conchus times

The Swirled Beat w/Sunny Sun-Downer April 1, 2010g.c. (No Foolin'!)

2010-04-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

With the Controversy of “Dear Dad” Resolved, Bob Marley’s Son Ky-Mani Embarks on Book-Signing Tour
When I met Bob-Marley’s 2nd youngest son, Ky-Mani at the soundboard of West Hollywood’s House of Blues some dozen years ago, we exchanged very few words, but I felt a humble “Air of Nobility” from this “Prince of Jamaican Royalty.” In an interesting “Opposite Parallel Universe” kind of way, I compare his life to that of Shakyamuni Buddha, in that Buddha, before he became one, was Prince Siddhartha, an heir to the throne of the Shakya Clan of India. His father King Suddhodana, did everything he could to keep his son content with all the delights of the senses and to keep him from seeing the suffering of the world outside the palace walls, which backfired when he escaped and renounced “the world” taking on the life of a wandering yogi to eventually attain Buddha-hood while sitting under the Bodhi Tree.
At that time I had no idea I was meeting someone who’d lived that, in the sense that while most of his dozen brothers and sisters had a life of comfort in Jamaica due to their father’s music industry wealth, he was an “outcast,” taken at age nine by his mother, table tennis champion Anita Belnavis, to the Miami inner-city where they lived in poverty, sharing a two-room apartment with eight others of her family. It was here in the ghettos of Miami that Ky-Mani survived his experience of gangs, drug dealing and violence. It was here that he also developed the attitude that all people are equal- that no one is above or below him, and that same attitude has become the motto of the way he lives his life today: “Humble. Soft-Spoken. Sincere. Loyal. Honest. Genuine” (as stated on one of his websites).It has only been more recently in his life, by “pulling him-self up by the boot-straps” that he is experiencing the long overdue wealth of his birth-right.
His legendary father Bob Marley’s message of Equality, Justice and “One Love” for all Humanity is definitely being carried on and spreading world-wide even further through his off-spring, many of whom have won Grammies in the Reggae and Hip-Hop categories. At first, Ky-Mani had no interest in following in his musically-famous father’s footsteps, devoting his developing skill to sports. As a teenager he tried dee-jaying and rapping, but returned to focusing on sports, until, at age 20 those inherent “seeds” of his blood-line were caused to sprout and an album of covers of some of his dad’s music, “Like Father, Like Son” soon emerged. Then, in 1997 he collaborated with Pras of the Hip-Hop group The Fugees to cover Eddy Grant’s hit “Electric Avenue,” and the spark of his father’s legacy within was set ablaze, setting off a fire-storm of song-writing over the subsequent years. His 1999 album “The Journey” received critical acclaim, achieving relatively good sales, but his 2001 album “Many More Roads” was nominated for a Grammy Award, only to lose to his brother, Damian “Junior Gong” Marley’s album “Halfway Tree.” He is featured in a wide variety of collaborations, including Young Buck’s “Buck the World” on a track called “Puff, Puff, Pass,” Afu-Ra’s song “Equality” on “Body of Life Force” and Ms. Dynamite’s “A Little Deeper.” These are just the tip of the “I and Ice-berg” as just typing his name into a search on Youtube.com brings a seemingly endless choice of Ky-Mani collaborations!
He is also quite the accomplished actor. In 2002, Ky-mani starred as the character Kassa in the film “One Love,” a compelling love story of a “conch-us” reggae musician dealing with the corruptions of the industry. After he meets a church girl with an angelic voice, (played by Cherine Anderson, who has recently recorded and toured with Michael Franti and Spearhead for their “All Rebel Rockers” album) they end up drastically transforming each other’s lives, ending in a heart-opening finish. (I found that you can watch this intriguing film on Youtube for free, albeit in 10 segments). He played the role of John the Baptist in the film “Haven” that stars Bill Paxton and Orlando Bloom, directed by Frank Flowers. He later starred opposite acclaimed Reggae Artist Spragga Benz in the film “Shottas,” a captivating story of two young men from Jamaica struggling to reach their dreams through living life in the "fast lane". This film and its sequel created a tremendous buzz upon being released by Sony Pictures in 2007. He also played himself in the BET J television series, “Living the Life of Marley” in 2004.
Incorporating world music, hip-hop, blues, rock and a “grass-roots” sound into his music, he transcends the label of “Reggae Artist.” Still, with the unmistakable Marley-esque raw, gruff sound of his voice in songs such as “Dear Dad”, “I Pray”, “Ghetto Soldier” and “Fist full of Dollars,” Ky-mani conveys his true life experience that intones Peace, One Love, Unity, Street Life and pays homage to his Jamaican Culture and Heritage.
Now, what of this controversy that the title of this article refers to? He recently tried to delay the release of his new book, "Dear Dad: Where's the Family in Our Family, Today?" after realizing it could upset his relatives, but the tome hit shelves in February, to mark what would have been his father's 65th birthday. The book's cover boasted it contains the "story the Marley family apparently didn't want you to know," referring to his being shunned by the Marley estate early on in his life. But he took issue with that quote, which placed him at odds with his publishing firm over the claim, but on February 16, his editor Farrah Gray agreed to pull the tagline from the second edition. It is currently ranked the #1 Reggae bestseller in the world and ranks in the top 10 Celebrity memoirs, according to Amazon.com. Ky-Mani has now spoken out about the controversy surrounding the expose. In a post on his MySpace page, he writes, "The book was not an attack on my family. I love my brothers and sisters more than anyone can know."
When asked in a recent interview what his early life was like he said, “I speak it now proudly, but when I was younger I was a little bitter, knowing my legacy and where I was coming from and knowing that my condition in which I was being raised was unfit. But yet it’s a part of my life; I can look back on it and really appreciate it because it molded me as a human being, it built my character, it gave me meaning towards life, it gave me understanding for people in the gutter, for people in the forest and for people in the palace, so I don’t regret that any one bit.
In the same interview, he defended his use of cannabis as a sacrament and advertising a related herbal product on his Myspace site: “You see some people smoke marijuana and say ‘We’re going to get high, we’re going to have a nice time’; that is not for me. This is for meditation, for spiritual up-liftment, for a clear mind, to see the world and to see people for who they are and what they are. My thing is not to go smoke and get high and get nice. I smoke to put me in a meditative state, so I can relate to people in the most natural way and form possible…” The ad for “Herbal Balance.com? ”It does exactly what it says: balance the herb. This is a pill that if you look at it, everything in it is organic- there is nothing that is manufactured, everything is from a root and is organic. What this herbal supplement does is it prevents you from getting the munchies. It gives you a more natural sensation from the herb, it replenishes the fluids in your joints because of course when you are smoking you’re taking in the smoke and it dries out the fluids so it keeps your joints nicely moist. It’s a good thing. Rastafari.” Kymani comes to L.A. for his book-signing on April 30, 7pm at Barnes & Noble, The Grove at Farmers Market. (323) 525-0270

The (1st) Swirled Beat- Gil Scott-Heron

2010-03-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

The “Swirled Beat” by Sunny Sun-Downer (as it appears in the March 18th issue of the Desert Valley Star- also viewable at www.desertvalleystar.com
(I’ve chosen to name this new DVS/AFJ music column after a show I did on community-sponsored radio back in the 80’s, that mainly featured “world beat” music such as Reggae, African, Jazz-Rock and the Roots of “Conchus” Hip-Hop/Rap. It therefore seems quite appropriate to start it out featuring the “Father of Spoken Word-Neo Soul,” Gil Scott-Heron)

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (and Neither Will the Coachella Festival!)
Gil Scott-Heron is one of my heroes for speaking out in his unique musical style, against the oppression of “the establishment” ever since my “formative years” in high school in the early 70’s.
He was born on April 1 (no fooling!), 1949 to Bobbie Scott-Heron, who sang with the New York Oratorical Society. His father, Giles “Gil” Heron was of Jamaican descent and was nick-named “The Black Arrow”- famous in the soccer world as the first black athlete to play for Scotland’s Glasgow Celtic Football Club.
Gil is an American Poet, musician and author who formed his first music group, “Black and Blues” with Brooklyn-based musician Brian Jackson. He ploughed the way for future artists of the “spoken word soul performance” genre with his early recordings such as 1971’s “Pieces of a Man” and 1974’s “Winter in America.” This new musical style that they pioneered was a combination of jazz, blues and soul music with lyrics that addressed the social and political issues of the time, conveyed in a “rapping” and “melismatic” or “melodic embellishment” style. An All Music Guide (now Allmusic) critic recently wrote of his influence, “Scott-Heron’s unique proto-rap style influenced a generation of hip-hop artists.”
In his younger years, he admired the spoken-word-blues-poet Langston Hughes and followed in his footsteps by enrolling in Lincoln University in PA. At age 20 he finished his first novel, “The Vulture,” which was an auspicious beginning, as it was called “a strong start for a writer with important things to say.” At the same time he’d written his first book of poetry, “Small Talk at 125th and Lenox,” which later became the name of his first record album. As he was emerging in the early 70’s there was a profound shift occurring, as the struggle for civil rights was giving way to the demand for “Black Power.” The civil rights movement had lost its focus, as it was ripped apart by internal competing factions, while its leaders were silenced by bullets and jail. Black popular music of the time reflected what was going on politically, and it started to focus less on the civil rights theme of “brotherhood” as it got more aggressive. Leading the attack was this young, articulate, and enraged “soul brother,” Gil Scott-Heron, who was said to have started fusing the free form jazz of John Coltrane with the revolution-stoking speeches of Malcolm X.
His music is often associated with “Black Militant” activism and he’s received much critical acclaim for his hallmark song attacking oppression and media-domination of Americans, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” It caught my attention from the first listen with such lyrics as: “Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville Junction will no longer be so damned relevant, and women will not care if Dick finally gets down with Jane on (the soap opera) Search for Tomorrow, because Black people will be in the street looking for a brighter day… The revolution will not be televised.”
From a highly-recommended series of videos available for free on Youtube called, “Originals: Gil Scott-Heron” comes this quote from Gil regarding black people: “Watching television was not going to accomplish anything. The change that was going to take place was going to take place in their minds.”
He then went on to record 12 albums for Arista Records in the 80’s, followed by a 12 year break from recording, though he still toured. He then signed to TVT Records in 1993 and released his album called, “Spirits,” with the first track, “Message to the Messengers” being a criticism of rap music artists of the day direct from the “Godfather of Rap,” that urged them to take responsibility for their art and in their communities; To speak for change rather than perpetuate the current social situation, and to be more artistic and articulate. He later said in an interview about rap artists:
“They need to study music. I played in several bands before I began my career as a poet. There’s a big difference between putting words over some music, and blending those same words into the music. There’s not a lot of humor. They use a lot of slang and colloquialisms, and you don’t really see inside the person. Instead, you just get a lot of posturing.”
Like too many artists, he too had a battle with drug addiction, and has spent time in prison for the “crime” of cocaine possession, which personally makes me sick. It’s indicative of another social ill in our dysfunctional society, because drug addiction needs to be treated as a disease and a health issue, not a criminal issue. This all-the-more shows the need to speak out with the words from the poet, against a system of separate-ness and non-equality.
Since then, he’s returned to play to sell-out crowds all over the world, performing at major festivals in England and the United States, including New York’s Central Park. Just as occurred with Leonard Cohen, another “Father” of the Spoken Word genre, playing to thousands at last year’s Coachella Music Festival, we have a chance to see this Living Legend in the flesh, this April 18 at the same venue, a couple of weeks after he turns 71 years young! (…and it won’t be televised- at least not live!)
His influence is seen popping up all over, and by chance I just happened upon a mention of the “Revolution being televised” at the beginning of a video on Youtube called “Beautiful,” by Bob Marley’s youngest son, Grammy Award-Winner Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. Now, speaking of these artists following in Gil’s footsteps, I met a wonderful spoken word artist who performed at the recent celebration of the Legend Bob Marley, the “Raggamuffins Festival” in Long Beach (and if you missed it, do not fail to put it on your calendar for next February!) Sufia Giza’s newest CD called “Sankofa Times,” not only honors Mr. Scott-Heron in her song, “Armchair Revolutionaries” but also the afore-mentioned poet Hughes in “Langston’s Blues” where she intones “Hughes sang the blues, So that We wouldn’t have to…” Her call to “remember the past, but move into the future” via her inspirationally-positive poetry is laid down over some hard-driving roots reggae background music with seasoned professionals such as my old friends Carlton “Santa” Davis, the drummer from the Peter Tosh Band, among others, and Lesterfari, from the early days of L.A. reggae with bands like the Third I Band and Matuzelum. Please check out her dance-able “conchus lyrics” at www.unityworksmusic.com and www.myspace.com/sufiagiza
-Sunny Sun-Downer can be reached at conchustimes@yahoo.com and his articles for the DVS/AFJ are archived at www.conchustimes.blogspot.com

EVARO @ HAALOS DHS 2-26-10gc!

2010-02-25T18:10:00.000-08:00

EVARO FAMILY BAND @ HAALOS
HEALING ARTS CENTER, DESERT HOT SPRINGS

HAALOS: Healing Arts Aromatherapy Loving-Kindness & Organic Solutions
Benefit Concert w/Higher Heights-Be Jah! One Year Anniversary Celebration!

Friday, February 26th, 2010(gregorian calendar) 8:30pm- ?
B.Y.O.Libation/Love & Dancing Feet!
A suggested (min.) $10.80 donation will be lovingly accepted!
(There is a "No Dress Code" enforced)

HAALOS Healing Arts Center in the “Downtown-Oldtown Vortex Construction Zone” of Desert Hot Springs
12078 Palm Dr., DHS 92240 (near Pierson- parking in back)
More info: conchustimes@yahoo.com or call: 760-673-7580 909-800-1711
One Love- A ConchUs Times Production

Celebrating the Roots of the Bob Marley Family Tree

2010-01-31T23:31:00.000-08:00

"Reggae in California" poster from 1985g.c. by Laguna Beach CA/Sawdust Festival artist Brett Keast

The Stream of Conch-Us-ness with Sunny Sun-Downer (the "Un-edited Version" [only the part about the "Cave in Nepal" was cut out this time!] of the article published in the Feb. 11, 2010g.c. issue of the Desert Valley Star... Yes I En-Joy! -=0=-)
You have definitely been living in a “cave” for the past five or so decades if you have not heard of the Jamaican Legend Bob Marley and his band the Wailers’ music- and that would have to be a cave even farther out in the Himalayan Mountains than I was at in Nepal in the 1980’s, because that’s where and when I was surprised to find how far that his music had spread. He and his fellow Jamaican musicians’ spiritually-charged and revolutionary reggae music that calls for true equality, justice and freedom from oppression for all “Jah Children,” gained that kind of universal acceptance from its message of the spiritual one-love and human rights saddled with that infectious reggae rhythm, which Bob once called the “rhythm of the jungle.”
When he left us at the age of 36 in 1981, his fans were devastated to have his physical form taken from them at the height of his career, and there have always been the conspiracy theories in reggae circles that his fast-spreading brain cancer was planted by the CIA when he was hospitalized for a soccer-caused foot injury- “assassinated” as was Martin Luther King, for starting to unite the third world countries, and this from their fear that he would ignite a “revolution against the controlling powers that be.” What is true is that he and his band, the Wailers, were about to embark on a world tour with Stevie Wonder, and his message of revolution would have been heard world-wide.
As it is, his message has spread world-wide, just without the impact of the man physically imparting it for the past 29 years. Three years after his “Journey back to Zion,” a compilation album of his music titled “Legend” (released in 1984) is still reggae music’s best-selling album, going 10 times “Platinum” (or “Diamond”) in the U.S., and selling 20 million copies worldwide.
Also, not to mention, is his musical message being carried on not only by untold musicians performing his music, but by his off-spring as well. Bob’s religious tendency was Rastafari, and the Rastafarians take the Book of Genesis as gospel- as it said to “go forth and multiply,” he took the advice seriously, creating at least ten amazingly-talented children with his wife, Rita (one of his original “I-Threes” back up singers) and his various lovers. They are Cedella (named after Bob’s mother), David “Ziggy,” Stephen, Robert “Robbie,” Rohan, Karen, Julian, Ky-mani, Damian and Makeda. While Ziggy, accompanied by his brothers and sisters as “The Melody Makers,” turned on a whole new generation to the experience of their father’s musical and spiritual experience beginning in the mid 80’s, it was Damian who amazed people later, combining the styles of reggae and hip-hop. He is nick-named “Junior Gong,” after his father’s early nick-name, “Tuff Gong.” Bob’s nick-name became the name of a record label formed by the Wailers in 1970, which was in turn an echo of that nick-name given to the founder of the Rastafarian movement, Leonard “The Gong” Howell. While Stephen has won five Grammies, Ziggy and his Melody Makers four, Damian has won three. (Detailed bios of the Marley family, along with a plethora of info on Bob and his music are available at www.bobmarley.com).
Just about 29 years ago, Bob would ad-lib some lyrics to Curtis Mayfield’s song “Keep On Movin’:” “Tell Ziggy I’m fine, and to keep the dollar in line, ‘Cause we’re soon to move now, We are…” He would then sing the chorus line “Lord, I got to keep on movin, yeah, where I can’t be found…” at a sound check for a Wailers concert, singing that line over and over for about twenty minutes, bringing tears to the eyes of his band, as they knew it was his way of saying goodbye to his musical/spiritual family.
It was at about this same time that a group of reggae-lovers in Los Angeles decided to honor Bob’s Legacy with grass-roots produced reggae concerts they would offer to the people for free, called “Bob Marley Day.” I’ll always hold in my fondest memories, some of my friends from Laguna Beach, in bands aptly titled the “Friends Band,” “Jack Miller & the International Reggae All Stars,” and the “Rebel Rockers” (with dynamic performers that included Barbara Paige and Princess Morton who recorded with some of the Wailers, and Tony Chin and Fully Fullwood of the Soul Syndicate and Peter Tosh’s band, among others) playing at some of these early tributes at the Westwood Federal Building, come rain or shine.
So, it’s been quite a long haul for this dedicated (or, as the Rasta’s call it: “live-a-cated”) group to keep the tribute going over the decades, and the transformation from the old “Bob Marley Day” celebrations to the more recent “Ragga Muffins Festival” has been quite amazing to witness. Now these concerts that still honor (in every way except in name, for the inevitable legal reasons) Robert Nesta Marley in the month of his birth, end up selling out in their huge Long Beach and Oakland venues.
In this year’s Ragga Muffins Festival at the Long Beach Arena on Saturday, February 20th and Sunday the 21st, the musical line up with many LIVING LEGEND Reggae Stars is nothing short of “STELLAR.” Because of space limitations with this article, I must ask the reader to do some “home work” on the internet to find out the impact that these legends have made on World Music- unless of course you know what I mean when I give you names like Don Carlos, Frankie Paul, Yellowman, Big Youth, Barrington Levy, Gregory Isaacs, The Mighty Diamonds, Capleton, Cocoa Tea… Other performers of note are Shaggy, Gramps Morgan, Bajah & the Dry Eye Crew, the Mystic Roots Band, Yellow Wall Dub Squad, Taurus Riley, Alborosie, Konshens, David Kirton, the Lions, and Detour Posse, w/more to be announced! And of course, many of you desert-dwellers may have caught the reggae group “The Aggrolites” (performing on Sunday) “crucially moshing it up inna yard-style” at the Coachella Festival last year (and please know that the term “moshing it up,” that “reefers” to a “hard-driving dance beat” came from Jamaica long before the punkers adopted it into their physically harmful version!).
The concert’s doors open at 12 noon and you are going to want to get there early, as the festival offers “North America’s largest International Food and Crafts Fair!” Also, this “Family-Friendly Event” offers free admission to children 12 and under (when accompanied by a paid adult), and the kids-oriented activity space of the “What About the Children? Foundation” has become a welcome annual tradition, with its storytellers, face painting and other enriching activities. Ticket prices are a reasonable $38- to $60- (plus applicable service charges) and are available by phone at (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com and for more information you can call the Ragga Muffins Festival hotline at (310) 515-3322 or go to raggamuffinsfestival.com and myspace.com/raggamuffinsfestival
On the local front, don’t miss the combined celebration of Bob Marley’s and all other Aquarius (or “Aquari-I”) birthdays AND the HAALOS Healing Arts Center’s One Year Anniversary in the “Vortex Construction Zone” of Desert Hot Springs, on Bob’s actual birthday, Sat., Feb. 6, 8pm on, with a live “open mic reggae jam,” dancing, refreshments and fun! (12078 Palm Dr., DHS 92240)
-Sunny Sun-Downer can be contacted at conchustimes@yahoo.com and his articles for the Desert Valley Star are archived at www.conchustimes.blogspot.com as well as www.desertvalleystar.com

The Over the Hill Band Film Review

2010-01-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

(The unedited version [which adds a couple of quite ah-muse-ing paragraphs at the end] of the article I just wrote for the current Desert Valley Star -=0=-)
The Over the Hill Band (Meisjes)
Film Review by Sunny Sun-Downer
The U.S. Premiere of the hit Belgian film “The Over the Hill Band” debuts as a “World Cinema Now Gala Screening” at the P.S. International Film Festival on Saturday evening, January 16 at 7 pm, with director Geoffrey Enthoven (The Only One) expected to attend, as well as lead actors Marilou Mermans, Jan van Looveren and Lea Couzin.
Also called, “Meisjes” (Dutch for “Girlfriends”) this film is hailed as in the tradition of “sassy social comedies” such as last year’s (Canne’s Critic Week Award Winner) Moscow, Belgium and plays like a combination of the British Calendar Girls and Young at Heart. (It is no coincidence then that one of the screenwriters of this film was Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem of Moscow, Belgium fame).
This charming comic drama is a “coming-of-old-age” story about a classy woman who rediscovers life and love before it’s almost too late. Recently widowed Claire (played magnificently by Marilou Mermans) seeks to resolve the issues between her and her two sons, Michel (Lucas van den Eynde) and Alex (Jan van Looveren)- issues that were not addressed while her husband was alive. While Michael is a successful businessman, Alex- who prefers to be called “Sid,” is a failed and frustrated R & B/Hip Hop musician who blames part of his failure on the lack of parental support, which he accuses all went to Michel. Admitting to herself that Sid was the child she loved most "in her gut", but that she had indeed paid more attention to Michel out of guilt-driven compensation to hide the fact, Claire decides to use the last of her money and her remaining years to support Sid's musical quest to finally grant him his long overdue share of affection. The manner in which she chooses to “heal the wound” leads to the great entertainment that is bestowed on the viewer of this delightful comedy. She flashes back to her teenage years singing in a band with her girlfriends Magda (Lea Couzin) and Lutgard (Lut Tomsin) as the popular trio, "The Sisters of Love" and then decides that as backup singers they can help Sid form a band and convinces her “girlfriends” to come out of retirement. Sid thinks it’s the most ridiculous idea he’s ever heard, but because he needs money so badly he reluctantly agrees to join his mother and her crazy friends. But he does so on one condition ... they will play HIS kind of music!
You get the feeling from the opening scene where Claire’s husband is chiding her for humming to herself, that his demise was going to be a blessing for her- in that it would release her of the repressive nature of his attitude toward life, which might allow her to rediscover hers- especially in creating an opening in the strained relationship with her son Alex (Sid). After all, wasn’t it her husband who found no worth in Sid’s musical ambitions? The film also questions the age-old traditional pattern of wives giving up their lives and dreams for their husbands. It also brings into focus our imminent sunset of old age and death. Watching Claire come to the realization of how she has unfairly treated her son Sid and how she can right it, and then observing how she gradually "loses her marbles" and experiences "butterflies in her head"-are heartfelt jewels within the unfolding whimsy.
By recognizing their mutual love for music, Claire and Sid slowly grow closer. But all is not rosy in her plan of action. As Sid and the re-incarnated “Sisters” form the new group and prepare for a battle of the bands, Claire’s older son, the “buttoned down” Michel attempts to intervene. He believes Sid is using their mother and taking advantage of her, and the two even come to blows over the issue. The band must overcome such nay-sayers as well as their age, doubts and insecurities to put on the show of their lives!
The “Sisters of Love” become reinvented as the “Over the Hill Band” with a play-list that ranges from the hip-hop anthem, “Pump Up the Jam” to a “pimped-out” version of Wallace Collection’s “Daydream.” You can’t help but laugh whole-heartedly as these elderly timeless performers get back in touch with their “inner vixen,” as Claire intones, "When I look in the mirror, I wonder who the old bat is that I can see. Because underneath this old skin, I'm still 17. That's how I feel."
Jan van Looveren transforms from a disheveled, unattractive and un-likeable Sid to the kid you can't help but like. Lut Tomsin also shines as the crotchety youth choir-director who learns to get a buzz off the bass. In one especially hilarious scene she mouths the lyrics to sexually-suggestive hip-hop music, while filling her shopping basket with rap CDs. And the mirthful, fun-spirited Lea Couzin earns a point for defending Jacques Brel as God.
From Director Enthoven’s daily writings of the shoot, comes this revelation- “Lut, Magda and Claire are singing the famous Jaques Brel song ‘Ne me quitte pas,’ accompanied by a church organ. Sid enters the church carrying a ghetto blaster boom box. The loud introduction of “his” music comes with vivid, shameless body movements- totally absorbed by the music. The confrontation between R & B-macho Sid and the three ladies ‘of a certain age,’ is the soul of our comedy. Sid’s song ‘Big Dick Jones’ has been composed by lyricist Pascal Garnier, who was so embarrassed by the juicy lyrics that he wrote the texts while his family was sleeping!” (Pascal Garnier and Stef Caers wrote the swinging R & B versions of the classic pop tunes featured in the film).
Well, if we have the “sex” and the “rock n’ roll,” let’s not forget the “drugs!” Also from Enthoven’s writings, “What a day! We’re shooting a scene with 10 actors. Sid’s lighting a joint, and passes it to Magda and Claire, who take a puff. Neither of them have smoked before, so it’s difficult for them to act this out in a convincing way. It took me a lot of pain to quit smoking nine years ago, and now I’m the one who has to show them how to inhale. Very tricky! But I’m a pro- I’ll do anything for the film!”
The film’s closing sequence is a thought-provoking merging of senile and cinematic fantasies with an unexpected twist. Northernstars’, Maurie Alioff says that while this film is mainstream fare, it’s also "the kind of movie festival-goers embrace for its feel-good vibe." Writing for the Montreal Gazette, John Griffin describes it as "funny, ribald, touching and inspirational comedy" and advises: "Take your pointers where you may, but this genuinely appealing tale does suggest that life is short. Live every day to the max." After receiving a standing ovation at the 28th International Film Festival of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Grand Prix Hydro-Quebec, the jury lauded the film for its "clear style and ability to subtly narrate a serene view on death."
Also, Juniors are warned that at the Palm Springs screenings, the Senior Demographic there might become a bit unruly while watching this film!
The Over the Hill Band screens once on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 7pm and once Sunday, Jan. 17 at 4:30pm.
For more info contact the Palm Springs International Film Festival at www.psfilmfest.org or call 760-778-8979

The Sun Behind the Clouds Controversy at Palm Springs Film Festival

2010-01-14T22:35:00.000-08:00

The Sun Behind the Clouds- Tibet's Struggle for Freedom
The Controversy with the China Gov't "Interferring with Palm Springs' Internal Affairs"
by Sunny Sun-Downer (the unedited version of the article published in the current Desert Valley Star newspaper)
"With unusual intimate access, filmmakers Tenzin Sonam and his wife Ritu Sarin find a unique perspective on the Dalai Lama's trials and tribulations and follow him over an eventful year, including the 2008 protests in Tibet, the Long March in India, the Beijing Olympics and the breakdown of talks with China," reads the Palm Springs International Film Festival's description of a film that has unexpectedly created an international controversy between the governments of China and Tibet, "The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom."
Not only has the Chinese Government closed down one of the film industry's biggest marketing tools, IMDb.com (Internet Movie Database- a user-generated movie review website) in the past week, undoubtedly due to the controversy they created by "meddling in Palm Springs' internal affairs," but there is controversy within the controversy regarding the two Chinese films pulled out of the Palm Springs International Film Festival. In "protest" of the festival's inclusion of the Pro-Tibet film "The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom," the two films, "Quick, Quick, Slow" and "City of Life and Death" (also called "Nanjing! Nanjing!) were pulled in the festival's first week. The first film is a comedy about ordinary people taking part in a dance competition n China, while "City of Life and Death" is about the 1937 invasion of China by Japan (which is ironic in that "The Sun Behind the Clouds..." covers the Chinese Government's invasion of Tibet in the 1950's).
IMDb.com now joins Facebook, Youtube and Twitter as banned websites in China.
The "controversy in the controversy" regards the exposing of the Chinese government's withdrawing the films from the festival, and then attempting to spin the decision as having been taken by one of the Chinese film directors.

Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, reported that Lu Chuan, the director of “City of Life and Death," had himself made the decision to withdraw from the film festival. According to Xinhua, “Lu was informed Monday that ‘The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom’ would be screened during the festival and immediately notified his film's distributor in North America of his quitting, Lu's publicity assistant Wang Dan said. The India-produced documentary tells mainly of the Dalai Lama's "secessionist" activities in 2008. Lu Chuan said, ‘All activities overseas of my film should serve China's interests and safeguard the national sovereignty and territorial integrity.’”

The Xinhua report contradicts a report from The Hollywood Reporter saying “Chinese State-run 'China Film Group' had pulled ‘City of Life and Death’” from the Palm Springs International Film Festival to protest the event’s inclusion of a film about the Dalai Lama, director Lu Chuan said Wednesday.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lu said a “government department ... demanded China Film pull the movie.”

The Director of the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), which runs through January 18, Darryl Macdonald, released a formal statement that said: “After meeting with representatives from the Chinese government regarding their request to cancel our screenings of ‘The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom,’ we have respectfully declined their request. I’m saddened that the Chinese film authorities have chosen to withdraw their films from PSIFF, as the Festival is an international cultural event whose mandate is to present a wide cross section of perspectives and points of view. That said, we cannot allow the concerns of one country or community to dictate what films we should or should not play, based on their own cultural or political perspective. Freedom of expression is a concept that is integral both to the validity of artistic events, and indeed, to the ethos of this country.” Macdonald said he was also told by Chinese government officials that by including the Tibet film “he was going against the position of the U.S. government, which doesn’t recognize Tibet as independent of China, but Macdonald said he responded, ‘Sorry, this is an arts event and we believe in freedom of expression.’”

International Campaign for Tibet then issued a statement: "Government constraints on freedom of expression within China are entrenched. Those who would exercise this inalienable and fundamental freedom by saying things that the Chinese government or Communist Party objects to - whether in film, on the internet or any public platform – can face criminal charges of ‘inciting subversion’ and other serious consequences. In this context, it is especially gratifying that private citizens outside China so clearly understand what is at stake. By refusing to bow to Chinese government intimidation, they stand up for those who risk much to establish a free and more open society in China,” said Mary Beth Markey, ICT Vice President for International Advocacy.

In a written reaction, the directors of "The Sun Behind the Clouds...," Ritu Sarin and (Tibetan exile) Tenzing Sonam said: “It is clear that the directors of these films had no choice in the matter and were as much victims of their government’s authoritarian policies as we, the intended targets, were meant to be. As China now feels emboldened enough to attempt to impose its will on independent cultural events in a country as powerful and as symbolic of the right to free speech and expression as the United States of America, we can begin to understand the extent of repression within its own borders. It is not surprising that even as the Chinese government was putting pressure on PSIFF to remove our film from its line-up, it imposed a six-year sentence on Tibetan filmmaker, Dhondup Wangchen, (whose unsettling film, "Leaving Fear Behind" debuted at Urban Yoga in Palm Springs in 2008) for making a film that showed the true feelings of Tibetans in Tibet about their exiled leader, the Dalai Lama, and their situation under Chinese rule.” It has been reported that not only was he beaten and tortured for his truthful expose, he has also been infected with hepatitis in Chinese prison, and those interested in protesting his draconian sentence are encouraged to go to the Students for a Free Tibet website http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/dhondupwangchensentenced

Also, for those wanting facts that clearly refute China's claim that Tibet has always been a part of their country, which they use to justify their (far from) "peaceful liberation" of Tibet over 50 years ago, please go to such sites as the following: http://www.jamyangnorbu.com/blog/2009/02/25/a-losar-gift-for-rangzen-activists/

And finally, if you can make it, the Palm Springs Int. Film Festival added one more screening of this AH-mazing film, Sat. Jan. 16th, 10 am Annenburg Theater at the PS Art Museum-
http://www.psfilmfest.org/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=21166&FID=40
-= ~!~ =-

The Goddess, ET and the “Angel”

2009-12-19T21:58:00.000-08:00

The Stream of ConchUs-ness with Sunny Sun-Downer

Ahhhh…. We desert-dwellers are so fortunate. I realized this again last night sitting in the local public hot mineral water pool after a very long drive back down from Northern California. I’d gone up to Chico for a celebration of my sister Christina’s life on the 3rd anniversary of her transition to the “other side.” She left in 2007 within a couple of days of the anniversary of George Harrison’s transition. The “Cosmic Coincidence” (CC) of this is that back in 1971 she turned me onto George’s first album, ironically titled “All Things Must Pass,” giving me some “sweet refuge” as I would perform some of his songs for her family and friends back at the painful time of her departure. Also, in this “CC,” the album contained one of the first introductions of Eastern Mysticism to the popular cultures of the West- his classic song, “My Sweet Lord.”
This was so special to Chris and I, as we were brought up in a rare Orange County household that practiced Hindu meditation- so we were emboldened with this mass-indoctrination from an Ex-Beatle’s introduction of the cross-cultural “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama” and the plethora of other Hindu names of God musically interwoven with Western religion’s “Hallelujah… My Sweet Lord!”
So, fast-forwarding back to the “gift” of the “present,” I found myself at the famous (at least in Northern California circles) “Chico Goddess Temple” (www.thegoddesstemple.com) that my sister frequented, created by metal sculptor Robert Seales (who we used to call “Bobby” but I believe he grew tired of being confused w/the 60’s Radical of the same name, so now goes by “Robert”). This Ah-mazing solar and wind-powered 700-plus acre retreat was created for weddings, funerals, solstice/equinox celebrations, etc., so it was the perfect place to honor my sister, whose picture I placed under the 4 foot tall metal “Goddess” sculpture inside the hall (centered between two massive metal elephant sculptures) and proceeded to honor her spirit with candle and incense. Outside, the entrance to the temple is graced with a 30’ tall metal sculpture of the Goddess with a Yin-Yang symbol on her belly, whose open legs you walk under as you enter. This created the feeling of being born into this beautiful “Goddess Realm,” with statuesque flora and fauna, its wide range of winged-ones, its big pond with fish and ducks, not to mention dogs, cats and a free-roaming friendly hog named “Pig.” With song and dance, including dancing dogs, we honored my sister’s wonderful life as a mother and Northern California activist of many worthy causes (among so much else), whose spirit was glowing in our mind’s eye. (Her spirit also lives on in the 2007section of my blog mentioned at end).
It was on the next night that I would learn about another death in my family- my “spiritual family,” that is. To introduce this part of the story, I give you lyrics by the 60’s sitar-infused hit song, “Fat Angel”:
“He will bring happiness in a pipe, he'll ride away on his silver bike…
and apart from that, he'll be so kind in consenting to blow your mind…
he will bring orchids for my lady, the perfume will be an excellent kind
and apart from that he'll be so kind, in consenting to blow your mind…
Fly Trans-Love Airways, gets you there on time…
Fly Jefferson Airplane, gets you there on time…”
This song, written by Donovan in 1966, and made even more famous (in the 1st Hippie Era) after it was covered by Jefferson Airplane in ‘71, is about an early “Hipster” and drug broker in New York City’s Greenwich Village. One of the people he “turned on,” by consenting to “blow his mind” was my friend Eldon Taylor (ET). Unbeknownst to ET at the time of his association with the Fat Angel, who did more than “peddling” around the village on his silver bike, he was getting “turned on” to something beyond even the experience that occurred from the physical ingestion of an “allay” (entheogenic substances from ‘”acid” to “ ‘shrooms”): The Teachings of Tantric Tibetan Buddhism with the book that the “Fat Angel” gave him to read, “The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa.” The Tibetan yogi and poet-saint was more recently made famous in the 90’s when the Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch teamed up with Erin Potts, a Peace Corps volunteer who he met when he was trekking in Nepal and together formed “The Milarepa Foundation” to create large “Free Tibet” concerts to help Tibet and the Tibetan people whose culture is facing extinction after the Communist Chinese-forced takeover of their country some 6 decades ago.
In one of my recent Desert Valley Star articles, I mentioned during my “1960’s formative years” in Buena Park, a couple blocks away from the “then-free” Knott’s Berry Farm, I would frequent an all ages night club called “The White Room.” Years later, after meeting ET up in the beautiful mountain community of Idyllwild, where he would eventually end up helping to sponsor the construction of a Tibetan Temple (rinpoche.com), I was informed that he ran a billiard room next door to the White Room, making him my “homeboy,” although we were over a decade apart in age. Later still, I found out that he ran a “head shop” in Long Beach back in that Hippie Era as well.
If I may digress (or “pro-gress,” if you will) back to my No. Calif. story for a moment- On the return back south, I managed to stop to play percussion with some old friends who have a band called the Dharma Bums (www.dharmabums.org), a Reggae-Rock band from Woodstock NY, out here on their San Francisco Tibet Day Tour. Their final concert of the tour was held at a comfy café called “Java Beach” in the “Ocean Beach” segment of “The City,” and one of the final songs of the evening was an extended version of band-leader Phil Void’s Eastern-influenced “Infinite Mind.” In another “CC” coup, at the end of one of the most psychedelic versions of the song I’ve ever heard, I seized the moment to dedicate the song to ET, announcing that he had just entered the Bardo (Tibetan for “after death”) state that previous night and that his Long Beach, California Head Shop back in the 60’s was called “Infinite Mind!” I then beseeched everyone to send him loving thoughts to merge with the “Bright Light” as the “Bardo Terdol,” (“Tibetan Book of the Dead”) instructs, on his journey into “Eternal” Infinite Mind. It turned out that I wasn’t the only one there that knew ET, as singer-songwriter Phil and lead guitarist Joseph Liston both knew him from Idyllwild to New York to Nepal.
I had lamented not having a copy of the “Tibetan Book of the Dead” upon hearing of ET’s “departure,” or as the book calls it, “dissolution of the 5 elements back to their state of emptiness,” and wondered where it might be resting since the last time I used it. But lo’ and behold, in my final “CC” here, upon my return to the Desert Hot Springs “Vortex,” what gift was waiting in my mailbox but a gift from my Sis Chris’s Buena Park home-girl and best friend forever, Kathie Rodgers-Wilson of Oahu: The DVD of the Tibetan Book of the Dead narrated by Leonard Cohen! Insert, push a button… This “Ancient Technology” rocks!
Over the course of his life, ET received the blessings of many Tibetan and other holy teachers, such as HH Gyalwa Karmapa and HH Dalai Lama. Those of us in his spiritual family are very grateful to him, especially for his “Angel-ic Connection” and help in spreading the Buddha-Dharma to the West… Especially when I see him with his teacher, the recently “escaped-from-Communist-China-control” Karmapa, (who along with the Dalai Lama is one of four “Dharma Kings” of Tibet) I consent to their “blowing my mind” with the Jewel-like teachings of Awakened, “Infinite Mind.”
-Sunny Sun-Downer is the facilitator of the Desert Karmapa Meditation Center. Check out his blog at www.conchustimes.blogspot.com. His email is conchustimes@yahoo.com.

"Dalai Lama Renaissance" Films Stir Controversy

2009-12-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

(Here is [the un-edited version, i.e. 'rough draft' of] the article for the Nov. 26, '09 gc issue of the Desert Valley Star. For the 'less-rough draft' please go to desertvalleystar.com & enjoy! -= :0: =-)

“Dalai Lama Renaissance” Films Stir Controversy with Chinese Government-
Director/Producer Darvich Comes to Palm Springs for Premier and to Share His Dalai Lama Experience!

By Sunny Sun-Downer
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Foundation awarding their prestigious Peace Prize to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, the Director/Producer of the multi-award-winning film called “Dalai Lama Renaissance” and its sequel, “Dalai Lama Renaissance Volume 2: A Revolution of Ideas,” succeeded in “incurring the wrath” of the government of Communist China.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has, over time, successfully suppressed the release of films in Asia and even had an effect on a film’s extended release in the West, if it is perceived to threaten “Chinese Policy.” For example, films that starred such big names as Richard Gere and Sharon Stone were boycotted by China after the actors expressed support for a “Free Tibet.” All Disney films were banned for an indefinite period after the studio released “Kundun” (which translates as “Presence,” the name the Tibetan people address their leader with), Martin Scorsese’s 1997 film based on the life and writings of the Dalai Lama.
Now comes the CCP’s latest criticism of another in the series of films in recent history- “Dalai Lama Renaissance,” which has joined such “Pro-Dalai Lama” films as “Kundun”- “Seven Years in Tibet,” “Under the Vajra Sky,” “Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama,” among others, that have irked the communist regime. After it was released in theaters in Taiwan this last summer and received front page positive press in the Chinese language Taiwanese newspapers, the Chinese government, in its “The People’s Daily,” (the newspaper/media outlet of the “Central Committee” of the CCP) quickly and sharply criticized “Dalai Lama Renaissance.” The article, titled “Western Movies Build Grand and Perfect Image of Dalai Lama,” claims that “in recent years, a wave of ‘Dalai Lama fever’ has appeared in the Western movie industry… describing the Chinese government’s peaceful liberation of Tibet as ‘cruel oppression,’ and depicting the Dalai Lama’s life in India as difficult… Some movies even advocate the Dalai Lama’s concept of [Tibetan] ‘independence.’” Well, gosh, yeah, Chinese government, what’s “cruel” and “oppressive” about “peace-fully” imprisoning, torturing, raping, and killing over 1 million Tibetans over the last 5 plus decades for their political and religious beliefs, not to mention destroying countless monasteries while importing millions of Han Chinese into Tibet to complete the Tibetan genocide by out-numbering the Tibetans in their homeland? “Some movies even advocate… Tibetan ‘independence...’ ” Oh, the horror!
The Communist Party’s criticism after the sold-out premier in Taiwan is apparently a defensive reaction to the positive press that occurred there, to counteract any affect that it may have on readers in mainland China, who often have access to news from Taiwan. In a touch of irony, the CCP apparently felt threatened by the idea brought up in the film regarding economic sanctions against China from the West. In a scene from the movie, despite the near unanimous agreement on this by the Westerners who came to the Dalai Lama’s residence-in-exile to try and develop a new “Synergy,” he discouraged the proposal. The Taiwanese newspaper “The Liberty Times” points out that, in the film, “the Dalai Lama thinks that humanity is the most important thing in the world and economic sanctions might affect many Chinese citizens, thus he is hesitant whether such an approach is right.” But the CCP aparently can’t even stand to hear the Dalai Lama talk, or they might notice how far he is going to reconcile the situation with these oppressors who have forcibly taken over his homeland in a strategic move to not only have a greater political advantage over its neighboring countries to the west, but to (so far un-sustainably) exploit the resources of timber, water, uranium, etc. of the “Land of Snows,” as the Tibetans call their homeland. The People’s Daily also tries to discredit the producer-director of the film, Khashyar Darvich. In its article, the newspaper claims that the director is a “follower” of the Dalai Lama, and supports this assertion by referring to an interview where Darvich mentioned that he produced the film partly for the opportunity to spend time with the exiled Tibetan leader. Darvich responds, “It’s interesting that the Chinese Communist Party refers to me as a follower of the Dalai Lama. Although I respect the Dalai Lama as a man of peace, just as the Nobel Peace Prize Committee did by awarding him the Nobel Peace prize, and as do most governments around the world, I am not a Dalai Lama “groupie.” When I began the film, I was not very familiar with the Dalai Lama’s ideas. I think that his actions, and the respect that he garners around the world, speaks for itself.” Despite the Chinese Communist Party’s attempt to discredit the film, Darvich states that his production company, Wakan Films, has just signed an agreement to release Dalai Lama Renaissance unofficially into China itself, under the radar of the Chinese Government. I hope that announcing it here doesn’t ruin the “surprise!” “My hope,” says Darvich, “is that the film will open a dialog between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama, and that the average Chinese citizen will be able to see that the Dalai Lama is not such a bad guy and is interested in a solution to the Tibet issue that serves the highest good and benefits both the Chinese and Tibetans. I would be happy to attend a screening of the film in China and conduct a Q&A with Chinese audiences as a way to contribute to positive dialog.” In the meantime, valley residents have a chance to experience this amazing film and its sequel, and a rare opportunity to participate n a Q&A with Kashyar, when it premiers at Crystal Fantasy Enlightenment Center in downtown Palm Springs on the actual 20th anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize, December 10th- also, by the way, the anniversary of the U.N.’s establishing of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights!” The “Enlightening” fun doesn’t stop there, as the sequel, “Dalai Lama Renaissance Vol. 2: A Revolution of Ideas,” premiers the following night, Friday December 11th. Both films will be shown after a short meditation beginning at 7p.m., to “settle the mind in preparation for the heart-opening experience” that I personally call “a combination of the movies ’10 Questions for the Dalai Lama’ and ‘What the Bleep Do We Know?’ ” Coincidently, Dalai Lama Renaissance, which is narrated by Harrison Ford, features many of the same “radical thinkers of our time” as are featured in those two revolutionary movies. The Question and Answer Session with Producer-Director Darvich immediately follows the film showing and promises to make this a most memorable night in the history of Freedom-Loving Desert Dwellers. This is also a benefit for the Himalayan Children’s Fund (www.rinpoche.com) and “The Well in the Desert” (Please bring surplus canned or packaged food in this time of need!) Crystal Fantasy is located at 268 N. Palm Canyon Dr. in downtown Palm Springs, 92262. For More info on Dalai Lama Renaissance, go to www.dalailamafilm.com. Tickets are available at an advance discount price by going to www.crystalfantasy.com or www.conchustimes.org/theconch. Also, more info is available by contacting Crystal Fantasy at 760-322-7799 or ConchUs Times at 760-673-7580. This is a joint production of Crystal Fantasy, Desert Karmapa Center and ConchUs Times Productions.
-Sunny Sun-Downer’s blog is www.conchustimes.blogspot.com and he can be contacted at conchustimes@yahoo.com

Turning “Blocks” into Stepping “Stones”

2009-11-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

The Stream of ConchUsness
with Sunny Sun-Downer
This is the article I've written for the Desert Valley Star Nov. 19, 2009 g.c. issue (& the very 1st published WITHOUT any editing, Yeah!) Skip down to the end if you want to read Andrew Harvey's "Radical" Sacred Activism message! Enjoy (& Thank You "Richard" for your buddha-full comment!) -= 0 =-

I think I've had a bout of "writer's blocks" lately- one block on top of another, almost like my personal "Berlin Wall" that needed dismantling to re-unite the split-apart nations of my mind...
I'm trying to connect with my flowing literary goddess/muse, so I can get the "creative juices" flowing again. Stress and/or depression from the lack of commerce with my healing arts business and the state of the world probably has something to do with these "blocks." It feels like I'm coming out of it now, and that makes me happy, as before yesterday I was going through a "Dark Night of the Soul," and being “pissed off at the world” is normally foreign to me- it is not my natural state, or one that I enjoy. It does serve as a reference point though, as in "how low can you go" before getting "free of the negativity." It has caused me to try to use it as motivation to put my energy into the survival factor, to come up with ways to earn the 'green energy' (or what I call “Dead Presidents’ Pictures,” i.e. “money”) to meet the constant flood of bills, at the risk of losing my happiness-based creativity...
And what transpired to aid in this shift? Well, instead of wallowing in my miserable mental state another day- which was accompanied by the physical 3-week-long head-to-throat-to-lungs-back-to-head-cold I've been dealing with... (You remember "The Weather Underground," the violence-inclined 70's radical group? I re-activated my own, called the "Under-the-Weather-Ground!" Oh, and no, it’s not the H1N1- because I’m holding out for the “S”-free version, the “Wine Flu,” heh-heh, with my new slogan, “Who needs a vaccination, when you can just hit the bottle on your stay-cation!” OK, I tend to make light of serious subjects with a little levity, especially when I believe that “Big Pharma,” with its ties to our government, is pulling a major scam on the people!)… I accepted the offer of the publisher of the Desert Valley Star to capture some bill-paying green energy by distributing the paper around the Coachella Valley. Half-way through the ordeal of negotiating the ever-frustrating Friday afternoon traffic and stopping at about 80-some drop-off points, I stopped for some veggie-tacos at one of them. I started to lift my tired body out of the car seat, when something quite unusual happened that caused me to pluck it right back down: the Grateful Dead came on the valley’s "Hot" radio station (I mean, you just don't hear them on the regular rock radio stations very often, if at all!). There they were again, ultimately reminding me, "You're sick of hanging around and you like to travel- (You) get tired of traveling and you want to settle down... Well, I guess I can't revoke your Soul for trying- Get out of the door, light out and have a look around..." I was instantly given a new “lease on life,” to hear one of my main musical heroes musically shining a light of inspiration in the middle of my tribulations, especially when they sang the chorus, "Sometimes the Lights are shining on me, Other times I can barely see... Lately it occurs to me, what a Long, Strange Trip (LST) it's been!" This alone gave me the energy, perhaps through the "Time Machine Factor" combined with the "Pavlovian Re-connection" of past marathon Dead Tours, to "Keep On Truckin' ," like the “Do-Dah Man,” through the rest of the day- especially looking forward to the end of the job, when I could re-iterate the final verse: “Truckin’, Im a-goin’ home, whoah-oh baby, back where I belong… Back home, sit down and patch my bones…” (And in a totally un-related point, let's not forget that the Dead's 'Truckin' rose to "Number 1" on the radio chart in Truckee, Calif., in the early 70's!)
The next day, I found myself equally depressed about the world situation, specifically with one that has been dear to my heart for decades. It’s about the “Big Lie” in the news again that the Chinese government has fostered on its 1.3 billion citizens, as President Obama travels there for the first time: that it “liberated Tibet from ‘serfdom’ just as President Lincoln freed the slaves in the U.S.” to justify its torturing and killing over 1 million Tibetans and nearly destroying their culture and the country’s environment over the last 50 years. This has Chinese university students wanting to know why President Obama would meet with this “separatist Dalai Lama” (who their government calls a “Monster in Sheep’s Clothing”- kettle calling the pot black, anyone?) at his ‘town hall meeting’ with them. And BTW, what the Chinese government calls ‘serfdom,’ was Tibetan people happily giving part of their crops to support the (unified religion/state) monasteries before the violent invasion of Tibet.
Two things happened that helped me with this. First, I received an email of a talk given recently by author Andrew Harvey, who is an advocate for “Buddhist Global Relief” (www.buddhistglobalrelief.org). This is a new organization founded by an American Buddhist monk, Ven. Bikkhu Bodhi, that is an inter-denominational community of Buddhists and friends of Buddhism who seek to give concrete expression to the Buddha’s great compassion as an ongoing project in the contemporary world. Andrew’s message was so moving and heart-opening as it ‘cut to the bone’ regarding how to deal with the anxiety and frustration so many of us are currently feeling towards the world situation with its wars, aggression and rapidly deteriorating environment, etc. His talk is quite radical and ultimately involves developing what he calls “Sacred Activism.” Space limitation doesn’t allow its inclusion here, but you can read it at my blogsite posted at the end.
The other “mental saving grace” that occurred that evening was experiencing the “Musical Love Fest” of Larisa Stow and her “Shakti Tribe” at Urban Yoga in Palm Springs (Larisastow.com). Larisa, near the beginning of their heart-chakra-opening performance, touched directly on these negativities I’ve been referring to, asking how many of us are going through it in our lives? As the ‘dancing-room-only’ crowd agreed that they could relate, she reminded us about Mahatma Gandhi’s tribulations. What activated him back in his era, was buying a 1st Class train ticket, but then being forced to sit in 3rd Class because of his skin color. He then took his anger and channeled it into the positive activism of his “Satya-graha” (the Hindi word for “Truth Army”) which ended up non-violently liberating India from British oppression.
Also, BTW, for a brand new take on Gandhi’s story, I recommend the ‘hip-hop’ music version by one of the stars of the recent Joshua Tree “Bhakti Fest,” the yoga teacher/songwriter “MC Yogi.” Called “Be the Change” after the chorus: “Be the Change that you want to see, in the world Just like Gandhi!” You can view it on Youtube and/or see the lyrics at his website (http://www.mcyogi.com/lyrics/be-the-change) and let the music help you, as it did me, dance all over those blocks!

(Sunny’s blog is www.conchustimes.blogspot.com, where you can also see his past un-edited articles for the Desert Valley Star in their entirety!)

