Translation:Let there be supreme victory for the chanting of the holy nameof Sri Krishna alone, which cleanses the mirror of the heart andcompletely extinguishes the blazing forest fire of material exis-tence. Sri-Krishna-Sankirtan diffuses the soothing moon rays ofspiritual ecstasy (bhåva) that cause the living entity’s whitelotus of good fortune to bloom. The holy name is the life andsoul of transcendental knowledge, which is here compared toa wife. It continuously expands the ocean of transcendentalbliss, enabling one to taste complete nectar at every step. Theholy name of Sri-Krishna thoroughly cleanses and cools the self,one’s nature and one’s determination, as well as the body, bothinternally and externally.
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(Narada Muni said) Thus I Loudly chanted the holy name of Krishna in Kirtan, not caring for any social formalities. Such chanting and remembering of the holy names benedicts everyone. In this way I traveled across the Earth, fully satisfied, humble, and non-envious.(Bhag. 1.6.26)
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Posted by Mary-Kathryn on February 25, 2009 at 5:21am
The other day I had a vision of a Captain at the wheel of his ship. The waves were swelling and crashing, tossing the ship so high and so low. Water was splashing up onto the deck, the wind was spraying it into our faces. I was one of the crewmen and as I hung on for dear life I heard the Captain, as he fought the wheel to keep the ship on a steady course, “Keep to your stations!!!” I feel like that’s what God is saying to us in these difficult times, “Keep to your stations. I’m at the wheel.” The waters are rough, as the storm rages against us, but He’s going to bring us safely to the destination He’s had planned for us all along.Psalm 107: 23-32 says, “Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.”
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Posted by Edward Weiss on February 24, 2009 at 4:05am
You know, I'm getting sick and tired of people putting down New Age music. Especially when most of the people who say they don't like it secretly have an Enya or other "soothing" CD in their music collection.The term "new age" has gotten mixed up with music in such a way that normally well meaning and intelligent people think there's something amiss with it. They believe that it's not OK to like a music that is peaceful and beautiful - especially when the connotation is that it's somehow "evil" or bad.It all began back in the early 1980's. You remember don't you? Twelve-step groups, Reagan, etc. Most of us were listening to the pop stylings of Madonna and Wham.Then one day, a new sound actually appeared on mainstream radio. "What was this," I asked myself? It was music like I had never heard before. It was piano, yes, but it was more than that. It was George Winston and the CD was called December.So poignant was this music, so full of longing and beauty, I had to have it. I purchased the CD shortly thereafter and am still amazed by it!Here's the thing. I know that most of you have heard of George Winston and know what New Age piano is. It's just not "hip" to like it and admit it out loud to your friends. I understand. We all want to be cool and share those things about us that will impress our friends. Who wants to admit that they secretly like "elevator music" as it is so frequently called?I'll admit it. I love New Age piano music!You know, the sad thing about all of this is that the world really needs this kind of music right now. It needs beauty and it needs it badly. What's so funny about peace, love, and New Age piano? Not a thing thank you.Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit http://www.quiescencemusic.com now and get a FREE piano lesson!
