2011, my first full month of self-employment, went very well and provided as promising a start to my new enterprise as I could hope. 2012 will demonstrate the sustainability of that initial success. Anything is possible, and I may encounter financial success or I might get foreclosed upon (and who's to say what's good or what's bad?). My prediction is that I will survive, but not without struggles. You're invited to observe, if you're so inclined.
The State of Pop Music A couple of days ago, I asked, rhetorically, if there were any doubt that 2011 was another incredible year for music. Writing in the NY Times, Jon Caramanica expressed just such a doubt, stating "2011 may well be remembered as the most numbing year for mainstream rock music in history. . . The genre didn’t produce a single great album, and the best of the middling walked blindly in footprints laid out years, even decades, earlier."
As it turns out, there's no disagreement. Mr. Caramanica was referring to the mainstream, the corporate-produced, radio-format rock that unfortunately is all that most people get to hear these days. The mainstream, as buffered by the major labels, has been resistant to new ideas for years now. But the music that I've been covering in this blog, and to which I had specifically directed my rhetorical question, was what Mr. Caramanica called in today's Times "college rock 2.0," noting that it could also be referred to as “blog rock,” or “what hipsters like,” or “what I learned about from Pitchfork.” While all of those titles are unnecessarily pejorative (I still prefer the catch-all term "indie rock"), he includes this broad category of bands united more by audience and distribution than by sound among the more promising genres "bubbling below the mook-rockers, the ’90s revivalists, and the toothless oldsters" of the mainstream today.
In 2012, Water Dissolves Water will continue to explore the thesis that popular music, whatever label or title one wants to put upon it, when removed from the corrupting influence of business interests, becomes no longer the bland, numbing corporate product bemoaned by Mr. Caramanica, but the expression of the true artists, who freed from the requirement to conform with some label's expectation of what the largest number of people will like (or more typically, what the fewest number of people will dislike), are able to create wonderful and original sounds of their own preference. True art has never been and will never be a popularity contest (sorry, American Idol), and while some people may not like some of the results, and its highly unlikely that any one person would like all of it, the music being played today outside of the controlling interests of the major labels includes some of the most exciting, rewarding, and interesting sounds I've heard in the 45 plus years I've been listening to pop music. Which brings me to the next point, namely:
All Music, Without Exception, Is A Direct Expression of the Buddha-Dharma How could it possibly be otherwise? If there were any exception, then no music could be an expression of the Buddha-Dharma.
When all categorizations and associations are dropped away, the sound of music is just sound, with nothing else added. Thus, one has the sound of strings vibrating, drums being struck, voices singing, and electronics being processed. To say that this music is "sacred" and that music "profane" is just adding an imaginary, unheard layer onto the music, a layer that does not actually exist in the real world but only in the discriminating mind of the listener. The same holds true for distinctions such as "pop" and "classical," "artistic" and "commercial," or even "good" and "bad." All such labels are in the ear of the listener. All music, even that which I don't like, is nothing but pure sound, and while it may be easier for some to recognize the Buddha-Dharma in an eastern raga than in death metal, in a synthesized drone than in a advertising jingle, all music is exactly as it is, it is thus, and is therefore a direct expression of itself, which is to say, the Buddha-Dharma.
In 2012, Water Dissolves Water will continue to attempt to recognize this universal truth.
The Buddha Way In 2012, I will continue to conduct my Monday Night Zazen sessions and will continue to support the Chattanooga center to the extent that I am capable. In fact, my new status as an independent contractor and my new-found emancipation from the demands of the 40-hour corporate work week should increase my availability to help propagate the Way. The teachings will continue to appear on these pages.
2012, The Year 2012, in addition to including the end of the world on Dec. 21, will also feature another Presidential election in the U.S. This election shows every sign that it will be just as divisive and rancorous as the last election, possibly as any in my lifetime. I know better than to blog about things political, as one inevitably winds up expressing one-sided, dualistic views that don't capture the full complexity and nuances of the factual issues. But I also know that try as I might to resist the temptation, I will most likely wind up posting at least a couple of rants about the election, the candidates, the issues, and the state of the political discourse.
I ask in advance for your tolerance and forgiveness.
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