Transcript of a brief talk by Andrew Harvey, mystical scholar, Rumi translator, poet, and architect of 'sacred activism' - at the recent launch of Bhikkhu Bodhi's "Buddhist Global Relief" in New York City.
I would like to share very briefly my vision of sacred activism with you. I’d like to begin by saying that I only believe three things. I believe that we are heading into the eye of a perfect storm of crises, which threatens the human race and a great deal of nature. I think it is extremely important that we all stop denying just how dangerous and insane and savage the terror this perfect storm of crises is and just what it actually means for all of us and the world. I think you know what those crises are. There is a holocaust going on that the doomsayers had predicted. There is a retreat amongst many of the major religions into fundamentalism, which disorders our unity. There is a domination of a kind of corporate mindset of all of the different rounds of activity of corporate magnates that is brutal, that is addicted to power, that is addicted to domination, that is addicted to exploitation, and addicted to greed. There is a mass media, largely owned by corporations, filling our minds with violence, trash and celebrity trivia, at the very moment where you and I need to be inspired, galvanized and given the authentic information.
And there is a lifestyle which you and I both live, which is hectic, driven and multi-tasking, which makes it almost impossible, for even for the most well meaning of us, to have the kind of pleasure and peace in which to hear the voice and soul that could guide us. And when you bring all of these crises together, and add to them a population explosion which will have three billion or more people on the earth in 2050 to feed, and a proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of grade A lunatics and psychotics, such as the unfortunate head of North Korea and the completely insane head of Iran, then what you and I are looking at is a perfect storm of interrelated crises that are all the manifestation of a selective force - human self. A human self that has lost the most fundamental connection of all, which is the connection with our own deepest sacred nature, the sacred nature of creation and the sacred nature of life.
That is the first thing I believe, and I think it is very important that we all wake up fast, because all those who are not awake now, are going to be awake very soon. The crisis is not going to relent and it is going to get very much fiercer very soon. If that is all that I believe, I would have asked Bhikkhu Bodhi together, make a vat of Jim Jones Kool-Aid, recite the verses from the Dhammapada together, become One one last time and die together. But that is not happening.
The second thing I believe is this storm of crises is an evolutionary possibility of unprecedented intensity. Because it gives us the opportunity to gaze into the mirror of our destiny, and to see very clearly, that unless you and I evolve to the next level of putting our deepest principals and our holiest compassion and our greatest passion for life into direct clear radical action on every level, we will simply not survive. In other words, this great death that we are living, that we are manifesting out of our addiction, our greed, our extraordinary apathy, our fantastic lack of concern for life, this great death is also potentially the birth canal of an enormous and unprecedented birth. The birth of a chastened and humbled humanity opened at last by tragedy and awakened by the knowledge of the shadow, to really claim all of our innate sacred consciousness and start acting truly and deeply from our heart to turn apocalypse into grace. Turning nightmare into opportunity- a terrible tragic situation into a gathering together on a massive scale to transform the world.
Ever since this vision was given to me - it wasn’t something that I awoke to - it was something that was transmitted to me by my greatest teacher, the man who transformed my life, Father Bede Griffiths, who sat me down at the age of eighty-six, in his quiet hut in South India. On the last occasion we were together, he said, “There are three possibilities, my dear Andrew, for the future of the human race. The first possibility is that the human race will wake up to the horror of what it is creating and ask for immediate transformation and start changing everything. This is totally unlikely. The second possibility is that the human race will prove so stubborn in its addiction and so addicted and so apathetic and so rotten and broken down by the corruption and power that it has chosen that it will continue in its nightmare and suicidal and matricidal power and take the whole world away in its apocalyptic madness. He said I don’t think it is likely either. Because the God that I had in the deepest recesses of my mystical experience is the God of all embracing humanity, all the resourceful intentions, and a God that will go on, going on reaching out to us to give us the strength and the passion and the wisdom to awaken us even in our darkest and especially in our dark humanity. And then he said that there is a third possibility. And this is the possibility that I have experienced in the depths of my life and you will experience in the depths of your life. And this possibility is that this crises is the equivalent on a global scale of a crisis that a mystic goes through at a certain moment on the path when they go through what is called in the Christian mysticism the ‘Dark Night of the Soul’, in Sufism ‘banar’ (?) and in the metaphysical systems of Mahayana Buddhism the shattering of the false self, the shattering of the created self. If humanity can see this immense consciousness as a God sent, God given, God ordained opportunity to unlearn all our dangerous attainments. And if humanity could settle in the deep ground of divine inspiration and learn to how to go through the shattering ordeal with authentic grace, with authentic commitment to transformation then not only will humanity survive, but humanity will be transfigured and transformed and will be born into an authentic divine power, an authentic divine nature through the death of the collective false self that is manifesting this great death that is wrecking everything. Ever since that conversation, I have asked myself, day after day after day after day, one question. One question has burned in me, and that is why I have spent five years writing my latest book when before things came supernaturally, or rather easily. And that question was, if this great death is the birth canal of the great birth, then what is the force, what is the power that can birth this birth? What in us can birth the birth of the divine humanity, transformed by tragedy, illumined by the shattering knowledge, and transfigured by divine grace? What force can give us the power to turn this devastating situation around?
Four years after Bede died, I found a kind of answer. I had a dream in which he showed me two rivers. One river was a river of fire which was going toward the sea and the other which is a river of even more intense fire which was going toward the sea. And at the sea they met and they erupted in a glowing and glorious radiant divine Hiroshima of energy. And then I heard this voice saying, “these two rivers are the two noblest forces of the human psyche. And these two rivers are the river of the fire of the mystic’s passion of the God and the river of the activist’s passion for justice. When these two rivers meet, what happens is a third fire is born and that fire is the fire that is ordained to transform everything and that fire is the fire of divine compassion and love in action.” And it was that dream, that vision that gave me the term “sacred activism” and it is in honor of that vision that I wrote my book and it is in honor of that vision that I honor the work that the Buddhist Global Relief is doing and it is that honor of that vision that I stand before you and ask you to do one thing which has meant anything to you. And if you truly believe as I believe that we are where we are, facing extreme danger but with extreme opportunity. And I ask you in the name of the Buddha to get up at three o’clock in the morning someday soon and to surround yourself with the peace of God in whichever way you understand it and to ask yourself one question, what of all the causes of this beleaguered and damaged world breaks my heart the most? What of all these causes breaks my heart the most? I ask you to dare to ask yourself this question, and I ask you to dare to listen to what your heart says to you. Because you will find that if you do that your heart will reveal to you a sacred mission that belongs to you, just to you, and that will be the most deepest and most radiant voice of your soul and that you will be given, at that moment, an injunction and direction. What you do then, is to join with other people with similar heartbreak, and to work together in your local community, to do something real about what it is that you advocate in yourself.
My last thing that I like to offer to you is what I am doing. I am going everywhere talking about this vision of sacred activism but I am also bringing out a way of grounding it in the world. On Thanksgiving Day, I am releasing a global website called “Networks of Grace” and these networks are going to be cells of between six to twelve people gathered around a heartbreak, or a profession, or a passion dedicating in their local communities to start getting this grassroots radical revolution of the third power, Love in Action, going and it is the only way which we will get a chance of it working. If you are waiting for the corporations to transform your situation, you will wait until the last tree is burnt down. And if you are waiting for the politicians to have major spiritual transformation and suddenly give millions away and start feeding the poor, you will be waiting for the last animal to disappear. This revolution of the soul in action depends upon you and I. You and I getting real about three things: about this tragedy of where we are, about the opportunity of where we can go, and about the heartbreak that you and I all feel. And when we get real about all of those three things, then we are impelled to work together in the networks of grace to do something about them.

Just Another Phish Story

2009-11-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

The Stream of Conch-Us-Ness
with Sunny Sun-Downer
(Here is the "Un-Edited Version" of the article published in the November 5, 2009 [g.c.] issue of the Desert Valley Star dot com. To those of you who've read the print version of my articles, I assure you that they will make much more sense here! -=:0:=-)

Photos by Sun-Downer & Cynthia Santacroce

Phish “Phans” had the “Life of Riley” once they got to the Coachella site of Phish’s Festival 8. (“The Life of Riley” is a popular saying among us older hip-sters, from the radio & TV show of the 40’s and 50’s starring William Bendix, who played the character Riley, blessed with a life of great comfort and ease). This at least compared to the last Phish Festival in Coventry, Vermont, which was like the Woodstock Festival of 1969 in a few ways: Rural farmland, huge crowds and mud… and it coincidently occurred on the same dates in August on the 35th Anniversary of the birth of the Woodstock Nation. Unfortunately, and un-like Woodstock the mud happened at the beginning, when a week of rain had flooded the concert site that became a marsh-land of mud, causing people to be turned away from parking there. Like Woodstock, this caused gridlock on the highway leading to the site, and when Phish bassist Mike Gordon came on “Bunny Radio” (the band’s take-over of a local radio station as they did at Coachella w/Jack FM), like a (Woodstock promoter) “Artie Kornfeld” of his day, he announced that the field and venue were in a state of disaster and that no more vehicles would be allowed in. Instead of turning away, tens of thousands of die-hard Phans parked their cars on highway medians, in breakdown lanes, and on the sides of roads and hiked in to the concert venue, some walking as far as 30 miles, letting neither rain or mud deter them on their “Holy Quest.” Local residents stepped in and began shuttling Phans in and out of the site and to their vehicles. Despite efforts by attendees, trash accumulated from fans stuck along the road. The bill for the subsequent cleanup was sent from the State of Vermont to the Phish organization, who picked up the bill in its entirety, leaving a good impression of these “New Era Hippies” with the residents.
Fast-forward back to the present time, after the heart-breaking news of the break-up of the band and the swing of the ‘Phen-dulum” back the other way with the ecstatic news for Phans that the group was re-uniting this year, these Coachella-ized Phans have had nothing but great praise for the “Flow of Festival 8,” where they luxuriated in 8 wonderful sets of music, Chris Kuroda’s stunningly psychedelic light show, experiential art installations, (including flame-throwing bamboo-art sculptures, a huge un-tethered floating pumpkin that would change directions as many times as it did rainbow colors and a huge balloon like sculpture that would change shapes as many times as it changed colors), delicious vegan and other consumables washed down with favorite libations, and so much more… including the memorable “dazed and confused altered states” from the drug “LOS” (Lack Of Sleep)-induced camping. But these “Spawn of the Dead-Heads” surely take the Grateful Dead lyrics to heart, “When you get confused, Just listen to the music play” and, of course- dance!
So not only did the promoters Golden Voice and Team Phish leave a wonderful impression on the Phans, the Phans left a very good impression on the community. A huge number of business-owners in the Coachella Valley prospered from the influx of some 50,000 Phans, while the concert itself helped employ a great number of valley residents.
And speaking of drugs and our “Dysfunctional Society’s Draconian Drug Laws,” there is at least better news regarding the number of arrests at this festival compared to, for example, last Spring’s Coachella Festival. As of Saturday night there were 16 arrests and 9 more on Sunday, but this is less than half of the arrests for similar offences that totaled almost 60 last spring. Indio police said, “It’s worked out very well. Obviously, the arrests have been narcotics-related, but it’s been pretty good (and) the traffic has been really great.” And it’s been pretty good for Phans of the “Sacred Herb” who were warned in a Desert Sun article last week to keep their (mostly) illegal weed away, as Indio police were ready to wage their drug war w/their devious methods – although the article said nothing about any special enforcement for hard drugs, nitrous oxide distribution (a big problem of yore at Dead and Phish shows) and under-age (or over-age immoderate) drinking. This apparently didn’t stop the majority of Phans who obviously out-smarted the cops and event body-and-bag searchers, as the smell of the skunk-weed was everywhere through-out the crowd. I personally had a problem with the (chemical-saturated and “natural” tobacco) cigarette smoke, which hung like a toxic cloud over and around the crowd, and being able to breathe again was the only reason I was happy when leaving the concert area.
Another “High-Light” for this reporter and his publisher Dean Gray, was meeting and partying with Bambu Rolling Paper heir Sarah Saiger, who left her “Paper Trail” with all she met, while glowing in the recent news of the recently-announced clothing line, Bambu Apparel (bambu.com). Her company was also named one of the “World’s Oldest 1000 Companies,” having started in 1764 (and that is no stoner’s cloudy fantasy, but documented fact)!
Come Sunday night just before the encore of the final set, lead singer and guitarist Trey Anastasio thanked this crowd of “Dead-i-cated Phans” for a “wonderful weekend.” He also gave praises to those behind the scenes by saying, “I just wanted to make a point that it takes a whole mountain of people to make something like this happen.” He then proceeded to name, on a 1st-name basis, a large portion of those involved in making this monumental experience a reality. He closed his announcement with some ear-candy for all the Halloween’d-out “Exiles” from “Shakedown Street,” by adding, “I hope we can do it again.”
Still recovering from the long weekend, I almost forgot to mention that with all the environmental concern shown by the emphasis of making this a hallmark “green festival”- everything that could be was recycled, but even plastic spoons and forks were starch-based and compost-able… I feel encouraged for the world and the follow-up generation of the “Spawn of the Dead” and their Phans, who ultimately proved the old musician’s axiom wrong: You can tune a guitar… And you CAN Tuna Phish!”
-Get past Phish and other Woodstock-related articles from Sun-Downer at his blog: www.conchustimes.blogspot.com

Phish: "Spawn of the Dead!"

2009-10-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

The Stream of Conch-Us-ness with Sunny Sun-Downer
Phish: the “Spawn of the Dead”
(Here is the "Un-Edited Version" of the article published in the October 22, 2009 [g.c.] issue of the Desert Valley Star [desertvalleystar.com])
In my previous article titled, “The Heroes of Woodstock, 41 Years Later,” I’m sure I shocked people that know me when I wrote that the Grateful Dead weren’t one of the bands that I was “really into” back in 1968, like I was with the bands Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Iron Butterfly, Canned Heat, Country Joe and the Fish, and the Animals (growing up in a family that practiced yogic meditation, I loved listening to Eric Burdon singing about a soldier staying behind to “…meditate, but it won’t stop the killing, or ease the hate,” in his anti-war tune, “Sky Pilot”).
What was my problem with the Dead? Actually my younger brother, Bill, was hip to the Dead before me, having brought home the “Working Man’s Dead” album a couple of years later (the title being a play on the fact the band had recently been covering Merle Haggard’s song "Workingman's Blues" in concert). Maybe it was the “non-psychedelic” album cover art (they just kind of looked like a bunch of “ruffians standing on a corner” to me) or possibly even (Western Dysfunctional Society-spawned) sibling rivalry that wouldn’t let me “be upstaged by my YOUNGER brother,” but their music also just didn’t grab me. It wasn’t something that compelled me to get a big glass bowl of water, shine a light on it and swirl food coloring into psychedelic swirls (my own simple version of a “60’s light show”) like the others did, as I grooved to their mind-altering sounds! (Later my brother and I would place an electric fan in a box with a hole in it, cut the same-size hole in a record that we attached to the fan and shine a flood-light behind it, creating a “poor man’s strobe light” to add to the effects- after I transcended the “sibling rivalry,” of course).
So, how did I get over my “nonchalant insouciance” to the Grateful Dead, a group I would end up following for a good portion of my adult life? Well, that didn’t completely happen in 1972 either, the 1st time I actually went to see them at the Long Beach Arena with my new friends I’d made in North San Diego County after having just graduated from High School in Orange County. It was an interesting enough experience in general, but I don’t think I was prepared for the marathon-length of the experience, as the longest-lasting impression I have of that night is remembering thinking, during the drawn-out drums and space segment, “when is this going to be over?”
This was obviously before I started to pick up on a connection between a special tribal spirituality and this “Necropolis” (Floating City of the Dead) with its “Dead-Heads” and its before-and-after-party-and-vending-scene (everything from Acid to Zen-Inspired Art: tie-dyed, painted, wearable and otherwise, grilled cheese to “Da-Kind”-Veggie-Burritos, bumper-stickers like “Who are the Grateful Dead and Why Are They Following Me?”, etc.- if a Dead-Head’s imagination could conceive it, we saw it in “The Lot,” as we affectionately nick-named the parking lot outside of a Dead show (with the “Heart” or busiest section, dubbed “Shakedown Street,” after the Dead tune of the same name).
The Grateful Dead themselves, I personally found out upon meeting them much later (1984, maybe?) at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, were a bunch of “Zenned-Out Marxists” (as in Groucho Marx). As written in my publication, “The ConchUs Times- The Journal of the Dead Buddhists of America, for Those Appreciating Grateful Dead and Buddhist Meditations and Cultures” (that coincidently debuted at the 1989 Long Beach Arena Dead show) in the article, “The Dead and the Dharma,”(quoted from 1973’s “The Dead Book,” by Hank Harrison, who was the Dead’s 1st manager and also, strangely enough, Courtney Love’s father) “…we get an example of the early influence of (a kind of “Beatnik style”) Zen Buddhism from an account of the band then known as ‘The Warlocks,’ trying to come up with a new name. Jerry Garcia turned through the dictionary ‘I-Ching’ style (hap-hazardly) and said to bassist Phil Lesh, ‘What do you think of this one: The Grateful Dead?’ Phil fell off his seat in giddy rails of laughter… but it had the right ring, something for everybody, an infinite array of associations: Egyptian, Gothic, Mystic… Jerry had stumbled upon a reference to the collected folk ballads of Francis Child… The ballads of the Grateful Dead are songs about ghosts who return from the grave to conduct unfinished business. If they are allowed to complete their duties, they are ‘grateful.’ They ran over to share it with the others: ‘Grateful Dead! Sink your teeth into that identity, boys!’ Thirty sets of dentures bit down on steel nails. ‘It’s a koan fit for an iron Buddha…’ ” (And just like a Zen Koan, some things are not decipherable by conceptual thought, so please don’t strain your brain on that one!).
The “Zenned-out Beatniks,” also played a major part in the Dead’s early days, as is mentioned in “Skeleton Key: the Dead-Head Dictionary,” (where the ConchUs Times Journal, coincidently, is entered on page 53… or 58?) quoting Beat-poet Michael McClure, “The Beats gave each other permission to be excellent… Their enduring intelligence is with us in such diverse places as punk magazines, meditation halls- and Grateful Dead shows!”
Fast forwarding decades, the “Phenomena of Jerry Garcia” has come and gone, the “Left-Over Dead,” are still touring, occasionally together, but mostly with their solo projects called “Phil Lesh and Friends,” guitarist Bob Weir’s “Ratdog,” drummers Mickey Hart’s “Planet Drum” and Bill Kreutzman’s mostly Hawaiian island-based “Backbone,” which all serve to keep a lot of Dead-heads satisfied- especially the older ones. But the younger ones have not been idle since Jerry’s transition to the other side 14 years ago, with Dead spin-off bands like “String Cheese Incident,” “moe,” “Psychedelic Breakfast,” “Particle,” “Dark Star Orchestra” and “Railroad Earth, among others. What others, you ask?
Well, there is another spin-off band that, like “accomplished sons making their parents proud,” have filled arenas to the magnitude that the Dead once did: Burlington, Vermont’s “Phish,” composed of guitarist Trey Anastasio, keyboardist Page McConnel, bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman (who, in one of the only ways that they’re NOT similar to the Dead, the band is named after!) They have come quite a long way, following in their “psychedelic-music-generating-mentor’s footsteps, since their 1st gig at a Burlington club called Nectar’s in 1984 to becoming one of rock n’ roll’s biggest acts: grossing over $61 million in ticket sales (to say nothing of merchandise sales) in ’99 and 2000, the last two years before their break up.
Staying true to their mentor’s m.o. (research the “Acid Test” daze for more on the Dead’s early “theater-of-the-strange-explorations,”), these “Descendants of the Dead” would also engage in “acid-drenched” or “hot-mushroom-cocoa-influenced” performances over their “formative years,” but added their own twists. In some of their rehearsals, for example, they would engage in what they came to call “Zen Language Ball.” Blind-folded, and without speaking to one another, someone will start an improvisation of guitar chords, say, and the others will join in as the “Zen Spirit” moves them, grabbing a note as inspiration strikes, and bending and stretching the melody and/or the beat, writing new music out of thin air, in total darkness. Again, (flashing back) I found Rock Scully (the Dead’s 2nd manager) quoting Garcia as the Dead are about to record their album, “Blues for Allah”… “We’re going to go into the studio w/no preconceptions…It’s a chance to hang out together and let ideas evolve from absolute coldness, from absolutely nothing.”
In an amazing show of modern magic, Phish will be in Indio, from Oct. 30 through Nov. 1. The event, dubbed Festival 8, will be the band’s first three-day festival on the West Coast. Over the course of three days, they will perform eight live sets. The event will also feature other attractions, including art installations. For its Halloween performances, Phish will keep its tradition of playing an entire album by another band. A news release did not warn about “wolves in hippie clothing” that have frequented the previous festivals there, so be warned all you peddlers of the sacred mind-expanders!.
Festival 8 will mark Phish’s first festival since its August 2004 farewell concerts in Coventry, Vt. Come dance and make their “parents” proud!
-Sunny Sun-Downer’s email is conchustimes@yahoo.com

"Gimmee An 'F!' "

2009-10-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

“Gimmee An ‘F!' "
The Return of the “Heroes of Woodstock” to Southern California, 41 Years Later! By Sunny Sun-Downer (As published in the current issue of the Desert Valley Star)

This year has seen the “Return of Woodstock” to the world’s “Modern (yet Limited) Attention,” being the 40th anniversary of that Epic “Grand-Daddy of All Concerts” in 1969. But how many people realize that we actually had our own “West Coast Woodstock” right here in Southern California, the year before?
While it didn’t have quite the number of acts, or quite the same number of attendees, this concert, the “Newport Pop Festival,” held at the Orange County Fairgrounds was quite notable, having about twenty name acts of the day (compared to Woodstock’s 34) and at least 100,000 ticket holders, and, just like Woodstock: gate crashers. Although called the “Newport” Pop Festival, technically it was held in Costa Mesa- but it was just a “Stone(r)’s Throw” from Newport Beach, and I’m guessing the promoters, Wesco Productions & KHJ-AM Radio DJ “Humble Harve” wanted to capitalize on the name “Newport” to borrow from the legacy of the famous East Coast “Newport Folk Festival.”
Whereas, in a Desert Valley Star article about Woodstock that I wrote earlier this year wherein I related that at 14 years old and living in the “suburban waste-land” (now called) “The O.C.,” I didn’t make it to that East Coast phenomenon, what makes this story special for this reporter is that I DID make it to THIS concert! In spite of the sibling rivalry inspired by “Western Dysfunctional Society,” my older sister, Chris, was kind enough to allow me to accompany her & her new friends from the group our mom had joined after divorcing our dad, “Parents Without Partners.” So, while I was allowed to go down to the concert with them, I was not, however, allowed to “hang out” with them, and proceeded to experience on my own, one of the most life-changing events of my teenage “formative years!” With my paper route money I had been buying “33 1/3” LP’s and “45’s” of some of these music groups (translation for my younger readers: 33 and a 1/3 “revolutions per minute” of a vinyl record album were called ‘LP’s” for ‘Long Playing” and “45’s” were that number of “rpm’s” on a record slightly bigger than today’s CD’s) at the local “Music Box” record store from a guy that looked like Elvis who was always smoking cigarettes. (Other times, when I could get a ride there, I’d get even a better deal at the music store called, “Licorice Pizza”… a challenge for you younger readers to guess where that name came from!)
The groups I was most into who were playing at the festival were Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Country Joe and the Fish, Canned Heat, Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly (with their near-20 minute version of “Inna Gadda Da Vida”) and the Animals. Although I didn’t have any of their record albums, another favorite group was “The Illinois Speed Press,” simply because they had performed at our local night club that even allowed teens in, called “The White Room” on Orange-thorpe in Buena Park. (I even remember riding my bike up there one afternoon after school and eating some food across the street at the “A & W Root Beer Drive-in” next to some guys from a group called “Poco” who were on their way to a sound check there. I was just researching their name-change to tell you when [1968] they had to change their name from “Pogo,” which they had named themselves after Walt Kelly’s comic character, but were forced to drop when the cartoonist threatened a copy-right lawsuit. So it was synchronous to this article, then, to find out that Paul Cotton, the guitarist of Illinois Speed Press, replaced Kenny Loggins’ recently re-united partner Jim Messina after he left Poco in 1970).
Meanwhile, back at the fairgrounds, other than those groups who I have previously mentioned (and financially supported), the ones I saw (but honestly don’t remember too well, in spite of the fact that it was probably the only concert I’ve attended where I wasn’t actually stoned- that would happen soon after and is “fodder for a future yarn,” heh-heh!) were the Grateful Dead, Blue Cheer, the Byrds and Electric Flag, undoubtedly among others.
Other groups that I’m fairly sure I didn’t experience in the 3-D world, as they performed on the day before which I didn’t attend, were Alice Cooper (which was the band’s name before Vincent Furnier personally took on the moniker), Tiny Tim (the most popular “Freak” of our generation, with his long curly hair, pot belly & ukulele upon which he strummed his eternal hit song, “Tip Toe Through the Tulips”), Sonny & Cher (who, according to various reports were either ignored or even boo’d), Paul Butterfield Blues Band, James Cotton Blues Band, and (tic-tock, tic-tock…) the Chambers Brothers (who non-the-less would “psychedelize my soul” with their big and lengthy hit, “Time” in the near future, along with Hendrix at “Newport ‘69”- again, watch for the sequel).
Some 40 years later, I honestly don’t recall everything that I experienced that day, however, some of my memory was re-stimulated after reading this post on the Orange County Register’s article written last year, posted by “Ashleigh2k”:
“I was there..! I was in the 6th grade and thought I was quite sophisticated, cuz I looked a lot older than my age... I remember getting body painting done with a friend of mine- there were people getting their whole bodies painted, but I modestly settled for a flower on my arm and on my face! The music was great, and there were vendors everywhere selling incense, candles and wares of the 60's throughout the whole thing… I remember people (hippie guys) giving us water from 5 gallon bottles that were freshly unloaded (we were all dying of thirst!), and that it was very hot… it was so much fun, but in hind-sight, it really was no place for a couple of 12 year old girls... But we weren't aware of any drugs being used, (there were, it turns out- but WE didn’t have a clue!), and everyone just thought we were sweet innocent flower children of sorts... We weren't bothered or given anything illicit... It was just one big blast, a ton of fun and great music, and I've always wondered why Woodstock gets all the glory, when really, that weekend at the Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa a year earlier, was WAY cooler!! It was groundbreaking, and should be looked at as bigger than Woodstock for starting it all!” (You can see more stories like this and very cool old photos with the Register article, by searching for “Newport Pop Festival,” or email me for the link).
I too, remember it being so hot that people rushed this big bottled water truck that pulled up on the outskirts of the crowd, and started pulling them out so fast that one slipped and fell, cutting a guy’s head pretty badly. That was the only “bummer” I witnessed the whole day. My other vivid memory, other than the amazing psychedelic music, was saying “high” to this tall brother with hair half-way down his back in a pony-tail. I later met him in the infamous Tim Leary “tribe” stomping grounds of Laguna Beach, “Mystic Arts World,” where he worked in the “bookstore section.” In a “what-goes-around-comes-around” fashion, Michael Callan is now a “High” desert-dweller and can be found performing his musical craft there to this day.
“Furthur”-more, in another “what-goes-around” fashion, some of the musical icons of that “West Coast Woodstock” are returning to Southern California in a rare opportunity for desert dwellers and visitors: The “Heroes of Woodstock” tour will be docking its big “Hippie School Bus” at Spotlight 29 Casino, this Saturday night, Oct. 10 at 8 pm. Yes, 41 years later you can experience (to a degree, heh-heh!) what we did, with survivors of Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, Country Joe, Grateful Dead, plus Ten Years After, Big Brother and the Holding Co., and the dynamic singer who wrote one of Woodstock’s anthems: “Candles in the Rain”- Melanie. Ticket info: www.spotlight29.com or (800) 585-3737, and for more info on how you can get downloads of the concert after attending, go to www.theheroesofwoodstock.com
-Sunny Sun-Downer can be reached at conchustimes@yahoo.com and his blog is www.conchustimes.blogspot.com