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Posted by Paul Adams on February 23, 2009 at 6:15am
THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF FAILUREFailure is a Monster in the lore of human kind. It’s the grand "ogre" that can bring about frustration and eat at the soul. Another thing failure is: AN OPEN GATE, and a new horizon. There is no such thing as failure.We’re dropped on this planet with our own particular passion and fire. For some it rages and pushes us on towards heights unimaginable. We are driven to accomplish , to seek, to explore, and to somehow “birth” that mighty fire that burns within our hallowed walls. Freud, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Renoir, Van Gogh, John Coletrane, Debussy, etc. Each on their rocket ship being propelled by the ego, and the firing of nerve synapses through the human experience at the speed of sound, accomplishment, and the thirst for applause and achievement.Hitting the wall and making mistakes provides us with invaluable lessons. Playing a guitar, driving a tractor, planting seed, painting a picture, etc. blooms best from error. Failing is a great teacher. It’s Gods force of nature molding us like clay. BUT, this is a little different. Clay is the perfect deciple or student. Clay has no part in making the DECISION to become what it will be. It completely surrenders to the artist who molds it into form and reality. Man, on the other hand, has choice. Failure offers to mold us. It is a co-op between Man, God, and destiny. An artist, craftsman, or worker, can use life experience (Failure) as an interplay toward growth and learning. Get up, and have at it AGAIN!. Those who have had a completely smooth ride may not have had the opportunity to test themselves. *Those who do not choose to bend and flex with failure, are missing the opportunity to paint w/ nature and circumstance. They are saying “no” when God asks them to dance and adjust. They are denying an opportunity to seek out a different perspective. They are saying no when God asks them to learn from mistakes and become better at what they do. We are too busy reacting - we are not listening.There are problems associated with failure to be sure. Perhaps the first mistake is the inability to see failure as a lesson. Instead we see it as defeat. We see it as natures way of telling us, we are NEVER going to be good enough. Defeat can also trigger laziness. After all, if I didn’t get it the first few times, why bother? I’ll NEVER be able to get it - AND here is the kicker - “I ONLY WANT TO DO THIS (Play guitar, paint a picture, etc), IF I AM GUARANTEED TO GET A RESULT”.Well, there are no guarantees, your technique will surpass Bela Fleck, Eddie Van Halen , or Izaak Perlman. There are no guarantees that you will sell a million albums. Hell, there are no guarantees you will sell a CD to anyone other than your family and friends. Here is where you can challenge yourself to the “purity of action.” That is, that you do what you do out of love. Love is free. Many years ago The Beatles sang “you can’t buy me love”... and it's true. Love simply is. Love is a gift. Love is being, and doing. It is becoming a part of the process of your life in action. If good musicianship were defined by the amount of pleasure or love you derive from the process, I know a lot of very poor players that are better musicians than highly skilled professionals. Their honesty and love of creation may speak more loudly than virtuostic flair.Perhaps our most noble goal is do the best we can, and use failure as a teacher. Failure must fill our sails toward a destination, not render them impotent, windless, and unable to reach our shore. Perhaps the more noble goal is honesty and humility - to accept your abilities (Also called "limitations".), and do the best you can with them. AND, maybe those so called “limitations” help you to make a decision that makes your work or art, unique and fresh. You may not be the fastest guitar player in the world, but that doesn’t negate your right to speak. Creating a connection to an audience, or fellow man, doesn’t have to rely technical virtuosity. It relies on an honest level of communicating between the creator, and listener. It depends on the intension and connection of your heart, soul, and passion. Your work may not have sold a million and reached the masses. BUT, you used failure to grow beyond your limitation. You used limitation to paint your picture in a completely unique way. You used your limits to speak with a voice unique and honest to the creative intent of your work. You have used limitation to offer the listener a vision and point of perspective they may not have experienced before. You have grown and succeeded within your intent. You have created for LOVE, not MONEY. And to answer the age old philosophical question, “if a tree falls to the ground deep in the forest, and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”Yes.*There are those for whom things go smoothly and it’s completely right. It’s easy to be a bit envious and resentful of them for not having paid their dues, but this only tends to guide us off coarse. Their life is their life, ours is ours. We have the opportunity to develop the strength to “get back up again” after a fall. We have the opportunity to listen to that crazy “whim” of nature that directs us toward a more intuitive relationship with creation. We have the ability to become better at what we do.
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Posted by R J Lannan on February 21, 2009 at 4:43pm
First and foremost I am a writer... a music reviewer, not a critic per se. I write about how music makes me feel, how it touches my heart and my spirit. I write about the mental and spiritual impressions music makes on me like the warmth of the sun or the caress of the wind on skin. I am emotional, warm and passionate. To earn my living I am a builder. I build cabins, homes and do remodels along with my son, Chris. We take a lot of pride in our work. I just started the business this year. Timing is everything.When I recieve a CD in the mail (I hardly ever download) I listen from the first track to the last track. I think every artist deserves my full attention. I never promise a review, but I alway promise a listen. It takes a fairly long time for me to do a review. First because of the time I have. I found out that at my age (the picture was taken in the eighties) I actually have to eat and sleep and give my family the attention they deserve. Second, I listen to a CD endlessly for days or weeks at a time and in different circumstances. Listening in the dark at 2 A.M. is very differrent from listening to something in the truck at three in the afternoon. I once listened to an album for over a year to catch as many musical nuaces as there were to be found. Third, as many artists can vouch for, I do research. I find out about the biography of the artist, history of the music and most importantly, any themes whether obvious or covert that the artist offers in her or his music. I have never put in a CD and twenty minutes later wrote, "This is nice." I don't like CDs in flat pasteboard boxes. I am also a music collector and a flat case simply can not be filed properly. This does not effect the review however, just a thought on personal taste.I write exclusively for the New Age Reporter. Just go to their website and you will undertand why.