Creating Peaceful Weapons in a Violent World

2009-09-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

By Sunny Sundowner (as published int the ) 09/10/09gc issue of the Desert Valley Star (desertvalleystar.com)
Creating Peaceful Weapons in a Violent World
By Sunny Sundowner
At the risk of sounding “moronic,” I wish to add to some of the world’s great oxy-morons, such as “peace force, soft rock, resident alien, passive aggressive, military intelligence, Microsoft Works- (come on Bill, I kid..! Please don’t infect my PC!), by giving you “Peaceful Weapons.” When one of the editors of this fine publication, Dean Gray, asked me to do an article on creating “peaceful weapons” in an aspiration to create “non-violent” communities, at first I got really perturbed and defensive…
OK, that was a joke- and I hope I got you to at least chuckle by now, whether it was confusing or not. While the topic of violence is a serious thing, the diffusing of the mentality that creates it doesn’t have to be, and my timing is good to communicate what hopefully will be seen as more than just “Another Hippie Rant.” However, even if it seen as only that, there is no shame- because even before the wide-spread 40th anniversary celebrations of Woodstock this summer (of Love), “Hippie” has made a big comeback. Take the onslaught in the fashion world of “Hippie Chic,” (the opposite and antidote fashion to the “militaristic camouflage fashion’ of previous decades) and in the world of popular music with the mainstream press reporting that Jason Mraz’s “Hippie-friendly” jam “I’m Yours” may be the longest running song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Also, don’t forget that tens of thousands of neo-hippies are headed to Coachella for what I have dubbed “Phish-O-Ween,” when the Grateful Dead spin-off band Phish & their great multitudes “Keep on Truckin’” there for a three-day run this Halloween. And speaking of the “Grand-Daddy of all concerts” of last century, the Phish start their swim into Coachella Valley just a couple of weeks after the “Heroes of Woodstock” psychedelize the valley from an Indio casino. These are but a few examples of Hippie’s re-incarnation (not to mention the economic success of all the new releases of Woodstock CD and DVD Box Sets, and Ang Lee’s wonderful new movie “Taking Woodstock!”)
Not only has the Hippie been calling out for Peace in the World for decades (spawning such whimsical bumper-stickers as “Visualize Whirled Peas”), but we’ve been having fun doing it. When the early-on (1969) incarnation of the “Hog Farm” commune arrived back in New York to help with the Woodstock Concert as part of the Hippie Army (add another oxymoron!), they held a press conference in which they announced that they had elected to work security there, not with batons and mace, but with cream pies and seltzer-spray bottles. Later on Head Hog & Woodstock MC Wavy Gravy, tiring of getting beat up by cops at protests, found relief in appearing in clown and Santa Claus costumes- whatever works, right? (And it did!) At the same time, the “Hog-ified Hippie Harbinger” was bringing “levity” into tense situations, following in the footsteps of Abbie Hoffman and his Yippie cohorts, who had previously attempted stunts to end the Vietnam War, such as massing together in Washington D.C. to try and (unfortunately unsuccessfully) “levitate” the Pentagon! (But it’s the “thought” that counts, right Abbie?)
So my theory incorporates adding another “F” to “Flight or Fight”- “Fun!” And while we’re using the alphabet, let’s back up to the “C’s”- and add “Communication over Confrontation.” This, with skill, can lead to the 3rd “C,” “Compromise.” OK, back the other way, to “G” and “H.” “Having” (a sense of) “Humor” might just be the “Gateway” to “Goodness” in people. I asked the infamous Yogic (“My Other Car is a Yoga Mat”) Comedienne Beth Lapides to contribute anything she could to help me get through this difficult topic, and in a show of not only solidarity but synchronicity, she sent me the following, just as I had written the above: “F and G are so close together in the alphabet, I think that all the fun was turned into gun, by some people who went one letter too far in the alphabet. Of course without F or G you're left with “un” and sometimes “un” is the funniest thing of all - at least we thought so with the Un-Cabaret. (http://uncabaret.com) (I can only add that concepts of “violence” are “Un-natural” to “Higher Consciousness.”)
So let’s take this “Make Love, Not War” rap into some pragmatic applications beyond just having “Fun,” and “Get ‘er Done!” It was at Beth’s presentation, “88% Happy, 100% of the Time!” at Urban Yoga Center in Palm Springs recently that I was reminded of the discoveries of Gregg Braden, a prominent author in (for lack of better term) “New Age Circles” who is bridging ancient wisdom with modern science. His study of the experiments with DNA and Light Photons are astounding to say the least. As Gregg explains in his book, The Isaiah Effect, (where you can find details on these experiments) “basically time is not just linear (past, present and future), but it also has depth. The depth of time consists of all the possible prayers and timelines that could ever be prayed or exist. Essentially, all our prayers have already been answered. We just activate the one we're living through our FEELINGS. THIS is how we create our reality - by choosing it with our feelings. Our feelings are activating the timeline via the web of creation, which connects all of the energy and matter of the Universe. This is the science behind how we can choose a timeline to stay safe, no matter what else is happening.
Remember that the law of the Universe is that we attract what we focus on. If you are focused on fearing whatever may come, you are sending a strong message to the Universe to send you whatever you fear. Instead if you can get yourself into feelings of joy, love, appreciation or gratitude, and focus on bringing more of that into your life, you are going to avoid the negative stuff automatically. You will be choosing a different TIMELINE with your feelings. You can even prevent getting any flu virus, etc, by staying in these positive feelings, which maintains an incredibly strong immune system.
So here's your protection for whatever comes: Find something to be happy about every day, and every hour if possible, moment-to-moment, even if only for a few minutes. This is the easiest and best protection you can have.”
Bringing it ‘full circle,” I must close by repeating the words Jimi Hendrix gave to the remaining audience 4 decades ago at Woodstock, after his “mind-blowing” set of psychedelic sounds: “Peace… and Happiness… Happiness!”

-Sunny Sundowner can be reached at conchustimes@yahoo.com

The "Bhakti Fest"- Flowers from the Seeds of Woodstock

2009-09-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

(As published in the 9/03/09gc issue of the Desert Valley Star) By Sunny Sundowner

When I was young- about ten or so years old, my parents took my brother, sister & I out from our dwelling in the suburban O.C. to a mystical retreat center in the high desert, called back then: “The Mentalphysics Institute.” It was like nothing I’d seen up to that point in my life, with it’s “other-worldly” sanctuary buildings. It was founded by Edwin John Dingle, who had visited Tibet in 1910, where he studied for nine months and reportedly learned the East Indian Yogic art of pranayama (breathing control), the remembrance of past lives, and other advanced spiritual disciplines. His “Science of Mentalphysics,” based on Tibetan and other Asian teachings, was begun in 1927 in Los Angeles, CA. The Institute was incorporated in 1933 and land for the 460-plus-acres retreat center in Joshua Tree was acquired in 1941. Dingle, who came to call himself “Ding Le Mei,” was a friend of Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, (one of the first Yogis to come to the West from India, all documented in his infamous work, “Autobiography of a Yogi”) and was the author of many books on spirituality, history and economics. Like Yogananda, he incorporated Eastern spiritual notions into Western Spirituality to create a "Super Yoga of the Western World.” Buildings at this spiritual-vortex-site, now called “Joshua Tree Retreat,” came to include the “Preceptory of Light,” the “First Sanctuary of Mystic Christianity” and the “Caravansary of Joy,” a 700-foot-long residence designed and built by Lloyd Wright, son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
It had been years earlier still that I had been introduced to the singing and chanting of devotional songs to open the heart to Divne Grace: songs that Yogananda had introduced to us here in the West, such as “Hey Hari Sundara!” (“Oh God Beautiful” in English). I was also introduced to Yogic exercise around that time, and when school-mates got wind of these things while visiting my family’s dwelling, I was made fun of as an “oddball” in what I call our “Western Dysfunctional Society’s” schooling system. I had to live with this “stigma” for years, until something happened in August of 1969: Swami Satchidananda (who, like Yogananda, was another “Harbinger of Yogic Methods of Enlightenment” in the West) opened up the Woodstock Music and Art Fair by teaching upwards of half a million people about meditation, yoga and devotional chanting (and “enlightening” untold millions more on the experience through the subsequent movie and media attention). Finally, to my great joy as a young American teen, with this event and others like it I was emerging from “oddball” status to “trendsetter.” East was truly beginning to meet West, as the Swami told the gathered multitudes: “There is a dynamic manpower here. The hearts are meeting. Just yesterday I was in Princeton (NJ), at Stony Brook in a monastery, where about… three hundred Catholic monks and nuns met and they asked me to talk to them under the heading of ‘East and West—One Heart’… I would like you all to join me and our group here in repeating a very simple chant. As I was reminding you of the sound power, there are certain mystical sounds which the Sanskrit terminology says are the bijak-shara, or the “seed words.” We are going to use three seed words, or the mystic words, to formulate the chants... “Hari” is one word. “Om” is another word. (The third word was “Ram,” and the entire festival then chanted the “Hari Om” and “Hari Ram” chants together.) He also informed us, “Here, I really wonder whether I am in the East or West. If these pictures or the films are going to be shown in India, they would certainly never believe that this is taken in America. For here, the East has come into the West. And with all my heart, I wish a great, great success in this music Festival to pave the way for many more festivals in many other parts of this country.”
One of the attendees at that monumental event was a young aspiring yogi from New York who had acquired the spiritual name “Sridhar.” He took these words to heart, as four decades later almost to the day, he and his team of Bhakti Yogis (or devotion practitioners) have created the West’s largest gathering of yogis and devotional-chanters to ever occur in America, the “Bhakti Fest” at Joshua Tree Retreat Center Friday through Sunday, September 11-13. Because of the planned 3 days of around-the-clock chanting, yoga workshops, nutritional vegi-cuisine, yoga-related vendors, healing arts center and more, in the ever-expanding yogic community (with yoga centers now outnumbering Starbucks!) it has been dubbed the “Spiritual Woodstock.”
Besides the most renowned “Yogis of East and West” appearing (live by satellite), Deepak Chopra (made famous by Oprah) and Baba Ram Das (author of “Be Here Now” and countless other enlightening literary tools), the list of Western Indian Kirtan (call and response chanting) performers and yoga instructors is seemingly endless. While you will (basically) have to rely on the new saying, that “a website is worth a thousand words” (www.bhaktifest.com), I will take a moment to touch on some of my favorites (which is difficult to do, in that really “all” of those in the line-up are my “favorites!”). So, in that light- quite some time ago, while listening to internet radio stations like sacredsoundsradio.com, I would experience kirtan divas such as Donna Delory. Like fellow female BF-performer, Wah!, she has such a unique approach in bringing traditional Hindu mantra into contemporary music styles, that it’s easy to see how she must’ve been a great influence for Madonna’s (Hindu music-oriented) “Ray of Light” album, in that she’s been one of Madonna’s back-up vocalists over time! Larisa Stow and Shakti Tribe fit into that same category as Donna and Wah!, and it will be a wonderful home-coming for them, as they are “high desert kirtan pioneers,” having previously performed their “Shakti (“Awakening Power of Divine Grace”)-Saturated” music at this same retreat center, as well as for a (Conchus Times Production) Integratron Spring Equinox Celebration.
Add to these an AH-mazing “unfolding mandala” of other performers such as Jai Uttal, Shiva Rea, Dave Stringer, (Alanis’s twin brother) Wade Morrisette, Wynne Paris, Shyamdas, (Joshua Tree’s own) Art Kunkin and another favorite that the younger generation can’t get enough of: MC Yogi. Like his predecessor (and fellow BF performer) Girish, MC Yogi has not only fused Hindu Kirtan-Style chanting with a contemporary hip-hop style, but he was recently featured (in a ‘what goes around comes around’ fashion) rapping for a Starbucks’ “Community Organizing” TV commercial. With all this and more (and with the additional mention that these chanting yogis in India have been known for centuries as Kirtan “Wallahs”) I look forward to seeing you at the Joshua Tree “Wallah-Stock,” where I invite you to “tune in (to the heart of devotion), turn on (compassion for your-self & others) and drop out (of ego-clinging)” and I guarantee you’ll hear the words “Hari, Om, and Rama” vibrating more than once amidst the 108-thousand mantras and asanas manifesting at the “1st Annual Bhakti Fest!”
-Sunny Sundowner can be reached at conchustimes@yahoo.com

Spirits in the Sky- Sky Sunlight Saxon Tribute (as published in the 8/27/09gc issue of the Desert Valley Star)

2009-08-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

The “Father of Garage Rock” and “Flower Power” Sky Saxon meets the “Harbinger of Alt-Rock”- Billy Corgan by Sunny Sun-Downer
Billy Corgan debuted a new song on July 24th of this year at the Echoplex in Los Angeles, called “Freak,” as a tribute to 60’s legend Sky Saxon and there are indications that it will be coming out on the re-formed Smashing Pumpkins album sometime soon. This re-emergence of Billy Corgan with his new (internet-penned) “barely legal” drummer, 19 year-old Mike Byrne, was causing more stir in S.P. circles (and in Rolling Stone Magazine & on various music blogs) than the actual debut of the group Billy formed to perform this tribute: “Spirits in the Sky.” This “Alt-Rock Super Group” was composed of B.C. on guitar, and also featured the 60’s legendary Electric Prunes’ bassist Mark Tulin, as well as equally legendary 60’s band Strawberry Alarm Clock’s keyboardist Mark Weitz, Kevin Dippold on guitar and Catherine drummer-percussionist Kerry Brown (who at one point was married to former Pumpkins bassist D’Arcy Wretzky). Its purpose was to honor the legendary lead singer Sky Saxon of the band called “The Seeds”- who left us ironically a half-day earlier than another famous musician on that June 25th, Michael Jackson. The Seeds’ big hits back then were: “Pushin’ Too Hard,” (which, although apparently about a ‘relationship problem,’ Sky said was dedicated to “repressed society”), “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine” (look for “Betty Paige Dances to the Seeds” on you tube, and you’ll probably say something like, “Oh I heard that song on a deodorant commercial!”), “Mr. Farmer” (dedicated to the ‘Hippie Farmers,” [nudge-wink] & heard on the “Almost Famous” movie soundtrack), among others. Not only did Jim Morrison & his Doors band-mates used to stand in the audience of Sunset Strip night clubs back then- mesmerized and influenced enough to duplicate Sky’s “Rock n’ Roll-Shaman” style in their own music, but legends like Muddy Waters have been quoted saying that “…the Seeds were America’s Rolling Stones.” Indeed, Sky’s on-stage persona required lines of police to keep young women from rushing him during performances (a la “Beatles”) at such sold-out shows as at the Hollywood Bowl, where he would drive them “into a frenzy” with songs such as the trance-like (17 minute live version of) “Up in Her Room.” Speaking of the Rolling Stones, when I produced a show 5 years ago at Pappy and Harriet’s with Sky and a recent Seeds incarnation, he told me personally that when he met the Stones back in the 60’s, he turned them on to the concept of “Flower Power” and they then ran with it, even creating an album called “Flowers!”). Since those days, Sky’s popularity waxed & waned to varying degrees, and is greatly documented in the plethora of albums he created with the Seeds, his solo work as Sky “Sunlight” Saxon, etc. (More info: www.skysaxon.com) Just before Sky’s untimely death, Billy Corgan had been collaborating with the Seeds’ front-man on a variety of projects, including an unreleased song called “Choose To Choose Love” (called “Sky Saxon- Choose to Love feat. Billy Corgan” on youtube.com). It’s a very moving experience to watch it, and dare I say, is the forefront of the return of Sky’s notoriety 4 decades later, albeit posthumously. Before Billy introduced the Sky Saxon-inspired song “Freak” at the Echoplex tribute, he said, “I wrote this song, and then thought ‘these lyrics are so weird- I never would’ve written these before I met Sky.” He added, “Sky Saxon came into our lives, and our lives have never been the same,” to the grinning nods of his fellow musicians. This is also seen on the Pumpkins’ website, where Billy says, “This website is going to change. It is going to transform into something that is consistent with the concepts of love, grace, and community. We are not looking backwards anymore, only forward. What makes the things I'm saying here even more real to me is the passing of my dear friend Sky Sunlight Saxon. Sky lived everyday with the concept of LOVE as his guide, and he walked the talk. He was a spiritual warrior who would tell me that Yahowa knew the beauty of our hearts, and that musicians were the living prophets of the world. So in Sky's memory I am going to re-dedicate this website to represent the things he cared about most: love, life, music, his spiritual family, and the protection of all God's creatures, big and small.” When Billy brings his new “Spirits in the Sky” band to Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace this weekend, I pray that even with the added frenzy of Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro being added to the “Spirits,” that the focus remains on the eternal Love-Rock God, Sky “Sunlight” Saxon. (For more info on Billy, go to www.smashingpumpkins.com)

Desire Heart Spirit in DHS!

2009-08-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is the link to the (less-than-helpful) L.A. Times article that came out Aug. 25 called, "Desert Hot Springs is fighting for its life" (for you to copy & paste)...
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-desert-hot-springs25-2009aug25,0,5740836.story?track=ntothtml

And this is the letter I sent off in response to the LA Times today... If this were one of my articles, I'd title it:
"From 'Desperate Hot Springs' to 'Desire Heart Spirit!'"
(Won't you join me in envisioning their printing it?!) -=0=-

Dear Editor:

Many residents and business owners of Desert Hot Springs are dismayed with David Kelly's report: "Desert Hot Springs is fighting for its life" (8/25/09). While its focus is almost completely on the negative occurrences of this low-desert town, a fraction of the article gave the opposite: some of the positive aspects, from one local spa-owner, of the great healing waters, great climate, mountain views and the "energy vortex" here. We are asking the Times to do a follow up article with its focus on these aspects of Desert Hot Springs and especially its new "Energy Vortex" plan. Modeled after a similar Sedona, Arizona plan, its focus is to revitalize the downtown area with a commerce-friendly shopping and entertainment district based upon the elements of earth, air, fire and water, with lakes, parks, outdoor amphitheater, theaters, etc. (info of which is available by clicking on "vortex specific plan" at http://www.cityofdhs.org). In tandem with the new emphasis on public security in our future is a new beautiful reality we envision for this desert city that has boasted as a slogan, "Desire Heart Spirit!"
Sincerely,
Steven "Sunny" Sun-=0=-Downer
HAALOS Healing Arts Center
"Old Town" Desert Hot Springs CA 92240

HAALOS Benefit! "Remembering Woodstock: Even If You Don't Remember!" 8-15-09gc 7pm

2009-08-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

(Image on left): Original Ad in the Los Angeles Free Press (Editor: Art Kunkin)
Next: Swami Satchidananda opens the Woodstock Festival by turning on a half-million people to Eastern Spirituality. Then, next is the AH-Some "Remembering" graphic done by HAALOS supporter Dennis, and of course, "The Radical Three"- Art Kunkin, Paul Krassner, Dean Gray.
HAALOS' WOODSTOCK 40th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: "REMEMBERING WOODSTOCK- EVEN IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER!"

PANEL DISCUSSION with Sixties Icons Art Kunkin (Editor: The Los Angeles Free Press, Alchemy Guru, etc.), Paul Krassner (Editor: The Realist, Yippies Co-founder, Author, etc.), plus Dean Gray (Editor: the Desert Valley Star). Live Music with local artists performing music from '69 Woodstock Concert. Refreshments.
Benefit for HAALOS $13.00 in advance from HAALOS
Also, re; seating- if you're comfortable sitting on the carpet, we'll have some cushions, and you're welcome to bring your own. Likewise, re; chairs- we have some, but you're welcome to bring a fold up lawn chair- just no 'Love Seats' please... (we've had problems).
Also- THIS JUST IN! Paul, in a show of support for his favorite Acu-Pressure spot: HAALOS, will be offering his classic book published by High Times, "Pot Stories for the Soul," for 13 pictures of George "I Grew Hemp" Washington ($13)! And if you're quick, you might get him to sign it! (My favorite story so far is Lynn Phillips' piece about her wild experiences in SF in the sixties, called "Love & Haight.")
$15.00 At the Door- (If Avail.!)
Saturday Aug. 15th 7pm Live Music 8:30pm
HAALOS Healing Arts Center & Empori-om
12078 Palm Dr.
Desert Hot Springs 92240
760-673-7580

-For Woodstock Era Music 24/7 (for free, as it should be) check out www.woodstockuniverse.com & click on the 'radiowoodstock69' button!
-My friend Lisa Law's Woodstock Photography will be on exhibition (along w/Jim Marshall/Baron Wolman/Henry Diltz Woodstock photos) in Venice at Duncan Miller Gallery from 8-15 to 9-25 (http://duncanmillergallery.com)
-The movie on Woodstock Icon Wavy Gravy "Saint Misbehavin' "is coming to Lost Angeles at the Arclight Theater 8-15 thru 8-20
(So Many Woodstock Events So Little Time!)
-Also, please check out: www.artkunkin.com, paulkrassner.com, desertvalleystar.com
and... oh yeah- if you want to contact me by email, i use this one WAY more than gmail (no offense, google!): conchustimes@yahoo.com
Please Share This Info W/Your Friends &/or Enemies! OK? GROOVY BABY!

High Desert Sky Saxon Tribute @ Pappy & Harriet's

2009-07-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Also- this just in! If you're on Facebook (or want to sign up- it's free!) check out Klaus Wille's AH-some album of about 25 photos of this night! copy & paste this link:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=107094814462&ref=nf
Email message from Dead(red)Head Karen (wishing success w/the HIGH Dez Sky Tribute) : "Go get 'em Tiger! grrrowwwl..!"
Sunny's response: "SO cosmic that you said that girl-friend..!
That 1st link on my blog is for the youtube video of Billy Corgan & the 'Spirits in the Sky Band' at the Echoplex Sky Tribute doing the Seeds "900 Million People Daily (All Making Love)" that i wanted to do last night at the show- where Sky's lyrics include one part about a tiger stalking in the this jungle tonight! (In my opinion, this is one of the songs that greatly influenced one young man that used to stand in the audience in front of Sky, mesmerized by his 'shamanic vocal talents'... Jim Morrison of the Doors..!) But I did 4 other Ah-some songs (directed by Sky): George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord," Sky's "Can't Seem to Make You Mine," Ben E. King's "Stand By Me," & Sky's "Pushin' Too Hard." In the 1st Sky/Seeds song, Host Ted Quinn rapped the lyrics of a song i wrote for Sky, "Enter the Dharma Sky," that was missing for 5 years until Ted pulled it out of the album ("Little Richie Marsh- Starlight Date" Sky's 1st album of 50's doo-wap*) that Sky gave him at the Joshua Tree "Sky Sunlight & the God-Dog Band" Sessions. All four songs are up on youtube now- you can copy & paste this link to see "Can't Seem to Make You Mine/Enter the Dharma Sky": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRN7WUF_XHo
And then, of course you can click on 'Sundowner108's Other Videos' to see the others.
This most recent version of the God-Dog Band (that beautifully backed me up) were (Instant Karma Yoga's) Geoffrey Earendil on percussion, Clive Wright (from Cock Robin/ Harold Budd/too many others 2 list) on lead electric guitar, Gene Evaro on bass, w/his beautiful sisters Shavaughn, Gabrielle & Bryanna (who all gratefully came out of the Evaro Family Band rehearsal in time to make this magic happen)... and many others who joined, like Zaina Alwan, who creates the AH-mazing P & H stage backdrops and... Pappy & Harriet's Robin! There were quite a few others, including, but not limited to, Wally Ingram's family doing back-up vocals on "Stand By Me" (& why didn't Wally come up & get on the drum-set..? I mean since Sam wasn't using them- i'm just sayin'!)& BTW, Wally's daughter Lydia is quite the performer at 4 years old!
(And for a taste of the Evaro Family's music, go to w3.peaceloveevrao.com)
Oh what a Namas-Day/Night! Heart-Felt Thanks to EVERY-ONE from Echo Park to Joshua Tree (not to even mention the AH-some Austin & No. Cal. Tributes) helping the Spirit in Sky to Come Full Circle at the time of his transition. Special thanks of course to the One who, in the middle of the "Loss of a loved one (& subsequent grieving process)" was able to create miracles to honor Sky, Sabrina Saxon! Also thanks to AH-nother Heart-Sister of Sky's, HIGH Desert-Dweller Judy Wishart who not only created an album cover for one of Sky's 80's solo albums (seen up above & to the right of the humble little Sky Shrine behind Ted Quinn in the photo of him giving one of his Sky tributes), but also brought AH-mazing old Seeds poster art & photos of his performance at P & H to share! (She is seen in the last photo, with Sabrina & me in a "Seeds-AH-Tois") Also, as i reminded everyone last night near the end of my rendition of "Can't Seem to..," Sky's 49th Day in the Bardo (in-between state, according to the Tibetan Tradition) is TODAY Aug. 13th! It would be wonderful if all who know & love Sky (even if you didn't meet him in the physical before he left) could focus, in your own spiritual preference (i.e. song, chant, mantra, prayer, meditation, etc.) on Sky merging with the BRIGHT HALO OF RAINBOW LIGHT! *I'M POSTING SOME OF THE PRAYERS BELOW HERE-(for more, email me at conchustimes@yahoo.com)
And I know all of you who couldn't be there physically, were with US in the Dharma Sky- Where SKY is SMILING, real BIG right NOW (about as big as i was last night & will be whenever i remember this night!)...
...just AH-Some!
-=0=-
* If you're interested in this classic 1st Sky LP, it may still be available at: http://www.nortonrecords.com/lps_exclusives.html (& only $10-! i better grab one b4 they're gone!)

Here is just one set of the final prayers in the Bardo Terdol (Tibetan Book of the Dead), that I share w/you should you have the time to read while thinking about Sky Sunlight Saxon on his 49th day (today) and visualize him merging with the BRIGHT LIGHT of LIBERATION. Should you have the interest, all of them are available here:
http://www.summum.us/mummification/tbotd/appendix.shtml

'The Root Verses of the Six Bardos':

[1]

O now, when the Birthplace Bardo upon me is dawning!
Abandoning idleness -- there being no idleness in [a devotee's] life --
Entering into the Reality undistractedly, listening, reflecting, and meditating,
Carrying on to the Path [knowledge of the true nature of] appearances and of mind, may the Tri-Kāya(3 bodies of Buddha-hood) be realized:
Once that the human form hath been attained,
May there be no time [or opportunity] in which to idle it [ human life] away.
[2]

O now, when the Dream Bardo upon me is dawning!
Abandoning the inordinate corpse-like sleeping of the sleep of stupidity,
May the consciousness undistractedly be kept in its natural state;
Grasping the [true nature of] dreams, [may I] train [myself] in the Clear Light of Miraculous Transformation:
Acting not like the brutes in slothfulness,
May the blending of the practicing of the sleep [state] and actual [or waking] experience be highly valued [by me].
[3]

O now, when the Dhyāna Bardo upon me is dawning!
Abandoning the whole mass of distractions and illusions,
May [the mind] be kept in the mood of endless undistracted Samādhi,
May firmness both in the visualizing and in the perfected [stages] be obtained:
At this time, when meditating one-pointedly, with [all other] actions put aside,
May I not fall under the power of misleading, stupefying passions.
[4]

O now, when the Bardo of the Moment of Death upon me is dawning!
Abandoning attraction and craving, and weakness for all [worldly things],
May I be undistracted in the space of the bright [enlightening] teachings,
May I [be able to] transfuse myself into the heavenly space of the Unborn:
The hour hath come to part with this body composed of flesh and blood;
May I know the body to be impermanent and illusory.
[5]

O now, when the Bardo of the Reality upon me is dawning,
Abandoning all awe, fear, and terror of all [phenomena],
May I recognize whatever appeareth as being mine own thought-forms,
May I know them to be apparitions in the Intermediate State;
[It hath been said], 'There arriveth a time when the chief turning-point is reached;
Fear not the bands of the Peaceful and Wrathful, Who are thine own thought-forms'.
[6]

O now, when the Bardo of [taking] Rebirth upon me is dawning!
One-pointedly holding fast to a single wish,
[May I be able to] continue the course of good deeds through repeated efforts;
May the womb-door be closed and the revulsion recollected:
The hour hath come when energy and pure love are needed;
[May I] cast off jealousy and meditate upon the Guru, the Father-Mother.
[7]

['O] procrastinating one, who thinketh not of the coming of death,
Devoting thyself to the useless doings of this life,
Improvident art thou in dissipating thy great opportunity;
Mistaken, indeed, will thy purpose be now if thou returnest empty-handed [from this life]:
Since the Holy Dharma is known to be thy true need,
Wilt thou not devote [thyself] to the Holy Dharma even now?'
[Epilogue]

Thus say the Great Adepts in devotion.
If the chosen teaching of the guru be not borne in mind,
Wilt thou not [O shishya] be acting even as a traitor to thyself?
It is of great importance that these Root Words be known.

Sky Sunlight Saxon Memorial at the Echoplex July 24 2009 g.c.

2009-07-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

A PICTURE is worth 1000 words... but a video is worth "900 Millon People Daily- All Making Love..." Billy Corgan covered this Epic AH-mazing Psychedelic Seeds Song- among others, Friday night- check it out here (copy & paste this link): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXwLfmc4Qi8
1st image is from the 1968 "Teen Scene." Next is the flyer I put together for our "last-minute" Sky Sunlight Tribute, signed by the original Seeds that were at the Echoplex, Daryl Hooper, Carl Belknap, Don Boomer & even their original road manager, Richie France! Next is the beautiful Sky Shrine put together by the Hostess, Sky's Wife Sabrina Saxon & her friends Lisa & Peter from Sandy Ego. Next is the "Climax of the Evening" photo w/everyone gathered for "Pushin' Too Hard," channeled by (Sky Tribute Artist) Don Bolles. Seeds drummer Carl Belknap is 5th person from the left. Next is the most psychelic photo (as in blurry) of Seeds keyboardist Daryl Hooper just to the right of one of the Go-Go Dancers, while Leighton Koizumi (the other Sky "Tribute Artist") sings his verse. Then Billy Corgan jams on bass in "Yahowa 33" w/Djinn Aquarian, as well as in the next photo- Is that Sky in the 'Orb' by Djinn's guitar? Next is the LA Weekly Aug. 31, 2007 special issue w/cover story on the Source Family w/Djinn on upper left. Then, "Mayor of the Sunset Strip" & old friend of Sky's Rodney Bingenheimer introduces the Electric Prunes with Prunes singer James Lowe right behind him. Next are member of the new Seeds that Sky recorded the "Red Planet" CD with at the time of the Pappy & Harriet's '04 Show: from left, Go-Go Dancer, Mark "Branch" Bellgraph, Rick "Rock N' Roll Avenger" Collins & Sky's long-time guitarist Tommy "Atomic" Azevedo. Next are (from left) Djinn Aquarian, Crystal, Rebekah & Spring Aquarian with some (human-created) "Orbs"- part of the psychedelic decorations everywhere. Next is Rick's beautiful wife Christa Collins performing Sky's "A Faded Picture," from the 'Web of Sound' LP. Then, Yogi John Franzoni, who, not only is the connection that I met Sky through, but also appeared on the cover of the LA Weekly on their special Yoga Studios issue some 2 decades ago, and who Sky is jamming with again on Etheric Tibetan Singing Bowls. Next is Yogi John, (seated) with other Source Family members, known then as "Boaz." Then the the Source Family issue again, with Sky's greeting for me signed with his Source Family name "Arelich"- he always called me "Champion." Then some of Sabrina's Shrine/decoration crew Lisa & Peter from San Diego. Then another Sky Shrine shot, followed by the human-orb (with a tiny Rodney on stage) declaring: " 'Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky!" (all photos (c) Sunny Sun-Downer)more info: SkySaxon.com SKY LIVES!
-= ;) =-

Paul Krassner Interview Part 2

2009-07-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! GRATEFUL DEAD PERFORM IN RARE POLITICAL BENEFIT FOR BLACK PANTHERS! EXTRA! EXTRA!

Paul Krassner Interview, Part 2
By Sunny Sundowner
(As published in the current issue of the Desert Valley Star www.desertvalleystar.com)

When we last left our “Counter-Culture Hero,” we were hitting on a couple of the aspects of the un-official “Anthem of the (Nineteen) Sixties: Sex, Drugs and Rock n’ Roll.” We were left with his take on what might have happened had his Yippie co-founder Abbie Hoffman and Jefferson Airplane singer Grace Slick been successful in dosing Richard Nixon’s beverage with LSD at a White House Social event for his daughter, Julie.
Paul says that his “religion” is “coincidence” and I truly believe it! Right as the issue of the Desert Valley Star came out with Part 1 of this interview, it was announced in the L.A. Times that, after a year-long battle, Yoko Ono finally won possession of 10 hours of video tapes of John Lennon & his family, one part of which shows "Lennon smoking marijuana and joking about putting LSD in Nixon's tea!" But the plot thickens- when I called Paul to tell him this news, he reported that what was even more amazing was that when I called he was just writing about a previous experience he’d had with John Lennon! “Truth is stranger than fiction!”
Sunny Sundowner: It’s interesting how you previously related that your LSD and cannabis use at concerts such as with the Grateful Dead would cause you to lose your inhibitions about such things as dancing in public. Well, speaking of LSD and the Grateful Dead, I wanted to get your take on this: (according to former Grateful Dead manager Rock Scully’s biography, “Living with the Dead”) back in the sixties, Jerry Garcia and his first wife, Sara were having a “bad trip” on LSD, or “acid bummer” as it was called back then. In spite of their “freak out” (the term’s original meaning), they had the good sense to visit Jerry’s song-writing partner Robert Hunter, who surmised the situation and proceeded to leaf through a book that he pulled down from his shelf: Tim Leary and friends’ version of “The Tibetan Book of the Dead,” titled “The Psychedelic Experience.” Jerry and Sara were on the edge of their seats waiting as Hunter was perusing different parts of the book for a while, and then finally closed it, looked at them and said, “It’s OK.” They couldn’t believe that was all there was to it, asking “It’s OK?” That then turned into their “mantra” as they left, going into a positive new experience, murmuring “It’s OK!”
Paul Krassner: Um, well I guess that sums it up- two words!
SS: Kind of like Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing?”
PK: Uh huh, right… and sometimes it just takes that “little nudge” of reassurance, which is what Hunter did. He had to sum up this profound book in a very simple way. I like that- this relationship between “profundity” and “simplicity”… or it could just be because I’m lazy. (Big Laughter)
SS: “The Lazy Man’s Guide to Guru-ship.” Then, oddly enough, what that very book recommends having for those embarking on a “psychedelic journey,” Jerry, decades later, became: a “guide,” musically-speaking, for thousands of young people taking these inner “journeys.” It’s also interesting that the Grateful Dead were one of the only groups that didn’t ever really do political benefit concerts…
PK: Well, they did do a benefit concert for the Black Panther “political prisoners” at the Oakland coliseum in 1971…
SS: Oh, I forgot about that! What a statement of “Counter-Culture Unity” that must have been! Were you there for that?
PK: Yes, I was there with a bunch of Merry Pranksters. It was really exciting. The unity of counter-cultural diversity was strong but unspoken. Everybody was frisked by Black Panthers before we were allowed to enter the concert hall. Later, I asked Ken Kesey what his reaction was. He replied, "I stood very still."
SS: Well, I hope he got stoned so he could dance, too! (Laughter) I guess what I was thinking about was more about the Vietnam War protests. I read that the Dead didn’t play at protests because they felt their music itself was their “anti-war protest.”
PK: Well, because it was “positive.” So it was “political” in that sense, because a Dead concert was really a “Camp Re-union” and a “Healing Ceremony” for many… but most of all, it was a sense of “Community” that was as much the attraction of it, as was the music itself.
SS: And we might go so far as to say that, in addition to being a healing ceremony, it was a “spiritual experience.” One interesting aside, though, came in an interview with Jerry later on, where he was asked what he thought about this one faction of “Deadheads” who considered him to be “God,” and he responded that he would tolerate it until they came for him with the “nails and a cross.” (Laughter) But you had an interesting bit of Jerry Garcia trivia about his “spirituality” involving “The Urantia Book”…
PK: Oh yeah- Garcia read the entire Urantia Book…
SS: And that’s like over 4 inches thick!
PK: Yeah, and it’s in small print. Back in the sixties, there was a legend that if you read the entire Urantia Bible, which is sort-of “science-fiction” in its own way- a mix of science-fiction and spirituality… but if you read the entire book, then ‘three elderly women would come visit you.” But Jerry told me that he never got that visit… and he was very disappointed. (Laughter)
SS: Do you think he considered it a waste of time, then? (Laughter)
PK: No, he had a “twinkle in his eye” about it- and he knew that it was the “journey” of reading it, rather than the “goal” of meeting “three elderly women.”
SS: Exactly! Well, in regards to another “new age” topic, do you have a belief one way or another on re-incarnation?
PK: Well, it’s inconceivable to me- I can’t separate consciousness from the physical brain. It’s just my own limitation. But even if, objectively, it was a true process, I would use it as a metaphor- I’d try to live my life as if it was my “last incarnation.” And, then have reincarnations in my own life. For example, my writing career has been essentially non-fiction and humor.
SS: And you could say that each one of your books or issues of “The Realist” was one of your ‘incarnations” in itself.
PK: Yeah, in a “sub-division scale.” But in a larger division… I’ve got two new books, one of which is “Who’s to Say What’s Obscene? Politics, Comedy and Culture in America Today,” with a forward by Ariana Huffington. And the other is “In Praise of Indecency- Dispatches from the Valley of Porn.” They’re both collections of my columns and articles… but my current obsession now is to work on novels. So, for me to work on fiction: that’s a new “incarnation” for me, because I have to make everything up. I have this friend who is a novelist, Avery Corman, who wrote his first article in the early sixties for “The Realist,” and then went on to write two novels that later became movies: “Oh God!” and “Kramer vs. Kramer.” So I called him and told him how I realized that writing fiction was difficult because you have to make everything up, and he said, “Come on Paul! You’ve been making stuff up all your life!” And I said, “Yeah, but that was journalism!”
Get more Krassner at paulkrassner.com!

The 1st Desert Valley Star "Annual Pot Issue!"

2009-07-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

The Latest Desert Valley Star- July 4th: Freedom 4 Cannabis- 1st "Annual Pot Issue" Is Already A Collector's Item on the 1st Day It Arrives On the Streets! Geoffrey Earendil's AH-mazing artwork on the 1st High Desert Cannabis Dispensary (full page) Ad Features the Tibetan Dancing Chittapati flanked by an Indian Shiva Baba Worshipping Lord Shiva w/his Ganja-filled Chillum. Page 3 has Sunny Sun-Downer's AH-mazing & Hilarious Interview with "60's Counter-Culture Living Legend," Yippies Co-Founder/Realist Editor & Author of Countless Books- Paul Krassner!
Conch-Us Times Blog-Bonus- Tim Leary on "Smoking Marijuana"- Copy & paste the following link & go to: "Live And Let Live" from the 1970 album "You Can Be Anyone This Time Around" w/musicians Steven Stills, Buddy Miles, others... The title cut and "What Do You Turn On When You Turn On?" are also HIGHLY Recommended (& remember- Tim was saying this just about 40 years ago! Are PEOPLE finally Listening? Has the 100th Monkey Started Laughing?!)
http://new.music.yahoo.com/timothy-leary/albums/you-can-be-anyone-this-time-around--202184921
Now HERE's a suggestion for you multi-tasker-types: While you're listening to Tim & one of the first "Brotherhood of Eternal Love" public experiences, you can open another window, come back here & read the following interview- for a multi-faceted-experience! (Also- don't miss AH-nother AH-mazing coincidence at the end...-=0=-)
DANCING WITH CANNABIS AND THE DEAD-
The Sixties Culture’s Sex, Drugs and Rock n’ Roll (Not-Necessarily-In-that-Order)
Sunny Sundowner’s Interview with “60’s Radical, Yippies Co-Founder, Counter-Culture Living Legend”
(And Desert Hot Springs Resident) Paul Krassner

SS: I thought we could touch on, among other things, the un-official “Anthem of the Sixties,” or “Sex, Drugs and Rock n’ Roll,” but I wanted to do it in reverse order…
PK: OK.
SS: Do you feel that the rock n’ roll music of the sixties helped lead to a revolution of spiritual consciousness in the West?
PK: Well… At the time that the hippies started turning on with rock n’ roll, what was going on WAS a spiritual revolution. My good friend Lenny Bruce had a line: “The people are leaving the Church and going back to God!” (Laughter)
SS: No wonder he pissed off the government!
PK: Yeah, that was part of it… It’s just that there was no law against blasphemy, so they had to get him for the language that he used… The main word they persecuted him for was the same word that Country Joe & the Fish popularized at the original Woodstock Concert with their infamous “Fish Cheer”: “Give me an F!...” and of course you know the other three letters. So, rock n’ roll music… I’m eclectic in my musical tastes, but if I had to choose only one, rock n’ roll is my favorite. Partly because of the association with the counter-culture, and partly because- I belong to a “Secret Army”… That only dance when they’re alone… And rock music made me want to dance- especially if I was stoned. I went to Egypt in 1978 when the Grateful Dead played at one of the pyramids. I was hanging out with (Grateful Dead Manager) Bill Graham there. I had already taken acid and he gave me a ‘marijuana cookie’
SS: They had them back then, eh? I thought it was just “brownies!” (Laughter)
PK: Whatever you’d want to bake! And… we were both back in the area between back-stage and the stage itself… dancing- And he confessed to me that that moment was the first time he had ever danced in public. I said: me too! But I think that the music provided the missing link between your body and your spirit. It united those aspects. So many of the songs were about “optimism, hope and the mystery itself.” So it was an integral part, not just of spirituality, but also of politics. There were songs about racism, the Vietnam War, about how cruel humans could be. These songs were a response to those things saying we wanted to replace ‘fear’ with ‘joy’ and the music was a soundtrack for that process.
SS: One of my recent articles for the Desert Valley Star focused on the music of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the energetic effect it had on one’s metaphysical energy centers, or “Chakras,” if you will. So I was wondering if you remember an “Experience” or two with him?
PK: Well… Jimi Hendrix was the first “black Yippie.” The “Yippies” back in the sixties were the “Youth International Party”… and he had a Yippie button on his hat, and one thing the Yippies did besides protest the Vietnam War in Chicago in 1968, was to, on Valentine’s Day of the next year, send out hundreds of rolled joints to people in many different professions- teachers, lawyers, anyone we could think of. There was even one particular person they sent one to because his name in the phone book was “Peter Pot.” And each joint was mailed with a leaflet with the truth about marijuana and the unjust laws against it. So, Jimi paid for the pot… that was his contribution to that act of the Yippie’s “Guerilla Theater.”
SS: “Now it can be told…”
PK: In New York, the next year, in ’69 at Woodstock another thing that stands out in my mind, with all the incredibly good music that was there, was Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” because this was a gathering of the tribes from around the country and internationally, that had seen the “American Dream” morph into the “American Nightmare. That version expressed, for me, that anguish and disappointment of what was happening in the country- culturally, politically, spiritually… and that it articulated the consciousness of the audience- which, again, I’m projecting… but it was optimism that we have an alternative value system, and we’re going to LIVE IN IT- It’s not going to be an ‘abstract thing” in this country. So the ‘soul-full-ness’ of the wailing of his guitar… symbolizing that out of this “empire that was beginning to crumble”- I mean, we can see that more and more now over the decades, crumbling under the weight of it’s own corruption, there was another “empire” building, that we called the “counter-culture.”
SS: And you were on the fore-front of that counter-culture. Well, speaking of that concert, I’m reminded of the other famous ‘sunrise set’ by the Jefferson Airplane, with Grace Slick waking everyone up with “Look what’s happening out on the streets- Got to revolution!” the opening lines of the title-cut of their album “Volunteers of Amerika” (the original title before RCA records made them change it to just “Volunteers.”) That leads me to ask you a question regarding something that she talked about in her autobiography, “Somebody to Love?” Because she was friends with Nixon’s daughters before she moved to San Francisco, she was invited to some social function at the White House that Nixon would be participating in. But here’s the really wild part: she took as her date, your sixties Yippie Co-founder, Abbie Hoffman, and their plan was to dose the punch bowl with LSD so that hopefully Nixon would get dosed & see the “error of his ways.” So, I was just wondering what you think might have been the result if they had succeeded in their “mission.”
PK: Well, that’s a hypothetical question…
SS: I know- it’s a big “IF!”
PK: I don’t know… Abby would have gone to jail sooner? (Laughter)
SS: I was just wondering if you might be able to give an impromptu scenario of Nixon on acid- affecting the political situation of this country.
PK: Oh, I thought he WAS on acid! (Laughter)
SS: But it was the “Brown Acid” they warned people at Woodstock NOT to take!
PK: He didn’t listen when they said that! (Laughter) I don’t know… Allen Ginsberg always thought that he could create world peace if he could get- at that point it was Kennedy and Krushev, to both take LSD. I think because it helped serve as a vehicle to connect the sub-conscious and the conscious minds- but people projected their own experience on it and assumed that that would also happen with somebody like Nixon. But I think that acid would strengthen or extend a value system that somebody already had. So Catholics would have a “Catholic Acid Experience,” Jews would have a “Jewish Acid Experience”… whatever the symbols were. The best example is when I was at (“Acid Guru”) Tim Leary’s place in Millbrook (New York). When we were talking, the phone rang and he let me listen in- it was a stockbroker who was calling Leary to thank him for turning him on to acid, because it gave him the courage to “sell short.” By the same token I met a Socialist who, as a result of his acid trip there, gave a talk to the Socialist Scholars Conference about why Socialists should take acid. So whatever ‘vision’ someone had, acid could expand it. So I, being an Atheist… people couldn’t believe it, saying, “you mean you took acid and you didn’t find God!?” and I would say, “No, I found several more gods not to believe in…” (Laughter)
-Award-winning satirist Paul Krassner edited the groundbreaking countercultural magazine, The Realist (1958-2001), but when People magazine called him "Father of the Underground Press," he immediately demanded a paternity test. Visit paulkrassner.com.
Addendum: Paul tells me his religion is "coincidence," & I truly believe it! Right as this issue of the Desert Valley Star came out with this interview, it was announced in the L.A. Times Calendar Section's "Quick Takes" that Yoko Ono finally won possession of 10 hours of video tapes of John Lennon & his family, one part of which shows "Lennon smoking marijuana and joking about putting LSD in Nixon's tea." Here's a link you can copy & paste to see a story about the beginning of this case in the NY Times:
http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN2242733520080422?feedType=RSS
Could we then have coined a new term, I ask: "L.S.Tea?-=0=-

"New Age Abuse" by Sunny Sun-Downer

2009-06-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here's the most recent one folks! (A bit more edited this time in the Desert Valley Star newspaper [and not posted on their website yet]... But, should you have access to the print version around the low or high desert, you're welcome to compare them & tell me which one you like more: the original story as I wrote it here, or the edited version, & I can forward your comment [unless it's negative- HA! HA!])

New Age Abuse by Sunny Sun-Downer
To quote the Dalai Lama of Tibet: “My religion is simple… My religion is kindness.” These are words that can really change the world, with all its divisive religious factionalism & the problems that manifest from that. And, Lord knows (no pun intended), I try to be kind, even when I’m particularly p.o.’d about something. So I will endeavor to remain kind as I breach this topic: Abuse of the “New Age” phenomenon (and I apologize for relying on this term “New Age,” as what we’re talking about here is derived from something definitely “Ancient Age” in actuality, but until someone offers a better term- OK, how about “Golden Age?”)
In my last article in this wonderful publication, I alluded to Hatha Yoga being used to sell products from air fresheners to insurance and mattresses. And I’m OK with that, because free market capitalism, for better or worse, has helped spread goodness around the world, and in this particular case, it’s helping to create the acceptance of what was up to recent in the Dysfunctional Western Society (as I label it), a laughable topic: yoga and meditation.
Previously-critical comments like, “Right, you think you can just ‘Ommmm’ your troubles away, don’t you?” or “What is becoming a ‘human pretzel’ going to do for you, really?” have transformed into others such as a doctor saying, “Well, I don’t know- maybe it is the Hatha Yoga (and/or meditation) you’ve been doing, but something’s been lowering your blood pressure and your apparent stress level as well!”
But what has fired up my ire? After resisting talk from friends for some time now, about how wonderful this or that social networking site is- I just finally ‘sold my soul’ & joined up with one of the ones that I have long had an aversion to (and don’t get me started as to why, but here’s a hint: Is George Sick Or Well?). My fellow journalist Art Kunkin has been, in his recent articles here, addressing the topic of working with the “chakras” (energy centers within the human body) to reverse the aging process with ancient Tibetan teachings- Anti-aging being something that is of great interest to a lot of people. Therefore, I find the timing for this diatribe AH-mazing (“Ah” is the “seed-syllable” connected with the “throat chakra” in the Tibetan system).
I noticed a “friend” on the site had taken a quiz titled, “Which of Your Chakras Is Most Open Right Now?” Naturally, being the “New Age Sensitive Guy” that I am, I likewise thought I might like to experience this quiz. But, man… did I have another ‘think’ coming! There was the expected list of questions with their subsequent choices, such as, “What is your favorite color?,” “What is your closest personality trait?,” What would you be seen wearing out on the town?,” What do you feel life is about?,” among others. OK so far. Then, the next one smashed me in the “3rd eye,” (so to speak): “Which are you most likely to get arrested for?,” with the only choices being “1)Brawling, 2)Obsession, 3)Stalking, 4)Stealing, 5)Money Laundering, 6)Threatening Letters, and finally, 7)Protesting.” That’s it? No “Other,” or “I don’t intend on ever getting arrested?” WAIT! Forget “Other!” and “I don’t…” So, what, exactly is my (tree-hugging, vegetarian) beef? What is this question doing in a quiz that’s supposed to be concerning “Higher Consciousness” in the first place?!
I default to, of all things, a capitalist-generated (as in TV commercial) saying that I saw recently: “THAT IS WRONG ON SO MANY LEVELS!” Instead of following my inclination to vent further, I will ‘channel’ my extreme distaste with the “pond scum” consciousness-level human being(s) that THAT came from (with apologies to all pond scum!), into some words on the “Throat Chakra” (ironically the chakra that I was given as “most open” in this “New-Age-Farce-Of-A-Quiz,” after choosing “Protesting,” because at that point I would’ve been willing to be arrested for “Protesting” this cyber-insanity)!
The first four chakras (in the Hindu system): at the base of the spine, the pelvis, the solar plexus, and the heart, correspond to the four elements (respectively) earth, water, fire and air. The fifth, or “Throat Chakra” is the consciousness of space alone, and this is the characteristic of the element ether. Again, in conjunction with Mr. Kunkin’s great work, I quote Peter Rendel from his book Introduction to the Chakras: “The ether, or quintessence, as it was termed by alchemists, is the mixing bowl, so to speak, within which the lower elements are formed… and to which each returns when its period of activity is ended and another element manifests in its place. They are really modifications of the basic ether which can turn itself into any of them. In modern radio terms, the ether is the carrier wave for the elements.” So in ancient theoretical terms you might add, “In the beginning was the Word.”
I’ve expounded on the Throat Chakra here, because this chakra involves “sound” and our “word” manifest through the “voice.” This is the “vortex” of the meta-physical energy that we put out into the outer world on a physical level (whether in cyber-space or ether-space). Our words have power in this “Golden Age,” for the good of humanity or the opposite…For use or abuse. So what do you want to broadcast?
-Sunny is the director of the HAALOS Healing Arts Center, 12078 Palm Dr., Desert Hot Springs CA 92240, for stressed-out humans in need of re-centering body work (Also home to the Desert Karmapa Meditation Center). His past articles for the Desert Valley Star can be viewed at www.conchustimes.blogspot.com email: conchustimes@yahoo.com (760) 673- 7580

Stand-Up Lie-Down Breathe-Deep Comedy!