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Hey all,It's great to see a community forming around interest in music for a New Age. We'd like to invite all of you to hear some conversations we've been having with musicians, sound healers and visionaries about the sacred and magical benefits of music and sound, as well as healing, inspiration and motivation. Deva Premal & Miten, Snatam Kaur & GuruGanesh, Eric Tingstad & Nancy Rumbel, Don Campbell, Jonathan & Andi Goldman, Nassim Haramein and KrishnaDas are just some of the folks we've interviewed on Seattle's Living Music Radio.We are really interested in promoting the conscious use of music for benefitting all of us and our world community. Please have a listen and let us know what you think. All the shows are archived on www.livingmusicradio.comJoy & Harmony,Narayan & JanetMusicians and Hosts of Living Music Radio
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For finding me and telling me about this cool feature. I am currently in production with a new CD called "Trillium". I am letting people hear sneak previews of rough mixes that we feel you can hear. Just take a listen to Midnight and comment.
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Posted by Frank Lotz on February 20, 2009 at 3:30pm
Dear spiritual friends & colleagues, Just enjoy my latest piece of Art:
About the Story: As the Seagull Radhê met the God of Birds & conquered the Ocean." A young seagull was taken away her eggs (babies) by the harsh sea. She asks the ocean politely: Give me my babies back. The "unbounded" Sea laughs & refuses to returns her children. Very innocently she says to the Sea: "I will dry you out & starts to take drop by drop out of the Sea!" More & more of her friends start to help, but the ocean laughs louder & louder... Because of their affecting they are ready to help & starting drop by drop too dry out the "Infinity"! Here comes the "Sun-King", the King of the Seagulls & looks around to sees what is happening.
The King of the seagull comes, the ocean doesn't listen. He begins to meditate, transcends time & space & oversees the whole scene from "above" His Soul/Spirit fly's to the realm/Loka of God (highest Heaven). A Divine "touch" is needed. So the "Sun-king" goes deep into his inner Self to tap/ contact the Transcendental field of the Cosmic Being (Gods Divine Light) Lord Indra the King of the Dewatas welcomes him & guides him to go beyond space & Time, to the highest field of Vaikuntha. Shri Ganesha welcomes him at the door of Lords Shivas (together are the 3 Gunas eternally) realm & Mother Divine blesses him! And the Seagull-King bowed down to the Lotus-feet of Mother Divine & realized the pure State of Bhagavat-Chetana/God-Consciousness Narada Muni, the Divine King of all Rishis opens the Gates to the most cherished Lord Rama's Realm! The highest Lord Raam & His dear wife Sita sending with him back to Earth the Dewata of the Birds, Shri GARUDA Garuda reminds Sea of the power of Lord Raam & gives up & returns the eggs (babies) back The God of the Birds Shri Garuda reminds the Ocean about the Divinity of Lord Raam His Grace & Power. The Ocean became "still" pure & quiet No wave, but pure Silence All over to be seen/experienced So the Sea gives up his pride & Returns the "eggs"/Babies... And Peace returned Happily & slowly Manu-Shanti comes out of his deep Meditation...
As the Eggs (babies) were returned back, immediately they were born in a healthy condition and almost grown up "youngsters"; very healthy and beautiful in shape! From that time on the ocean gives his promise that forever he will feed all the seagulls till eternity & give them shelter & strength, all they need to life a good & decent life.
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The last International New Age Music Conference was in 1991. Many artists, record labels and members of media and retail asked me recently if we could organize another New Age Music Conference. Let me know your thoughts and ideas. What should this conference include. At the time we had exhibits, panels, performances and workshops. We also gave awards to artists, composers, outstanding media contributors and outstanding contributors in the distribution and retail field. We had 13 countries participating and this was before the internet.
Any ideas and comments are welcome!
Suzanne
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