2009-06-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

By Sunny Sun-Downer (As published in this week's Desert Valley Star newspaper, [www.desertvalleystar.com], except that the print article was edited maybe 5% for space considerations... Many Thanks to the DVStar!)
Comedienne Beth Lapides is my new “Jew-Du Gee-You-Are-U!” Let me explain. While she claims to be Jewish (which she says is “more vague than being ‘a Jew’ “), she is one of the only new mainstream comedians to be popularizing Hatha Yoga & Hinduism- therefore she is what I have coined a ‘Jewish-Hindu’ or “Jew-Du.” (The awakening to this title came to me after studying the Sutra that expounds on the mantra, “Om Oi-vey Padme Hum, Hail the Jew in the Heart-Lotus.” For those un-familiar with this, let me explain that the famous Tibetan mantra, “Om Mani Padme Hum” basically translates as “Hail the JEWEL in the Lotus of my Heart).
When she’s not enjoying Hatha yoga poses like the one that is “to die for,” Savasana, (the “Corpse Pose,”) she’s doing, among other things her “Un-Cabaret Workshops,” her comedy-yoga column “My Other Car Is A Yoga Mat” and her ‘Stand Up Yoga’ comedy show, currently titled “100% Happy- 88 % Of The Time” (after the book of the same name). And, if you ask me, if she’s smart she’ll immediately seek sponsorship for her national tour from one big odor-controlling corporation that’s currently using ‘Yoga Moms” to sell their plug-in “aroma-therapy” de-odorizers in television commercials. (No blatant plug here, but it rhymes with “raid.”) I tell you, sex used to sell products, but now you see Hatha yogis selling everything from insurance to mattresses! Another “SIGN” that the New Age is dawning on us- time to wake up & smell the Nag Champa (incense)!
And, speaking of “signs,” after catching her performance at Palm Springs’ Urban Yoga Center (www.urbanyoga.org) recently, I dubbed her my new “Gee-You-Are-U,” because while she gave all of us in attendance a cosmic transmission that opened our Humor Chakra, it involved a teaching in recognizing the “signs” that life presents to us, which helps us to tune into and connect to our “Ubiquitous” (or “Higher, Omni-present” Self,) the “U” in “Gee-You-Are-U,” as I like to see it. Yes, to paraphrase the famous metaphysical saying, “When the student is ready, the G.U.R.U’s signs will appear.”
A dove made a nest near their front door- a “sign” at first that everything was at peace in their “nest” at their Los Angeles-area home. But after two eggs appeared, was it a sign that they were then supposed to become bi-residential after all? They had been coming out to the desert since spending their fifth anniversary at a spa retreat in Desert Hot Springs, and they came to love coming to the desert over the years. At the same time, she told us, a nearby bee hive was a sign to remember to “Bee Here Now.”
Thanks to her husband-producer Greg Miller’s transformative and morphing slide show, it became an “MLE,” or “Multi-Level Experience,” with never a dull moment. The show is based on their eviction from their home-of-many-summers in L.A., with subsequent re-location out to the Southern California desert, being a “sign” that reflected humanity’s ‘eviction from the Piscean Age into the Aquarian Age,” as she perceived it. This eviction added to the recent financial challenge created when the prospect of her potential comedy show on a major cable channel fizzled.
In the time-consuming search for a new home in L.A., they were getting frustrated at the point that they went looking at Mt. Washington (speaking of Gurus, this has been the home of Swami Paramahansa Yogananda’s Self-Realization Fellowship for decades). After her previously-New-York-based husband compared it to “Queens with Los-Angeles-charm,” Beth said, “We might as well live in Palm Springs,” as a joke. Greg didn’t see it that way and blurted, “That may have been the wisest thing you’ve ever said!” Beth re-iterated, “It’s a joke!” But by the time they got home they were scheming on a plan to live both places, and the rest is history, as they’ve been (88%) happily living in Palm Springs for over four years now. The travails of the whole experience became fodder for the cosmic comedy trough that is their show. It hilariously touches on so much of the metaphysical amusements of the New Age movement experience like the feng shui-like “geo-de-stressing” of their new desert home by a ‘high-desert dowser’ to clear out the negative energy with dowsing rods, in which Beth at first was skeptical until she learned how to do it and ended following him around dowsing every corner of their new ‘mandala-space’ herself! She also discussed her experiences as she was first setting foot on the “Cosmic New Age” path, one time in particular at a “Metaphysical Convention” in Las Vegas that she attended while reporting for ABC Radio, when she didn’t believe in “Angelic Healing” & other things you can’t see with your two physical eyes. But then a famous “angelic healer” told her that she had a “psychic dagger” in the middle of her back where she had been endlessly experiencing back pain, and would she like it removed? After Beth thought for about two seconds, she agreed, and with-in a few more seconds the “psychic operation” was finished. After that, the pain was gone, and wouldn’t return, according to the healer- as long as she “committed to believing in angels.” She agreed, it hasn’t returned, and she became a believer in the cosmic ways of the unseen.
So much more could be included here, but I wouldn’t want to deprive you of much gut-massaging laughter from the master herself- from her workshops, her book, and monthly her column, available at her website, www.bethlapides.com. But I will add this- one of the highlights for me among the many metaphysically-enlightening topics she touched on, was conveying the work of “Mr. Zero-Point-Astro-Physicist” Gregg Braden whose discoveries have come to boggle the mind. While Greg (Miller) displayed the images, she related that our DNA is emitting photons of light particles 24/7… AND therefore we are constantly creating our own universe with our thought-field. That, then, takes me back to the instructions on a bumper sticker I saw at a Grateful Dead show decades ago: “Think Good Thoughts!”
And speaking of psychedelic shows, on the way home through the desert I had just turned east and started thinking more about the “signs” shown to us in life- and right then a big “shooting star” (or was it?) came down across the eastern sky, except it was GREEN & it seemed to come down in an “S-curve.” “S” for “SIGN” perhaps?
I’ll ‘sign off’ now, until next time, reminding you that “Meditation AND Laughter are the BEST Medications!”
-In a rare desert offering, Beth and Greg’s (normally L.A.-housed) highly-effective “Un-Cabaret” Writing & Performance Workshop comes to Palm Springs 6-9 p.m. every Friday in June, beginning June 5th, at Hotel Zozo, 150 S. Indian Canyon Dr., P.S.I-Love-You 92262. For more info, visit their website at www.bethlapides.com or call (323) 993-3305 (Also occurring in Los Angeles on Sundays in June: see their website for more info)

-Sunny Sun-Downer, a Zen “Marxist” (as in Groucho) is director of the HAALOS Healing Arts Center, home of the Desert Karmapa Buddhist Center, located at 12078 Palm Dr., Desert Hot Springs CA 92240 For info on Healing Body-work, Meditation & Yoga please contact him at (760) 673-7580 www.conchustimes.blogspot.com email: conchustimes@yahoo.com

Meta-Physical Musical Meditations

2009-05-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Goddess Alchemy Project's Lilla D'Mone (L) & "Dakini Star" (R) singing at the JT Music Festival surrounded by the
“Dancing Orb Ancestor-Spirits.” Also, Ganga Giri w/Medicine Drum creating Didge/Trance rhythms for Orbs & Humans to dance to...(Photos by Sun-Downer)

Metaphysical Musical Meditations

by Sunny Sun-Downer (as featured in the May 28, 2009 [g.c.] issue of the Desert Valley Star, www.desertvalleystar.com)

Avant-garde & eclectic live music, in and of itself, has been exploding in the low and high deserts in a big way the past few years. Before that, I would look with dismay in the local entertainment sections for some form of cultural entertainment that was “Not-The-Rat-Pack” generation’s music (no offense to you Dinah-Deano-Frankie-Sammy-lovers). I’m just saying that it was slim-pickings for this Baby Boomer’s tastes. Of course the Coachella/Stagecoach festival phenomenon started up, but that was only once a year. Luckily the local casinos started expanding their musical horizons to everyone’s liking, but if they hadn’t, we also had those innovative folks at “Team Joshua Tree Music Festival.” Created by Chris and Barnett English & friends seven years ago, the JT Music Fest and its companion October “Rootsicana Festival” (www.joshuatreemusicfestival.com) are one-of-a-kind events that are slowly gaining in world-wide notoriety. The format of the musical line-up over the years at first may cause someone to comment that they’ve never heard of most of these acts before. But that doesn’t remain the case for long, because the whole idea all along has been to give exposure to lesser-known, but up-and-coming quality acts, and then the next thing you know you’re seeing their names pop up at festivals across the nation.

Let me segue now back to the release in 1972 of one of the first “New Age” films, aptly titled “Rainbow Bridge,” which features the trend-setting Jimi Hendrix playing his last free concert in Maui, Hawaii. The film is about actress Pat Hartley's "spiritual awakening" via a visit to the 'Rainbow Bridge' planetary meditation cult on Maui, where, as part of the movie’s “plot,” Hendrix visits to play a concert during a 'Rainbow Bridge' mass meditation/color/sound "experiment." (You can see parts of the concert on Youtube.com now- enjoyable in spite of the intense winds on Maui’s Haleakala volcanic crater, on that July 30, 1970.) I became friends back then with the movie’s director, Chuck Wein, who, not only directed, but acted in the movie as well. Known as “Wizard,” his moment in the movie’s spotlight was in the interview scene with Jimi & Pat in the “cult’s” basement, which gave the Hendrix fans back then a ‘behind-the-mask’ glimpse of the rock star. The reason I mention Mr. Wein here, is because one of the many awesome (to me) things that he told me back then was that he and his fellow “Light-Workers” traveled “out-of-body” to the souls of Warner Brothers Movie executives (while they slept) to convince them to fund this “new age culture” film, & that it worked. Another thing he told me was that Jimi had a planned meeting with a psychic woman (not Charlotte Blob, the one featured in the film who announced that “E.T.s” [Extra-Terrestials] had contacted the “Powers-That-Be” on this planet to freely share the technologies of non-polluting free energy with the world, but the oil & electric companies squashed the plan). This other psychic woman was going to share with Jimi what colors his music produced metaphysically and what powerful revitalizing & balancing effects it had on the spinal “chakras” (Sanskrit for “spiritual-energy centers”). That is actually the reason that Chuck and friends chose the English title of the Sanskrit “Antah-karana,” or “ Rainbow Bridge ,” which is the “bridge between the lower & higher self.” Unfortunately, Jimi left his body within a couple of months (and yet ANOTHER amazing thing Chuck told me that you can check out for yourself, is that Jimi predicted his own murder in the song “Belly Button Window,” which was written 200 days before he “choked” to death, with the words “I’m looking out my belly button window, and all I see is frowns- Guess you people don’t want me around…”).

NOW let me return you to a more recent time, say approximately a year ago at the aforementioned Joshua Tree Music Festival, where I had the cosmically-tantric pleasure of experiencing a group of young women out of the Bay Area who call themselves the "Goddess Alchemy Project." With songs like “Song of the Serpent,” “Kundalini Manifest” & “Transcendant Realms,” they musically energize the Kundalini (Sankrit for the “Serpent Power” that activates the chakras as it rises) with their spiritually-based poetry sung over very dance-able hip-hop beats. Two of these alchemically-musical goddessi: “Dakini Star” and Lilla D'Mone returned to the festival this year and joined the group Medicine Drum to share their spiritually-empowering grooves once again. Tying this in with the previous Hendrix-Music-Color rap, is the recent discovery of the phenomena of “Orbs.” Upon your internet search on that word, you’ll find that there are now even conferences dedicated to these “ancestor-spirit-globes” of light energy that appear in more & more photos these days. Submitted for your perusal: a plethora of Orbs surround the G.A.P.-rappers during their set with Medicine Drum at the JTMFest! (If you ask them, they will come!) To see more Orbs, even some captured during Buddhist Meditations, come by the HAALOS Emporium, 12078 Palm Dr. DHS 92240 (760) 673-7580 email: conchustimes@yahoo.com

Moving Meditations

2009-05-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

Jackson Browne and Mark Hammerman (in his "Dr. Johnny Fever" disguise) in their pre-Tai Chi stance

Photo by Sundowner: Dr. Robert Haberkorn leads "World Tai Chi Day" attendees in "Medical Qi Gong" techniques

("Moving Meditations" was my original title for this piece published in the Desert Valley Star May 21 2009 [gregorian calendar] but someone at the DVS, with their "Editorial License" added to Moving Meditations "...Tips for Trips" which I still don't get, but just happy to be published in a 3-Dimensional paper these daze, did not question... I will add, though, "What a Long Strange Trips It's Been..!-=0=-)

In my last article, I discussed the practice and benefits of "sitting meditation," which gained popularity in the West in the Sixties with help from such musical icons as the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

I now wish to share information about the “moving meditations” called Tai Chi, and it's "sister healing art," Qi Gong (pron. "chi gung"). In that the seeds of "New Age trends" took root here in the West in interesting ways, I am compelled to fall back on the "rock and roll musician" default. Talking with Desert Hot Springs resident and former Jackson Browne-manager Mark Hammerman recently, I found out another bit of "Tai Chi trivia." Jackson 's long-time guitarist extraordinaire, (Clairmont, CA-based) David Lindley, was "instrumental" in "enlightening" us to the benefits of Tai Chi practice in interviews a couple of decades ago. David was the inspiration for getting Jackson and his band & crew to practice these energy-restoring martial arts as far back as the "Running on Empty" tour, apparently to keep from "Running Out (of Energy)" themselves (heh-heh!)

I was notified recently by the good folks at Dancing Light School in Rancho Mirage about ‘World Tai Chi Day” on April 25th, at Whitewater Park there. Over 30 health-loving people were first treated to instruction in "Medical Qi Gong" techniques taught by Dr. Robert Haberkorn of the Center of Motion in Palm Desert . This was followed with Tai Chi instruction by the event-organizer, Noel Pittman, of Palm Springs Tai Chi (Noel has an astounding history of polio affliction at age 2 and was told that he would live his life in a wheelchair, supposedly starting 12 years ago! He attributes his Tai Chi practice to preventing that from occurring). I found myself happily engaging once again in these ancient Chinese martial arts which are over a thousand years old. The slow, flowing practice heals and strengthens our internal organs, glands, muscles, etc., and has proven effective in reducing arthritis and other joint-related problems as it promotes the natural flow of “chi” or “energy” in the human body. Not only do they enhance the “Mind-Body Connection,” but the other benefits include increased strength, flexibility and stamina, improved balance and coordination, and improved cardio-vascular function while promoting the body’s natural healing energy. These moving meditations are recommended for all ages, but especially for those of us, who, like myself, recently found that “life begins at 50!”

Dr. Rai "Rainbow" Casey (MD, DD), a Qi Gong instructor who also participated in "World Tai Chi Day," teaches a special form of Qi Gong called "Nei Kung." The martial art school of Nei Kung emphasizes training the coordination of the individual's body with the breath, which harmonizes the inner and outer energies, and creates a basis for utilizing the power and technique of the art. This type of practice is said to require concentration and internal reflection which results in a heightened self-awareness that increases over time with continued practice. Nei Kung practitioners report increased blood circulation, muscular movement, skeletal alignment, balance, etc. What is said to be occurring as the result of continual practice is a type of "internal alchemy," that is a refinement and transmutation of the "Three Treasures"- Essence, Vitality and Spirit.

This art is also designed to produce relaxation or releasing of muscular tension, and, aside from the other potential health factors, the fundamental purpose of this process is to develop a high level of coordination, concentration and technical skills. The ultimate purpose of this practice is for the individual to become at one with Heaven or the "Tao." As Zhuangzi, an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BC states, "Heaven, earth and I are born of one, and I am at one with all that exists."

Classes in these amazing life-strengthening & re-vitalizing techniques are popping up all over the low and high deserts, from Senior Centers to Healing Arts Centers such as HAALOS in Desert Hot Springs, where Dr. Casey offers a class in Qi Gong Monday evenings @ 7pm, and where you can also experience Buddhist Meditation and Yoga instruction. Please feel free to contact me for more info at conchustimes@yahoo.com or by calling 760-673-7580.

Until then, remember: (Sitting &/or Moving) Meditation is the Best Medication!

Meditation: The Best Medicine

2009-05-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to my first article for the Desert Valley Star Newspaper published April 30, 2009 (gregorian calendar), originally titled "Meditation- It's Not What You Think!):
(you'll most likely have to copy & paste into your address bar)

http://desertvalleystar.com/article.php?a=337

(While i could have just given the text of the article here, i would love for you to experience the "Buddha-Full" meditation-buddha on the DVS site! Enjoy!)

This Is The Dawning Of...

2009-02-02T23:11:00.000-08:00

THE AGE OF ASPARAGUS

When the spoon is in (mcpain's) 7th house
And juice-carafes align the bars
Then peas will top the canned food
And veggie-oil will run the cars!

This is the Dawning of the Age of Asparagus
The Age of Asparagus
The Age of AH-SPARE-Ah-Gus!

Hominy and under-cooking
Simple peas & spices grounding
No more fast-food indigestion
Golden saute'd garlic & onion
Magic vegan marination
The tongue's ecstatic liberation!
Asparagus... AS-PAIR-Uh...Gus!

Let the Hemp seed in...
Let the Hemp oil in...
The Hemp Goods In!
(Heh-Heh-=0=-)

Date: Monday, February 2, 2009, 9:09 AM

(Sent by a friend)

Even if you are skeptical about this.....it certainly doesn't hurt to try it.

Asparagus & Cancer

Several years ago, I had a man seeking asparagus for a friend who had cancer. He gave me a photocopied copy of an article,entitled, `Asparagus for cancer' printed in Cancer News Journal, December 1979.

I will share it here, just as it was shared with me:'I am a biochemist,and have specialized in the relation of diet to health for over 50 years.Several years ago, I learned of the discovery of Richard R. Vensal, D.D.S. that asparagus might cure cancer.

Since then, I have worked with him on his project. We have accumulated a number of favorable case histories.

Here are a few examples:

Case No. 1, A man with an almost hopeless case of Hodgkin's disease (cancer of the lymph glands) who was completely incapacitated. Within 1 year of starting the asparagus therapy, his doctors were unable to detect any signs of cancer, and he was back on a schedule of strenuous exercise.

Case No. 2, a successful businessman 68 years old who suffered from cancer of the bladder for 16 years. After years of medical treatments, including radiation without improvement, he went on asparagus. Within 3 months, examinations revealed that his bladder tumor had disappeared and that his kidneys were normal.

Case No. 3, a man who had lung cancer. On March 5th 1971, he was put on the operating table where they found lung cancer so widely spread that it was inoperable. The surgeon sewed him up and declared his case hopeless. On April 5th he heard about the asparagus therapy and immediately started taking it.By August, x-ray pictures revealed that all signs of the cancer had disappeared. He is back at his regular business routine.

Case No. 4, a woman who was troubled for a number of years with skin cancer. She finally developed different skin cancers which were diagnosed by a specialist as advanced. Within 3 months after starting on asparagus, her skin specialist said that her skin looked fine and no more skin lesions. This woman reported that the asparagus therapy also cure her kidney disease, which started in 1949. She had over 10 operations for kidney stones, and was receiving government disability payments for an inoperable, terminal, kidney condition. She attributes the cure of this kidney trouble entirely to the asparagus.

I was not surprised at this result, as `The elements of material medica', edited in 1854 by a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, stated that asparagus was used as a popular remedy for kidney stones. He even referred to experiments, in 1739, on the power of asparagus in dissolving stones.

We would have other case histories but the medical establishment has interfered with our obtaining some of the records. I am therefore appealing to readers to spread this good news and help us to gather a large number of case histories that will overwhelm the medical skeptics about this unbelievably simple and natural remedy.

For the treatment, asparagus should be cooked before using, and therefore canned asparagus is just as good as fresh.

I have corresponded with the two leading canners of asparagus, Giant and Stokely, and I am satisfied that these brands contain no pesticides or preservatives. Place the cooked asparagus in a blender and liquefy to make a puree, and store in the refrigerator. Give the patient 4 full tablespoons twice daily, morning and evening.

Patients usually show some improvement in from 2-4 weeks. It can be diluted with water and used as a cold or hot drink. This suggested dosage is based on present experience, but certainly larger amounts can do no harm and may be needed in some cases.

As a biochemist I am convinced of the old saying that `what cures can prevent'. Based on this theory, my wife and I have been using asparagus puree as a beverage with our meals.

We take 2 tablespoons diluted in water to suit our taste with breakfast and with dinner. I take mine hot and my wife prefers hers cold. For years we have made it a practice to have blood surveys taken as part of our regular checkups.

The last blood survey, taken by a medical doctor who specializes in the nutritional approach to health, showed substantial improvements in all categories over the last one, and we can attribute these improvements to nothing but the asparagus drink...

As a biochemist, I have made an extensive study of all aspects of cancer, and all of the proposed cures. As a result, I am convinced that asparagus fits in better with the latest theories about cancer.Asparagus contains a good supply of protein called histones, which are believed to be active in controlling cell growth. For that reason, I believe asparagus can be said to contain a substance that I call cell growth normalizer. That accounts for its action on cancer and acting as a general body tonic.

In any event, regardless of theory,asparagus used as we suggest, is a harmless substance.

The FDA cannot prevent you from using it and it may do you much good. It has been reported by the US National Cancer Institute, that asparagus is the highest tested food containing glutathione, which is considered one of the body's most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants.

2009-01-30T13:14:00.001-08:00

I never got any emails about whether or not "The Dead" (or "leftover dead" as i affectionately call them) actually played at one of the Inaugural Balls, so i finally searched the internet for reviews today...
NOTHING really on the net, even on Dead.net if you can believe that, Philzone.com has the set list (below), the Huffington post has a little piece by juliette powell about going to the show w/John Perry Barlow, & i was getting frustrated. Then the lightbulb came on... Youtube! (duh!)
(Excuse me a moment- OMmmmmmmmm... Channeling Bill Graham):
"They're not the best at what they do- they're the ONLY ONES who do what they do... Ladies & Gentlemen... Billy Kreutzman, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, (Jeff Chimanti, Warren Haynes)... The DEAD!
The Wheel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL160rh2m_o&feature=related
More of The Wheel & another tease w/Touch of Grey, with Warren singing a verse.
Oh well, a tease is better than nothin'... Until more gets posted... WE WILL SURVIVE!

"A New Age... with Good Stewardship for the Earth!"
President Obama's Speech at the end of The Dead's set, & his dance w/First Lady Michelle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozQANF7Pb10&feature=related
January 20, 2009
Obama Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball, Washington, DC
Dancin' In The Streets>
Uncle John's Band>
Sugar Magnolia
Eyes of the World
<>
The Wheel>
Touch of Grey
Box of Rain

< couple dance to 'At Last'>>

From October 13, '08, at Penn State, a rehearsal for the "Change Rocks" Obama Benefit Dead Re-union w/"St. Stephen":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGDsfE86_1A&NR=1

Then, from that night- Obama speaks to the Deadheads (& talks about his own "Touch of Grey!") & the Boys break into Truckin'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLso-Ln9S2k&NR=1

From that same night, a fairly AH-mazing excerpt of Dark Star:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qA5gTFMtSc&feature=related

(Oh, and just an interesting Bee-YOU-tiful side show-
What was ex-Dead Alumni Joan Osbourne doing that night in Seattle?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgrjSZdf-i0&feature=related

And finally, the somewhat interesting & slightly entertaining huffpost from juliette powell:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/juliette-powell/obamas-choice-leads-to-ro_b_159087.html

-=0=-

Karmapa Khyenno

2008-06-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy these reflections on the Seattle visit of His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa XVII. The first is a 2nd-session-day response to an email I'd received from Lost Angeles KTC Director, Terry Sullivan. It's just a few thoughts that I sent out, and intended to write quite a bit more this past week on my ecstatic re-union with the "King of the Infinite" (as my dharma-brother, Michael Cory called H.H. the 16th Karmapa- Michael, who encouraged me to take refuge, or 'go get a Dharma name' as he put it, from Ven. Kalu Rinpoche'... 34 years and two weeks ago today). However I haven't really done that & I want to use the (New Karmapa-condoned) excuse that I've been too busy, which is partly true- but I think I've had a case of 'writer's block' this week. So this is why I was overjoyed to receive my new friend (from thetibetconnection.com) Julie Adler's most Ah-mazing report that follows my mine- there is no way I could have said it better! (And... I thought, "I can just put this out for everyone instead!")
As you may be able to tell by my rambling, she may have re-stimulated my creative-juice-flow, in that I want to add a little something to her story... There were SO many Buddha-Dharma Sanghas represented on the free info table in the lobby of the Paramount Theater, but one flier that immediately caught my eye was that of the Sukhasiddhi Foundation from Marin County CA (www.sukhasiddhi.org). Anything concerning my root teacher Kalu Rinpoche's little-known-and-hanging-by-a-thread (especially with the recent passing of Ven. Bokar Rinpoche) Shangpa Kargyu lineage has me very excited internally, so seeing this was like "frosting on the Karmapa Experience cake!" Fast forward to the part of Julie's story that you will be reading soon, where she is talking about going to dinner Sat. night at the Vietnamese restaurant... As I was part of that dinner party- on our way to it, as we rounded the corner across the western street from the theater I looked up at the sign of the Bambuza Restaurant & announce "We've been Bambuza'd again," to my friends as we started to file in. Instead of a chuckle or laugh I was expecting from my pun, my friend announced, "There goes Lama Palden from the Sukhasiddhi Foundation," as a woman in robes was hurriedly walking by our party. I didn't need to be told that twice as I excused myself & ran after her. "Are you Lama Palden?," I asked, catching up to her and the young woman accompanying her who I believe was her Buddha-ful daughter... In under a hundred and eight seconds or so, because I could tell they were on their way somewhere, I communicated to her my connection to Master Yogi Chen, the Chinese Berkeley-based author who had written booklets on the Shangpa Kargyu Lineage back in the '70's and how I had helped Nicole Riggs with those booklets in her research for her Ah-mazing book, "Like An Illusion- Lives of the Shangpa Kagyu Masters" (Such as Sukhasiddhi... And just now perusing Lama Palden's wonderful Sukhasiddhi Foundation website left me hoping that Nicole's Dharma Cloud Press book-with-a-forward-by-Bokar Rinpoche gets added to their 'Suggested Reading" page). I quickly added that I had recently met a 'Sukhasiddhi'... one of those Buddha-full children growing up at Pema Osel Ling in the Santa Cruz mountains, Lama Tharchin's wonderful retreat center that was miraculously (mostly) spared from that wildfire a couple of weeks ago!* All-in-all a very auspicious condensed meeting with quite an accomplished "inje" or "caucasian" lama, who, it turns out had the honor of introducing HH Karmapa the very next morning for the Chenrezik Initiation. She may be the one that inspired Julie's upcoming allusion to the Thousand-Armed Chenrezik, as she told the about-to-be-wonged audience the story of the Four-Armed Chenrezik. When she got to the part about Chenrezik literally "falling apart" from observing the world's suffering, she made Buddha Amitabha sound just like a compassionate mother in describing him as he put Chenrezik back together again (as the "Thousand-Armed Chenrezik), saying, "There, there..!"
OK, let's get on with the show in the City of (the Jimi Hendrix and now the) Karmapa "Experience"...

Teresa Sullivan wrote: Hi Sunny...So nice to see you on my screen and so happy to hear you're in Seattle. I got really sick at KTD in New York, so I'm not among you in Seattle. His Holiness is beyond all expectation. Enjoy every precious moment!!!! Much love, Terry

Namaste & Happy Karmapa Day!

Thanks for your response, Terry...!

What is almost as joyful as the ecstasy of the re-union of his enlightened energy manifest in the outer world again, is re-uniting with all the old Sangha family & reveling in old and new stories of our lives since our last meeting... So much Sangha, so little time! Interesting too that, because no cameras were allowed in the theater (except for the press) and it was impractical to rush back to the hotel to get one afterwards, all the good Dharma family friends I saw again could only be photographed mentally... (which reminds me, where's that Bambuza Thai dinner photo of us all, Julie?)

His Holiness truly understands us in the West, and unfortunately has enabled us to justify our lack of practice with the excuse of "being too busy" or not visualizing the deity in the puja because it's "too difficult"... So now it is that the attainment of enlightenment is truly "hopeless" as Trungpa Rinpoche used to say..!

However, he did say that Disneyland is proof that we in the West have mastered the art of some form of manifesting visualization, and that is to our credit (and we can apply that ability to our dharma practice...)

One of my favorite parts was when, during his talk on employing compassion, he says he does things like, when a breeze or wind will hit him, he imagines that it is blowing his compassion to all directions, & my synopsis of that is that he is teaching us to become "human prayer flags!"
Or, if he sees clouds up in the sky, he'll send his compassion to them so that they will spread it in its travels.
OK, I gotta go make my "grateful dead tour-style" sign, saying something like "will chant for your extra ticket" for Chenrezik Wong...**

I mean, I know it's worth a hundred and eight bucks U.S. to experience it again w/HHKarmapa, but this wandering yogi just don't have it!

Oh yes, one more thing he said, maybe as he did back East, that... "there is no more joy than re-uniting w/someone who has died... so, on behalf of the 16th Karmapa... Hello!" & that, like many other times, aroused long, joyful applause...

OK...

Reporting from the Western Gate of Dewachen...

this is Sunny Sundowner, your Dead-Buddhist reporter, saying:

Karmapa Khyenno!

-==- (*Here's a strange footnote: Mike Cory told me back in the '70's that the 16th Karmapa said that if there is a wildfire, that's a sign that the Buddha-dharma is spreading. At one point in the talk, and my memory is fuzzy on it- but His Holiness was talking about his experience right after Disneyland, at Universal Studios' "Revenge of the Mummy" ride, and relating it to all these frightening projections and distractions in life, I think... something like that. And on the day he was telling us this, Universal Studios' back lot was engulfed in a huge fire! OK, here's another weird coincidence: more than once in the teaching there was mention of His Holiness being offered a Starbucks mocha latte (and on my 1st night in Seattle, I had been shown the original Starbucks Coffee at the Pike, a corporation that I have always had an aversion to- But ended up buying my 1st Starbucks beverage at the Seattle Airport on the way home: A chai latte)... When I had a chance Sunday evening to read the Sunday comics, in this one comic- Ziggy... He's climbing this Himalayan peak & the sign that says "The Guru" is pointing to the top of the peak, where there sits- you guessed it, a Starbucks w/the Guru inside behind the counter serving up hot lattes [at 4 thousand ruppees each]!)
** And by the way, while holding my "Om Mani Padme Hum- 'Will Chant For Your Extra Ticket" sign in one hand, and my spinning prayer wheel in the other, I was promptly offered a free ticket to the Chenrezik Empowerment. Then a moment later someone was leading me to a woman about to go in who gave me her extra ticket, so then I had to give that one away! Then I gave the sign to two other people, reminding them "but you have to chant!" & they were promptly given free tickets! and on and on...

--- On Fri, 6/6/08, Julie Adler wrote:
From: Julie Adler
Subject: Seattle's Best - tripping in the Emerald City with the man behind the curtain
To:
Date: Friday, June 6, 2008, 7:28 AM

Impressions from my visit to Seattle May 30-June 1, 2008

Off to see the 17^th Karmapa…

(Scroll down past this blah blah to NOTES from the specific teachings...)

Last weekend, I took my first trip to Seattle. I have friends there with an open invitation to come but it takes a dharma event to get me anywhere these days. The price on Virgin America couldn’t be beat so there I was waiting at the Flyaway in Union Station. And this was historic – for all my time in LA, either growing up or presently, I had never ever been on a Flyaway bus to the airport. For $ 4, however, I really felt like I was doing for the cause - of our planet - and hope to become a frequent customer of the Flyaway. I was feeling scattered and less emphatic than the many who wanted to go to Seattle and couldn’t. Why me? I’m not necessarily a disciple of the Karmapa and yet, I’m not not. It was the big blue eyes burrowing into me of an old friend that did it over, pommes frites and chocolate cannolis a couple of months back. She gave me no wiggle room to decide otherwise, and yes, the airfare (now obsolete) kicked it into gear.

Just as the plane was arriving to the gate, I checked my voice mail and to my surprise (because I had already been told no), things had changed and I was given the green light to record almost all the teachings with the Karmapa for our radio show, The Tibet Connection (http://www.thetibetconnection.org); I’d be given a press pass and really good seats near the press area and there was the slight chance of a small group press interview on Saturday. My heart beat alittle faster – aha, so that’s why I’m here? And then it felt a bit like going to DC again…where’s the gear? Did I pack everything I need…batteries, microphones, cables, recorder? I checked my bag 3 times and then started to fiddle with the camera and cell phone audio and video capabilities. All working fine.

Upon arrival in the ‘emerald city’, a few clouds and a quite brilliant skyscape peaked in between the concrete parking structure and finally an old friend, Cheryl, picked me up and we headed off to an area west of the city overlooking the ‘sound’ and seeing the ‘needle’ in the distance we both caught up each other’s lives, aspirations and how important it is to keep the dingle dangly arms away in the mid-forties, thereafter. Then we headed to the famous Pike Market where guys in bright orange chaps yelp in unison after a customer chooses a piece of fish and then the fish is thrown from one counter to another, people galking at the performance. Apparently you have to actually audition to get this job. And in the crowd, tourists are being photographed next to a stationary bronze pig. What caught my attention was the greek food stall, the homemade cheese shop and the pepper place where all kinds of colorful peppers are strewn together in this beautiful bouquet and can last for years as they dry out and shrinkle into a new shape.

Then we headed to another old friend, Danielle’s house in Shoreline, a working class suburb about ½ hour north of the city proper. Like old times, we barbequed or rather we watched Danielle barbeque. And just like old times, Danielle had an abundance of spaces with useful and useless stuff piled up, and as usual, a house full of guests – her new girlfriend, an old co-worker visiting for the weekend to sell vintage phones, and me.

On Saturday morning, I drove in to Seattle, borrowing Danielle’s mother’s Hyundai. Being lost afforded me a glimpse of Seattle, definitely much smaller a town than I anticipated and my inner query about living there went kaput. Too small, I thought. Oh well another possible escape hatch from LA closed. Somehow it has to be a bit sprawling and slightly chaotic for me to feel comfortable in, go figure!

The challenge of being a dharma practitioner and a ‘reporter’ that happens to report on Buddhist events is that you end up wearing two hats, neither yellow nor black, I’m afraid. One is of wanting to just sit and soak up the blessings of the transmission of teachings, settling into your theater chair and having the hidden luxury of nodding off and the other of hitting the ground ‘working’, becoming friendly with the sound guys so they can help you plug your gear in, fumbling around in your bag every five seconds to make sure you have everything, sussing out the ‘room’, thinking about how to get audio from the audience goers at break times and writing out questions just in case you get to interview the Karmapa!

At the start of the Saturday morning teaching session, they showed a short 10 min doc on the Karmapa, (his name means - he who performs the activities of the Buddha). The first Karmapa came into the world 998 years ago. The 16^th Karmapa died in 1981 (in Zion, near Chicago) and the Dalai Lama had a prophetic dream about the whereabouts of the new incarnation, saying that he was living in a valley with stones and high altitude, facing south, near streams. And, in 1990, in an envelope inside an amulet during ‘iron horse year’, Tai Situ Rinpoche, one of the former Karmapa’s regents found the location written of where the new Karmapa lived, with year of birth, names, in the Latok region of Tibet and that he had been born in 1985. And at the age of 14, he escaped Tibet and took refuge next door to the Dalai Lama at the Gyuto monastery in Sidhpur. Now he’s 22. This is his first visit to America.

One thing that is crossing my mind this entire morning is how we Westerners (at least this small group here of 3,000) have reached a point in our reasoning where we without a doubt accept the notion of reincarnation and welcome it. To me that’s the elephant in the room. It’s turning the age of reasoning and Western skeptical thought on its head, I’m thinking. Here are students who had a teacher who died who is now back for them in a new but very familiar form. No questions asked. And these are all very smart people. The organizer of the entire visit, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, who is also based in Seattle, welcomed His Holiness saying, “it may sound like groundhog day but he’s doing it for us,” referring to both his rebirth and return to America.

I also noticed that the audience was mostly middle class middle aged white Americans, and there not too so many Tibetans present. Perhaps because this visit wasn’t advertised? Or is it because there are factions within the Tibetan world and until the Dalai Lama is no longer, there is only one spiritual and cultural leader of Tibet they will go in droves to see? But still, when the Karmapa, sitting on a brocade couch, starts to speak and it’s all in Tibetan with Tyler Dewar, a student of Ponlop Rinpoche’s as translator, many of his mannerisms and inflected vocal tones seem just like the Dalai Lama’s to me. And actually that fills me with a great deal of hope. The only thing the Karmapa hasn’t yet cultivated is the belly laugh or a great big smile. He’s still getting used to just grinning and he is to say later (at the end of the weekend) that he didn’t realize how much he has smiled this trip – he got to see pictures of himself in New York – and that the cause of his smiling is us, everyone he's met along the way.

This particular morning, we went through the ngondro (preliminary practices) text with Kagyu origins but reworked by His Holiness. Later, he brought up the question of how we can give rise to genuine compassion for those who suffer in natural calamities and how can we develop the desire to help? The answer is to free them from suffering and share their suffering. Cherish sentient beings. All of them. Not just by focusing on their suffering. Beings don’t just need to be suffering to cultivate compassion for them.

In the afternoon, I hastily packed up my gear and jumped into a cab to Nalanda West where to my surprise and amazement I was invited to participate in a very intimate press interview with His Holiness which included the likes of the editor of Shambhala Sun, a reporter from the Seattle Times and the producers from the PBS show, Religion & Ethics. I brought along a friend who was almost breathless as we entered the room, so excited to sit within 7 feet of the Karmapa. And speaking of feet, it’s what caught my attention, the way the Karmapa’s feet almost didn’t touch the floor while he sat to answer our questions. They seemed to turn out slightly in his brown loafers and there was a bounce to them when he spoke. Another thing I noticed was my red face that felt like it was melting off the sides. We all got to ask one question each and the way I kept my façade of calm was to stare my notes down and rehearse my pending question, which by the way had to do with his impressions of America after two weeks here. He answered that he experienced so many things, he’d already forgotten some but he was impressed by the technological advances, by being able to actually see and touch the things he had only heard or read about back in Tibet and India. And that life really is illusory. Bada bing. To another journalist, who happened to work at Disney for years before, the Karmapa said that he really enjoyed visiting Mickey Mouse’s hometown – referring to his visit to Disneyland last week. Yes, apparently he touched down quietly in the city of Angels for a couple of days, and even managed a trip to Universal Studios as well!

After the interview wrapped, we were all able to give His Holiness a katah and receive his blessing. A wowee moment for sure where I slipped in the opportunity for a photo, complete with my fingers in a peace sign, that fortunately didn’t make it onto the camera. As we left the building, sponsors and supporters of Nalanda West were lined up outside to also receive a blessing. Jittery and hungry, we waited for a cab to rush us back to the Paramount theatre for a Sangha talk, the notes of which follow below this ‘snapshot’ recap. Sanghas from the West coast region were specially invited to this talk; representatives and practitioners from many different dharma communities were represented up and down the West coast from Karma Kagyu, Shambhala centers and even Siddhartha’s Intent! Suffice it to say that over Vietnamese cuisine after the talk, many of the ‘old school’ dharma practitioners I ate with had experienced the mind-blowing shift of, wow, now I really have to rethink what I’m doing in my practice and life. Pass the rice, please.

Up on adrenaline and not much sleep, I was back at the theater Sunday morning – this day ceasing to be as sunny and more like what I had been told, gloomy Seattle, home to one of the highest suicide rates in the country; one muses that that is why Starbucks exists, to distract one from the downward spiral. (Speaking of coffee, I was hoping to try Seattle’s best but ended up at Starbucks more than twice). I passed a blind man slowly walking up the street and I felt the tears coming, recalling the image of the 4 armed grief stricken Chenrezig who burst into 1000 pieces after being overwhelmed by so much suffering. Perhaps this is what it’s about, walking blind among the blind and wishing the blinders be removed for all of us. Arriving at the theater, I slipped my recorder into my pocket and proceeded to ask some people their impressions of the weekend. One woman showed me a picture of her son being blessed by the 16^th Karmapa that she’s carried around in her purse for years. She then burst into tears, so happy he’s come back here again.

For the Chenrezig empowerment, I let go of my reporter ‘hat’ and melted into my seat. Then after lunch, and a sing-along by none other than the translator himself and another friend, (using the Karmapa’s Aspiration prayer and music by the guys), His Holiness was asked to talk on his aspirations for the world. This time he was introduced by Dr. Lee Hartwell, a Nobel laureate in cancer research. What was quite a double take was when I heard him refer to His Holiness as ‘Rampapa’. I looked around at those sitting near me and they were wrinkling their brows as well. But maybe we just heard it wrong. I mean, it's the end of a long intensely trippy weekend so maybe we weren't hearing right at all. But no, nearing the end of his introduction, Dr. Hartwell said he was honored to introduce His Holiness Rampapa and he said it twice. At this point, we were all giggling loudly.

The Karmapa described that the world is like a theatre hall, for him to view. There are the stage, the lights, the scenery and backdrops. We have complete freedom to perform in any way we want. We can create dramas, comedies…

and finally, during the thank yous, for comedic effect no doubt, the sponsors of the events wheeled out a kaleidoscopic light that revolves images of his visit to the US in rainbow colors and a book with audio insert of birds chirping; apparently the former Karmapa loved the sound of birds.

The sound of the bird I heard on the way home was the screeching noise of the jet gear being tested as we backed out onto the runway. Too amped up to read, I channel surfed the ‘RED’ entertainment system and settled on The Family Stone. Of course when we were at 39,000 feet cruising altitude, the Family Stone ceased to be, but we luckily haven’t just yet.

PS: A shameless plug - tune in to The Tibet Connection (http://www.thetibetconnection.org) at the end of this month, Sunday June 29th, 9 AM PST to be exact, to hear the segment I'll be working hours and hours on, on this historic visit of the Karmapa...I'll probably leave out the stuff about Rampapa or maybe not???

NOTES FROM KARMAPA IN SEATTLE 2008

These notes are paraphrases, taken at different times during the teachings, with unintended errors in context and meaning, therefore please read for curiosity only and not as a transcribed “teaching”. Formal recordings are likely to be made available in the near future.

May 31, 2008

Saturday morning

A spiritual teacher must possess the necessary qualities. There is no ID card for spiritual teachers, so the way we find a teacher is to get to know who they are. We should approach a teacher as we would get to know teachers in the formal Western education process.

Faith alone will not mean we will practice correctly. Asking someone to be our teacher should occur after we get to know their motivation and conduct. In this day and age, we should not focus on the shortcomings of the teacher. In this age, all teachers will appear to have defects.

Besides, a perfect person would seem weird to us!

The main duty of the student is to emulate the positive qualities of the teacher, not to critique their every move.

When doing a puja (offering) the real mandala is immense, it is the whole world and all its beings as pure, free of all problems, everything in its purest form.

Saturday afternoon

The ultimate Refuge is a manifestation of Buddhahood.

The suffering of others is difficult to comprehend; we see and hear about it every day, but we don’t feel it in our hearts. We need to have a strong desire to help them, to take their suffering on ourselves.

Take the feelings of fear (that we don’t want to suffer) and make it meaningful by cultivating compassion for them instead of our mundane feelings about life and suffering.

Attachment to outer objects is much weaker than our self clinging. We have such a fear of losing ourselves that it prevents us from allowing the deity to manifest. We should use our strongest creative powers.

Compassion is the willingness to never give up on sentient beings.

Saturday night (Sangha Gathering)

The Karmapa began with, “It’s always good to see a loved one again after they have died so on behalf of the 16^th Karmapa, it’s good to see you again.” Then he went on to relate to everyone by saying that as a young person in the 21^st century, he also struggles a lot with mental afflictions. And he has the aspiration that we experience joyfulness rather than suffering. He says to himself, ‘I’m not such a bad guy, an okay person.’ If nothing else, he offers that his mere presence in the world is to help us experience love and happiness. Once he gets back to India and reflects on his trip, he’ll probably think, ‘there’s no choice but to go back to America.’!!!

We need to have continual motivation, strong intention to bring the body, speech and mind under the service of good motivation. In this way, we do need to instruct ourselves also.

Here in the West, I see many of my friends, who have very busy lives and seem to take each little detail of their life and their activities so seriously, they get upset if they are 10 minutes late – when I first saw this I thought it was some kind of practice (laughter). We should be more relaxed in our activities and not take every detail so seriously.

Don’t get caught up in self-talk during hardships and obstacles. Fear of loss is ever present is our minds which makes us more tense and paranoid. Allow more space, more openness. We should be more relaxed and not attempt to power our minds all the time.

Highly realized beings also go through hardship, but it is the way they meet the hardship that is different.

Q: For dharma students, what are the most important study topics in this age?

K: We’ve become too late for many of these practices. But if we engage in actions to accumulate merit, this will be of benefit to the world. Due to changes in technology and external advancements, we have obtained power to change the world and create the causes for change but now we have to become mindful of the dangers in the world. The world is in danger of being destroyed. It’s very important for us to engage in actions as a whole, for the world. Rather than individual practice goals, seeking personal liberation is no longer sufficient whatsoever. In years before, yogis attained enlightenment, by going away for years and years, bringing 1 or 2 students to the level of realization but that model is not practical now. We need practitioners who benefit the world as a whole while at the same time practicing. We need to have people who are both practicing and helping. Being out of the world, those who go off separating themselves from others, is now not an effective model for the dharma practitioner. Go beyond limited concepts of what it means to have a Buddhist practice. The goal is to help all sentient beings, not just Buddhists. Step outside the boundaries of being only with Buddhist people, in Buddhist environments. There are many aspects to helping. Education and cultivating positive qualities – take them and readily share your knowledge. Go beyond Buddhist conceptions and the clinging to our Buddhist concepts in a limited way.

Q: What are the serious obstacles we Westerners should be aware of?

K: You should tell me what they are! Distractions are a great obstacle. It’s a question for each of you. Often we get distracted by new objects. Protecting our minds is an individual endeavor. What is important is to meet that with mindfulness to distinguish what to adopt and what to reject. I’ll pray for you – that you don’t experience great obstacles or if you do, I’ll help remove them with you. I’d be happy to fight the obstacles for you and we will see who wins! (big cheer from audience)

Since being in America, I have contracted many of your obstacles. When I get back to India, I’ll have to practice really hard in order to remove them.

Q: Many students emphasize formal sitting but not much study. Can you talk/advise on this?

K: The fundamental difference between practice and study – we study to increase our intelligence, further our knowledge on many topics but study is not genuinely connected to our heart, it’s more connected to the brain. Practice leads to a genuine shift in our hearts and minds. To practice however, without prior study is not good. If we don’t know the reasons why we practice, it’s not good. The real essential point brought forth by practice is to monitor the shift in our heart and mind. Feeling the process of positive qualities coming to light every day, delivering our heart to that state, is what we should aim for. If the mind stays at the level of conceptual dry practice however, then it’s nothing more than study.

Genuinely practicing compassion, the mind and heart are not separated. There should be a recognition of the vivid experience of mind taking on compassion itself. At the level of mere understanding or a little experience but no follow through is not genuine practice.

Q: Most lay practitioners have limited time and resources for formal extensive practice. How can we Western students best establish the lineage in our homelands?

K: You saved the worst question for last. (laughter) There should be a strong continuity of practice, a firm resolve. We should remind ourselves what we want to accomplish and refresh this resolve every day, for momentum on the path. Stick to this daily to witness progress. Body speech and mind have to work as servants of this goal. Perhaps make a goal per month. Rely on mindfulness, set it up like the watchman. Create external supports such as ‘reminder notes’ or use objects. When we work on computers, we take breaks to help our eyes. In the same way, we should take care of our minds, refresh them periodically, every hour or three times a day. Mindfulness is the seed you take with you and see how it grows.

In the West, there are no limits to our busy-ness.

We need to become teachers to ourselves, not just relying upon the instructions that our gurus provide but on our own instructions coming from ourselves. What we are lacking is instructions from ourselves - we already have an abundance of our gurus’ pith instructions. I have started doing this – when I first arrived in India, there were no teachers yet to guide me so I rested my mind, relaxed and waited for that certain answer or instruction to come. We need to seek out instructions from our own minds.

To end, the Karmapa said, “I’ll come again, no matter how long it takes” and then he recited an aspiration prayer for the audience.

Sunday morning, June 1^st, 2008

The Karmapa said that the 2^nd Karmapa (Karma Pakshi) was an emanation of Chenrezig and therefore, there is no need to further research or trace the connection between Karmapa and Chenrezig.

The Karmapa’s inspiration for Chenrezig is his blind grandmother who has already accumulated over 10 million Manis. She is still in Tibet and still remains so cheerful. Her recitation of the Manis is related to the great hope she has had for the future, it fills her with great joy. His mother is also on the way to approaching 10 million Manis. These are influential figures for him. He grew up in a devotional environment to Chenrezig and that is his spiritual inheritance. Via phone, his mother told him that even if she only has the chance to do one mani, she dedicates all the merit to him. And she aspires that it become part of his virtue. The love is passed down in the family, transmitted through the mantra. This is how it feels to him. It is his family heirloom, the most sacred and he is now offering it to all of us. This has been the profound gift of his family.

As for the connection with Chenrezig, it runs through the heart of every Tibetan. And also the Karmapa has a special connection to Chenrezig. May you enjoy the love and light of all the Karmapas.

The way to establish lineage in our homelands is to have strong resolve , a pure motivation and develop momentum in order to make progress.

Americans are very courageous, always speak of ‘possibility’ and have a deep respect for the truth, these are good qualities on the spiritual path.

Miscellaneous notes from Julie Adler & Daniel Kane

May they be of some benefit.

Here are some links from the visit:

Photos and articles

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1807103,00.html?imw=Y

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/nyregion/16karmapa.html?pagewanted=print

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19703303&BRD=1769&PAG=461&dept_id=74969&rfi=8

Slide show

http://picasaweb.google.com/karmapa.foundation/HisHolinessKarmapaSNewYorkVisit/photo#5202163928227737682

Karmapa at Newark airport

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJxqF-vRu3k&feature=related

Rainbows appearing at KTD when Karmapa was there

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3p9BthxkKY

"Falong" Sawadi Pi Mai (Happy [Western] New Year '08!)

2008-01-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

Pra Don, left, with Olivia de Hauleville of the High Desert,
who has helped promote Wat Santi over the years.

The shrine in the new temple at Landers Forest Monks Buddhist Temple

(Above, Sage Quinn, son of Ted & the first baby blessed at Wat Santi at 3 weeks old, makes his rounds in front of the "prosperity tree" before prostrating to the Buddha, Dhamma & Sangha at the "Traditional Water Blessing Ceremony" on Western New Year)

"Falong" is the 'corruption' of the word "foreigner" in the Thai language, and as I started out the day by visiting the local Thai Forest Monks Buddhist temple, Wat Santi, up above Joshua Tree for their New Year Ceremony & Blessing, I have well-worn out my own version today of "Sawadi Pi Mai"- "Happy New Year" with a "Falong" thrown in. (Thai New Year is in April).
It was a wonderful day at the Landers temple. I was overjoyed to see my friend Pra Don (the head priest there) again, for the first time in quite a while... In the year-plus since I have been there, an amazing change has occurred- a huge temple has sprouted up like a big mushroom under the buddha-full moon!
We offered food & gifts to the forest monks present & made prayers for you & all beings, ourselves included...
It was wonderful to see good friends from all over So. Cal. on this quite chilly New Years Day, including Yucca Valley's Olivia & Joshua Tree's Ted & "Santi" Sage, among others. Ted related to me how, at a Winter Solstice Ceremony at the new Joshua Tree yoga center, "Instant Karma," his toddler son, Sage had been shouting "Yay!" at the end of every song. Even though Ted had to take him into the next room after he got scared during the song to Shiva (a frighteningly loud song about the Lord of Destruction), he still shouted "Yay!" at the end. So there was an amusing moment near the end of the Water Blessing Ceremony here. After the bowing to the Triple Gem while we chanted their praises- as it ended, Sage shouted "Yay!" as everyone shared in his joy & laughed. Pra Don then said, "He's shouting because he gets to go home now!"
(Among the many prayers we chanted in the sacred Pali language, were the following)
Araham samma-sambuddho bhagava
The Blessed One is Worthy & Rightly Self-Awakened.
Buddham bhagavantam abhivademi
I bow down before the Awakened, Blessed One.
Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo
The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One.
Dhamman namassami
I pay homage to the Dhamma.
Supatipanno bhagavato savaka-sangho
The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples has practiced well.
Sangham namami
I pay respect to the Sangha.

Here follows a prayer I extend to you as a "Falong New Year's Wish"...

The Sublime Attitudes
Aham sukhito homi- May I be Happy
Niddukkho homi- -May I be free from stress & pain
Avero homi- May I be free from animosity
Abyapajjho homi- May I be free from oppression
Anigho homi- May I be free from trouble
Sukhi attanam pariharami- May I look after myself with ease
Metta- Good Will*
**May all living beings be happy. May all living beings be free from animosity. May all living beings be free from oppression. May all living beings be free from trouble. May all living beings look after themselves with ease.
Karuna- Compassion
May all living beings be freed from all stress & pain.
Mudita- Appreciation
May all living beings not be deprived of the good fortune they have attained.
Upekkha- Equanimity
All living beings are the owners of their actions, heir to their actions, born of their actions, related through their actions and live dependent on their actions. Whatever they do, for good or for evil, to that will they fall heir. May all beings live happily, free from animosity. May all share in the blessings springing from the good I have done. May there be every good blessing. May the Devas protect you. Through the power of all the Buddhas, May you forever be well. May there be every good blessing. May the Devas protect you. Through the power of all the Dhamma, May you forever be well. May there be every good blessing. May the Devas protect you. Through the power of the Sangha, May you be forever be well.

*In the Tibetan tradition these are called "The Four Immeasurables" & also are represented in each one of the arms of the "Bodhisattva of Compassion," Avalokiteshvara (Tibetan: Chenrezig)
**as I unfortunately don't have all night here, I must leave out more of the Pali, but I pray you have the opportunity to visit Wat Santi & chant these and other wonderful prayers with some of the happiest humans on the planet any early morning, afternoon or evening. Please call for the meditation schedule:

Buddhist Forest Meditation Center (WAT SANTI)

60424 Reche Rd. Landers 92285-3230  (760) 364-3244

(6 miles East on Reche Rd. from Hwy. 247, Old Woman Springs Rd.)

"For an Experience of True Peace & Quiet"

Sawadi Khap!

A Hidden American "Terma" Revealed...

2007-12-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

The letter i sent to my CTR/Vajradhatu-Sangha connection in Boulder Colo., my DeadBuddhistsOfAmerica Dharma-Heart-Brother, Hunter Quarterman (to paraphrase the Grateful Dead in "Truckin' ": "Sometimes the Light's All Shining on Him, Other Times It's Either Clear or Dim...")
(And THANK YOU Peter B. Chowka....)
I just found this magazine from 1976 (gregorian calendar) in my "early Dharma years" suitcase...
The broke capitalist in me immediately thought "Ebay!" & then the Bodhisattva-like part of me surfaced & I wanted to give it to you...
Then I decided I better at least read it first...
And after I did and started really relating to Allen Ginsberg's mental process & aspects of enlightened mind that he was spreading through this interview, including really profound things that some of our Vajrayana teachers had told him...
Well, I thought maybe I should keep it after all and just copy it for you...
So, I'm half-way through it and decide to see if there was anything on the internet re: the album he recorded with Dylan that they created to spread the Dharma back in '71, well before the time of the Rolling Thunder Review Tour which was intended to do the same thing as you'll see in the interview.... (that a friend of mine in the mountains played for me the song "Meditation" from recently)...
And INSTEAD i found the actual interview...
SO... through the wonders of modern technology & thanks to people like Al Gore who created the internet, here you go:

http://members.aol.com/pbchowka/ginsberg76.html

Dancing With the Dead (My Response to my friend Ted Quinn)

2007-12-01T22:47:00.000-08:00

tedquinn@nomadhouse.com wrote (around 8p.m.): sending love to you and your sister. ted. (To better understand this, scroll down to read the previous post 1st...)
OK as i was saying b4 i so rudely interrupted meself...
last night i watched the last part of this 50th anniversary of the Grammys & they showed Christine Aguilera doing James Brown's hit 'It's a man's world (But he wouldn't be nothing without a woman)' & she actually did quite a good job. So this evening i'm moving all this stuff out to storage & discover the box of old issues of the Lost Angeles Free Press that my sister gave me a few years ago (which were probably actually mine back in the day because i subscribed & don't remember that she did...) and i'm going thru them & see an ad for the Grateful Dead playing the Santa Monica Civic in '70. Then i'm paying attention to the time because i want to do the Dharma practice with the focus on her at eight p.m. & just about that time in a box of my dad's stuff i find her kindergarten class picture from '58... Wotta Trip! So that goes on the shrine down below my Buddhist teachers & her other photos i have up there & proceed to light the lamp & incense followed by the meditation. Then at 9pm i remember that the Dead show is on KKCR.org from Kauai, and that's a perfect completion for my sister's soul meditation as she loved the Dead too, so I get it on the Internet & the DJ Jackie Row is telling some listener that she found the song he wanted & proceeds to play the Dead performing "It's a Man's World" with Pigpen on vocals, from Binghamton, NY on May 2, 1970(!) (i found out from the Internet search), possibly the only time they performed it from what i could tell... Well, after time-travelling back to that time period a couple hours before from going thru and straightening up a whole mess of old Freeps, i once again had my mind blown in the Dead-Dharma connected realm...
And once again i'm Dancin' with the Dead (pun intended)! -=0=-
Muchas Garcias por el Amor!

Excerpt From the Letter I Sent Out To All My Sister Chris's Friends

2007-12-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

On the One Year Anniversary Todayof the Transition to the Other Side of my sister Christina (btw it was my parents that told me that her name means "Little Christ")...

We can all light a candle or something, focus together on the beautiful Love-Light of her Soul at about 8pm tonight from wherever we are, and (it is my belief that...) she will know & will laughingly send back her Love...

Last January I shared the info about her life & transition with everyone at a gathering at Urban Yoga down here in Palm Springs, and it is by Cosmic Coincidence that they are holding the ceremony described below this weekend (which I will attend with Christina's beautiful "Joy of Life" photo)...

Thank You in Peace

Steven "Sunny" Sun-Downer-=0=-

Sunday Dec. 2nd 5:00pm Urban Yoga's Annual
"Dearly Departed Beloved Souls" Celebration and Pot Luck with
Temple Bhajan Band at
Urban Yoga Center, Hotel Zoso
SURA will be leading special prayers
Celebrating Life ~ and honoring our
"Dearly Departed Beloved Souls"
who have passed over this last year.

In India they say...

2007-11-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

(This is my response to Paul Krassner's send out today- You may want to brew a cup of tea first & put everything else 'on hold' for a while, heh-heh!
Read the bottom article about the potential perversion of Tibetan Sand Mandalas by his friend Jaye first if you want to understand my 'beat-nik style' ramblings that incorporate my experience last night at the Source Family Reunion that was held at the new ah-mazing venue in the City of Angels, "The Echoplex.")

In India they might say, "Please don't change the 'Subji'... but do excuse me while i ramble on (rose)..." Om Namo Shivayah!- All praises to the grateful lord of death & transformation dancing on the corpse of ego- Om Namah Shivayah!
After Seeing the gorgeous DHS sunrise following my return from the Source Family Reunion in Echo (HELLO...HELlo... hello!) Park last night...
I must say this is an interesting read & the absolute farthest concept i expected to threaten to "warp this fragile little mind" (with apologies to the writers of South Park!) this morning...
The part of the read about the 'wiley' coyote tibetan monks & the porn tape, was like a twisted groundhog's day experience, as after the performance ended last night & just before i retrieved a chair for living-rock-legend/rainbow-tribal-elder/jim morrison-inspiration/flower-power shaman/lead-seed-singer sky 'sunlight' saxon, who's sixties-something legs were getting wobbly as he wrote a ("future ebay-bound..." as he had just joked on stage) blessing/autograph for yet another fan... exhausted from his performance-of-a-lifetime after all the rehearsal & traveling from no. cal. with his lovely new wife sabrina & their cute little chi-wow-wa 'lucy'... a chair to help this brother relax & keep from fainting... this brother that had some 3 decades before caused throngs of young screaming teen age women to have music-induced orgasms at the packed nearby hollywood bowl with his 17 minute version of "Up In Her Room" etc... who had tonight instead helped open up the door to the 'mother ship' as he had also intoned up there during his set, to invite the hundreds of humans present to follow him into a god-gasm with his Father...
so, i had been watching the after concert videos being projected up on the screen ah-midst the swirling-sixties-style light show above the stage while vdo-taping the cosmic meet & greet action at the Source/Sky-Sunlihgt-Saxon-Seeds/Entrance merchandise table aglow with huge 3' tall candles that i was continually lighting my tibetan incense from that even the echoplex security guys let me keep burning after they found out it wasn't actually a cigarette after all- unlike the mean security at the halloween marlin bar cubensis show, thus limiting the effect of my Oppressed Burmese/Tibetan Monk holloween costume that night... but, shirley...
And up on the screen in between the kung-fu fighting vdos & super-imposed also in the huge Source(surrounding-the-rolls-royce)Family Portrait that had been up there during all of YaHoWha13's inspiring set & had appeared full spread in the now famous LA Weekly Father Yod 8/31/0h Seven (gregorian calendar) issue... appeared the big words in red: 'FBI Warning' with the standard threat of fine & imprisonment for illegal duplication, & i wondered were we about to visually absorb some obscure Source Family vdo to help promote it's sale? Only to be fooled by my own preconception, as what appeared over the early Lost Angeles'-most-peaceful-cult- photo projection was a wide open yoni (skt- noun, female labia) with a lingam (skt- noun, male phallus) entering & retreating rapidly for a second or two, followed for another equal amount of time by a woman feasting on a man's phallus...
So in the sense of the old sixties adage, the night was now complete- as the performers had given us the 'rock n' roll,' & they & the environment had given us the psychedelic (contact) 'high' (as well as whatever electric kool-aid may have been sipped- the jury is still out on whether anyone even needed the physical psycho-delic activation there... maybe younger attendees, because all of us older 'living-legends-in-our-own-minds' certainly had plenty of 'flashbacks' to tap into...)
& now the 'profane' porn sex had been transformed into the 'sacred tantric' act of 'yod-ic (sic) union,' as it had 'popped up' right in front of our collective 3rd eye in the middle of this "Source-Family-Survival-Cell-Ah-Bration," completing the triangle...
Or was it "Gas (OUCH!), Grass or Ass! Nobody Rides for Free"?
But speaking of the Ride, this story below is one "hellovuh ride"...
If the author's theory proves true, it fit's into the age-old category that holds the alleged theory that adolph hitler sent envoys to tibet to bring back teachings of magic & mystery that had up to that time been used for the benefit of all beings, only to be brought back for mass nazi mind-control techniques that utilized & perverted the also sacred swastika- ancient asian, indian & native american symbol of good luck!
And, also in reference to this piece, to borrow from another decades-old adage: "We Are What We Eat!"... if we "Are What We In-Corporate," I will invoke the irony exhibited by the Zen Groucho Marxist-Loving friends in the "This Very Weekend" University of Massachusetts-honored band, the Grateful Dead... When they sing in their classic song "Helena Bucket,"
"We may be going to hell in a bucket, baby... but at least we're enjoying the ride... Ride, Ride, Ride! At least we're enjoying the ride!"
-==-

Paul Krassner wrote:

Mandala Magic
Posted by Lava Cocktail at Saturday, November 17, 2007 11:58:00 AM and
is filed under The Dark Side of Spirituality
Mandala Magic
by
Jaye Beldo

Recently, I remembered an incident from about 16 years ago when I was
briefly
involved with Tibetan Buddhism:

I volunteered to chauffeur the touring Gyuto Monks of the Tantric
University, so
they could give demonstrations of their unique chanting abilities at
various
locations in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. They also were
constructing
sand mandalas, one at a museum in downtown St. Paul and another at the
Minneapolis Institute of the Arts (MIA). 3-M, a local corporation
supplied the
colored sand used in the MIA mandala's construction. The sand was
synthetic,
the purpose of this being that once a special adhesive was applied to
the
individual grains, they would all fuse together and permanently
preserve the
mandala. As I drove the monks around the metro area, I tried getting
them to
rebel against both 3-M and the MIA's preservation plans, stressing that
Americans needed to learn about impermanence via witnessing the
destruction of
the mandala. But they wouldn't go along with my suggestion and agreed
that the
mandala could be archived so it would bring to people awareness of
Tibet's
plight. (They did sweep up the sand mandala they made in St. Paul
however and
ceremoniously dumped it into a nearby river).

If Navahoe sand painters, who use their mandalas for healing purposes ,
were
ever presented with the suggestion that a corporation and a museum
could supply
them with sand in which to permanently preserve, then display their
work, they
would be utterly appalled and no doubt would instantly reject the idea,
smelling some rat underneath.

I eventually gave up trying to incite the monks and they completed the
mandala-but not without stirring up some controversy. On a video
monitor in the
gallery where they were working, one of the monks actually put in a
porn tape
for musuem attendees to watch, instead of the instructional video
showing up
close how sand mandalas were constructed.

After the wiley monks went on to their next tour destination, an MIA
employee
then dangled from a secured harness directly over the sand mandala and
applied
the bonding agent, (listening to Heavy Metal music according to someone
I knew
who worked at MIA at the time.)

For the last sixteen years or so, the mandala has hung vertically in
one of the
galleries at the museum for all visitors to see. According to Victor
Trimondi,
an expert on Tibetan Buddhism: "The mandala is a Yamantaka-Mandala.
Yamantaka
is the "conqueror of death", he is acting against death (yama). Insofar
there
may be nothing destructive in the mandala, but the relationship between
Yama
(The God of Death) and Yamantaka is ambivalent. Yamantaka has nearly
the same
appearance of Yama. "

In essence, the artificially preserved mandala at MIA encourages rather
than
conquers death. Death is the motifve force behind capitalism (along with
entropy) so what better way to represent this than through the glued
mandala
where death is transfixed rather than transformed.

In an articles on Victor Trimondi's site, they talk about how the
Kalachakra
sand mandala had certain occult powers and that the Dalai Lama could
obtain
control over the area that it was constructed in. I immediately made the
connection that there is probably some black magic purpose behind
preserving
the MIA mandala and that this was the hidden intent of those at 3-M all
along,
since many corporations are controlled by occultoids at the highest
levels.
Since the Dalai Lama was not present to officiate the construction of
the
mandala, someone or something else took charge, no doubt some smoke
screened
power monger at 3M or elsewhere. Once the bonded mandala hung high and
dry, it
enabled them to cast a highly manipulative and insidious spell over MIA
, its
employees and visitors as well-getting them to unconsciously equate the
corporation with eastern spirituality and its supposed emphasis on
non-violence, compassion, altruism and liberation-that 3M was the true
Tantric
benefactor in this highly ironic enterprise and not the buddhist monks
themselves who were no doubt innocent pawns in this venture .

Oddly enough, in retrospect, major corporations do indeed control MIA,
financially, artistically and perhaps even spiritually, most likely
through the
fused, death advocating sand mandala. It would be interesting to see if
these
corporations use capital from repressive , death based regimes in their
investment endeavors and how these investments, tainted with the blood
of
genocided Tibetans, Chinese political dissidents and others fighting
for human
rights, eventually filter into MIA coffers, whitewashed by board
members's
ignorance, greed and unconscious denial of the obvious Yama subterfuge
at
hand.

(C)2006-Jaye Beldo

Prayers, Inner & Outer Action for Burma

2007-10-29T23:15:00.000-07:00

sunny sun-downer, with freshly-shaven head (1st time since grade school), cut in solidarity & in mourning, protests the myanmar military's brutal attacks on the thousands of peaceful Burmese Buddhist demonstrators for democracy, in Hollywood Calif. on Sat. Oct. 6, 2007 (gregorian calendar).

This is one of many messages I sent out to my list the first week of October, 2007 (g.c.)
(What the Burmese Buddhist Monks & their supporters
were undoubtedly chanting when being taken away to be tortured &/or murdered...

While outward activism for Burma is essential...

This can help us the most in dealing with it inwardly...-=0=-)
www.bpf.org

You may have read that the Burmese monastics and lay people have been chanting the Buddha's words on loving kindness or "metta" during many of their marches.
If you do not know it already, here are the words in Pali and in English.

The Karaniya Metta Sutta

the Buddha's discourse on Loving Kindness

1
Karaniyam atthakusalena
Yan tam santam padam abhisamecca
Sakko uju ca suju ca
Suvaco c'assa mudu anatimani

This is what should be done

By one who is skilled in goodness

Having glimpsed the state of perfect peace,

Let them be able, honest and upright,

Gentle in speech, meek and not proud.

2
Santussako ca subharo ca
Appakicco ca sallahukavutti
Santindriyo ca nipako ca
Appagabbho kulesu ananugiddho

Contented and easy to support,

With few duties, and simple in living.

Tranquil their senses, masterful and modest,

without greed for supporters

3

Na ca khuddam samacare kinci
Yena viññu pare upavadeyyum
Sukhino va khemino hontu
Sabbe satta bhavantu sukhitatta

Also, let them not do the slightest thing

That the wise would later reprove.

Let them cultivate the thought:

May all be well and secure,

May all beings be happy

4
Ye keci panabhut'atthi
Tasa va thavara va anavasesa
Digha va ye mahanta va
Majjhima rassakanukathula

Whatever living creatures there be,

Without exception, weak or strong,

Long, huge or middle-sized,

Or short, minute or bulky

5

Dittha va yeva adittha
Ye ca dure vasanti avidure
Bhuta va sambhavesi va
Sabbe satta bhavantu sukhitatta

Whether visible or invisible,

And those living far or near,

The born and those seeking birth,

May all beings be happy

6
Na paro param nikubbetha
Natimaññetha katthacinam kanci
Byarosana patighasañña
Naññamaññassa dukkham iccheyya

Let none deceive another

Or despise any being in any state;

Let none wish others harm

In resentment or in hate.

7
Mata yatha niyam puttam
Ayusa ekaputtam anurakkhe
Evampi sabbabhutesu
Manasam bhavaye aparimanam

Just as with her own life

A mother shields her child,

her only child, from hurt

Let all-embracing thoughts

For all beings be yours.

8

Mettañ ca sabba-lokasmim
Manasam bhavaye aparimanam
Uddham adho ca tiriyanca
Asambadham averam asapattam

Cultivate a limitless heart of goodwill

For all throughout the cosmos,

In all its height, depth and breadth --

Love that is untroubled

And beyond hatred or enmity.

9
Titthañ caram nisinno va
Sayano va yavat'assa vigatamiddho
Etam satim adhittheyya
Brahmam etam viharam idhamahu

As you stand, walk, sit or lie,

So long as you are awake,

Pursue this awareness with your might:

It is deemed the Divine Abiding- here and

now.

10
Ditthiñca anupagamma silava
Dassanena sampanno
Kamesu vineyya gedham
Na hi jatu gabbhaseyyam punar eti't

i

Holding no more to wrong views,

A pure-hearted one, having clarity

of vision, being freed from all sense desires,

Is not born again into this world.
--  
..· ´*¸ ¨¨)) -::-

Feel Love´¨¨))

((¸¸.·´ .. ·´ -- and when you do...everything around you transforms...

-- ((¸¸. ·´

Olivia de Haulleville, C.Ht, CATS - Holistic Consultant

Check out "Pilgrimage to Java" at Amazon.com or:

http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-14861-1
Chevron's Pipeline Is the Burmese Regime's Lifeline
By Amy Goodman, King Features Syndicate
Posted on October 3, 2007, Printed on October 4, 2007
http://www.alternet.org/story/64310/
The image was stunning: tens of thousands of saffron-robed Buddhist monks marching through the streets of Rangoon [also known as Yangon], protesting the military dictatorship of Burma. The monks marched in front of the home of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who was seen weeping and praying quietly as they passed. She hadn't been seen for years. The democratically elected leader of Burma, Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since 2003. She is considered the Nelson Mandela of Burma, the Southeast Asian nation renamed Myanmar by the regime.
After almost two weeks of protest, the monks have disappeared. The monasteries have been emptied. One report says thousands of monks are imprisoned in the north of the country.
No one believes that this is the end of the protests, dubbed "The Saffron Revolution." Nor do they believe the official body count of 10 dead. The trickle of video, photos and oral accounts of the violence that leaked out on Burma's cellular phone and Internet lines has been largely stifled by government censorship. Still, gruesome images of murdered monks and other activists and accounts of executions make it out to the global public. At the time of this writing, several unconfirmed accounts of prisoners being burned alive have been posted to Burma-solidarity Web sites.
The Bush administration is making headlines with its strong language against the Burmese regime. President Bush declared increased sanctions in his U.N. General Assembly speech. First lady Laura Bush has come out with perhaps the strongest statements. Explaining that she has a cousin who is a Burma activist, Laura Bush said, "The deplorable acts of violence being perpetrated against Buddhist monks and peaceful Burmese demonstrators shame the military regime."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, at the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said, "The United States is determined to keep an international focus on the travesty that is taking place." Keeping an international focus is essential, but should not distract from one of the most powerful supporters of the junta, one that is much closer to home. Rice knows it well: Chevron.
Fueling the military junta that has ruled for decades are Burma's natural gas reserves, controlled by the Burmese regime in partnership with the U.S. multinational oil giant Chevron, the French oil company Total and a Thai oil firm. Offshore natural gas facilities deliver their extracted gas to Thailand through Burma's Yadana pipeline. The pipeline was built with slave labor, forced into servitude by the Burmese military.
The original pipeline partner, Unocal, was sued by EarthRights International for the use of slave labor. As soon as the suit was settled out of court, Chevron bought Unocal.
Chevron's role in propping up the brutal regime in Burma is clear. According to Marco Simons, U.S. legal director at EarthRights International: "Sanctions haven't worked because gas is the lifeline of the regime. Before Yadana went online, Burma's regime was facing severe shortages of currency. It's really Yadana and gas projects that kept the military regime afloat to buy arms and ammunition and pay its soldiers."
The U.S. government has had sanctions in place against Burma since 1997. A loophole exists, though, for companies grandfathered in. Unocal's exemption from the Burma sanctions has been passed on to its new owner, Chevron.
Rice served on the Chevron board of directors for a decade. She even had a Chevron oil tanker named after her. While she served on the board, Chevron was sued for involvement in the killing of nonviolent protesters in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Like the Burmese, Nigerians suffer political repression and pollution where oil and gas are extracted and they live in dire poverty. The protests in Burma were actually triggered by a government-imposed increase in fuel prices.
Human-rights groups around the world have called for a global day of action on Saturday, Oct. 6, in solidarity with the people of Burma. Like the brave activists and citizen journalists sending news and photos out of the country, the organizers of the Oct. 6 protest are using the Internet to pull together what will probably be the largest demonstration ever in support of Burma. Among the demands are calls for companies to stop doing business with Burma's brutal regime.
Amy Goodman is the host of the nationally syndicated radio news program, Democracy Now!
© 2007 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/64310/

------ End of Forwarded Message

From: Tal Car [mailto:tal4tibet@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 9:00 AM
To: tal4tibet@yahoo.com
Subject: Support the Monks, Free Burma: Global Day of Action Saturday October 6, Washington DC Noon

A request to pass this on...

Yesterday, a large group of Buddhists drew together for an evening of meditation and prayer in front of the Burmese Embassy at 2300 S Street, NW in Washington, D.C. There was much positive energy and confidence that with increased attention to the suffering of monks and all oppressed people in this country that change can occur.

You likely know of the estimated 4,000 monks that were dragged from their monasteries and sent to internment camps in remote areas of Burma. Many more people than were officially reported died, including monks who were brutally beaten to death. Many are missing, others are fleeing.

More information is found at the following link

http://www.uscampaignforburma.org/

Saturday, at noon, a larger group of people will gather to rally and march to the Chinese and Indian Embassies.

Many of us have campaigned for Tibet and continue to do so. It took many years for us to learn of the millions of Tibetans and Chinese who died due to ruthless, one party rule, to wake up, to act. And of course, we continue to do so, to both wake up and to act.

Burmese have been dying for many years now too, and like many, I only wake up now to what is happening. Let's turn our attention to helping our brothers and sisters inside Burma as well as those inside Tibet, and of course, broadening our vision to a world that may one day live in religious freedom and peace.

"Wear Red to Show You're for the Monks."

God-Goddess Bless Code Pink!

2007-10-26T23:51:00.000-07:00

"What part of 'War is a violation of human rights' don't you understand, Rep. Lantos?!" (God-Goddess Bless Code Pink!)
Assemblage of Facts & Commentary by Sunny Sun-Downer-=0=-

From the website of Senator Tom Lantos (D-CA): "The Congressional Human Rights Caucus was founded in 1983 by Congressman Tom Lantos and former Congressman John Edward Porter (R-Illinois). Tom Lantos serves as the Democratic co-chairman and Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Virginia) serves as the Republican co-chairman. The Human Rights Caucus was established to focus broad bipartisan attention on individual civil and human rights, which are America's legacy to the world. The Congressional Human Rights Caucus, which is open to participation by all Members of Congress, is the leading voice in the Congress in defense of human rights."

Bono Praises Sen. Lantos as U2 receives Human Rights award at Chile's National Stadium

�AI

Related documents

Ambassador of Conscience Award 2005 (Real Media)
02/27/2006

Ambassador of Conscience Award 2005 (Windows Media)
02/27/2006

Press release, 02/27/2006

"The broad range of human rights organizations present at the ceremony clearly show that human rights in the 21st century need to look beyond prison walls and into the lives of women, men and children marginalized through discrimination and poverty, deprived of basic human rights. Human rights concerns in Chile and in all the Americas are not just a thing of the past, we need to understand what that means for us today" said Margarita Byler, Amnesty International Senior Director of International Mobilization - in Chile on behalf of Irene Khan, Amnesty International Secretary General.

Amnesty International's representatives noted how thousands of people in Chile and across the Americas continue to suffer grave human rights abuses - including torture, injustice, discrimination and lack of access to basic rights such as work, health, land and education.

"Who is accountable for those human rights abuses? It is those governments who defend the use of torture and ill treatment; those governments, corporations and armed groups who persist in abusing the rights of the very people they claim to protect or in whose defense they claim to act." Said Margarita Byler.

"There are still people in this country that are silent, they're sick with their secrets. Their secrets are making them sick. I would like to say to them, this is the moment, the beginning of a new Chile, to set you free from those secrets," Said Bono, leader of U2.

"US Congressman Tom Lantos was, as a child, taken to the death camps in Hungary, by the Nazis. He said that the things that haunted him the most in his life was not the brutal treatment of the Nazis but the things that haunted him later on his life were the faces of the passers by, who saw them as children being put on trains and sent to the concentration camps. The mute faces. The silence. Not asking questions..."

"So, when it comes to the poor that you have in Chile, I would like to say that we will not turn away because we know where these people are going. We will go down to the train and we will lie on the tracks and that is our job as artists and as human beings," said Bono.

Sunny Sun-Downer comments: And Yet Mr. Lantos, you have the nerve to silence & have illegally arrested brave U.S. Citizens who are doing something to counter what haunted you. These Code Pink Organization members are the very "passers-by" you were asking for when you were being shipped off to the German concentration camp.
Ms. Ali-Fairooz and these women have the opposite of "the mute faces...", the opposite of "the silence, not asking questions..."! that Bono told the world has haunted you... THEY ARE "going down to the trains & laying down on the tracks..." because nobody else will...
NOW this is what I find REALLY IRONIC & OH-SO-HYPOCRITICAL Mr. Lantos: You, just a week before at Capitol Hill, gave deep words of praise to the world's most famous yet most humble War Protester: His Holiness Dalai Lama of Tibet, in your speech at the Congressional Medal of Honor Award Ceremony that came about from legislation that YOU CO-AUTHORED!!!
And you've continually pressed for sanctions against the repressive Myanmar military regime and heralded the cause of human rights on many other fronts here in the U.S. & internationally.
Are certain wars alright but others not?
So all I can do is continually ask you, Mr. Lantos... "What part of 'War is a violation of Human Rights'' do you not understand!?!"
I was "Shocked & Awed" when I saw the name of the Calif. Senator that I had nothing but praise for the week before- for his praise of the Dalai Lama... apparently siding with the Cheney-BushCo. Administration against letting these brave "passers-by" exercise their 1st Amendment Rights! But that would coincide with the U.S. President-select likewise giving nothing but praise to the world's most famous Buddhist Monk for his struggle for peace & human rights for the Tibetan people at the same ceremony, and a week later asking for another $196.4 BILLION MORE for his War-Based-On-Lies... wouldn't it?
-Sunny Sun-Downer
ConchusTimes.org

`Bloodied' anti-war protester gets in face of `criminal' Rice

Oct 25, 2007 04:30 AM

WASHINGTON�An anti-war protester waved blood-coloured hands in U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's face at a congressional hearing yesterday and shouted "war criminal!" before being pushed away and detained by police.
"The blood of millions of Iraqis is on your hands!" yelled protester Desiree Anita Ali-Fairooz of the Code Pink organization.
Rice, an architect of U.S. President George W. Bush's Iraq policy, appeared unfazed by the incident, which occurred when she entered a House of Representatives meeting room to testify at a hearing on U.S. Middle East policy.
"Out!" shouted the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Representative Tom Lantos, as security men and police hustled the woman away. The California Democrat also ordered the removal of several other Code Pink activists.
Capitol police said later five people were arrested, including Ali-Fairooz, who was charged with disorderly conduct and assault on a police officer.

Meanwhile, two Code Pink activists who were denied entry into Canada because their arrests for protesting the Iraq war landed them on an FBI-run database say they will try again to enter the country today.
The activists and their supporters presented petitions Tuesday at Canadian consulates in several U.S. cities, demanding Canada reverse what they say is a policy that keeps foes of the Iraq war from visiting.
Ann Wright, a retired U.S. Army colonel and diplomat, was turned back at the border along with fellow Code Pink member Medea Benjamin on Oct. 3. She said they plan to fly to Ottawa today in the hopes of attending a public forum organized by NDP MP Alexa McDonough.
For videos of the event & great ideas on how you can "Stop The Next War Before It Starts:
http://www.codepink4peace.org/

Comment Posted on Rep. Lantos' website-
Subject:
Unlawful arrest and harassment of peace people

To:
Rep. Tom Lantos

October 25, 2007

I was surprised to see Tom Lantos interfering with the freedom of speech of courageous Americans of CODE PINK trying to stop the slaughter in Iraq. Condi Rice and all of the Bush Admin. have blood on their hands. We elected Democrats to stop this war. Tom, who is your constituency?? What do you believe in? Where do you stand?
P_______
Oakland , CA

2007-10-26T23:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a letter I was inspired to write today & send to the Desert Sun, the Idyllwild Town (En)Crier and the Lost Angeles Times...
Will they print it?
Time will tell...
-=0=-

The "paved" road known as 8th Street between Palm Dr. & Cactus street in Desert Hot Springs that I've driven to work on for over 4 years has, in that time, reminded me of explosion-ridden roads I've seen in reports of the Iraq War. Hmm... well, it would make sense that it's been in a total state of dis-repair for that amount of time, as that is when this war started. Hmm... come to think of it, all of the over 276,000 U.S. National Guard troops that have that have been serving over there, many, more than one tour, were sorely missed during the recent week of So. Calif. fire storms. Half the Guard's equipment, like all-terrain vehicles, generators, tents, etc., also sorely missed that week, is over there. Along with the current administration's saber-rattling over Iran come rumors of bomber jet planes readying for attack, while DC-10s with a payload of 12,000 gallons of fire-retardant are too few and far between here in California.
This administration has spent $604 billion dollars so far on the Iraq & Afghanistan wars. They are currently asking $196.4 billion more this year for a war that, some people seem to keep forgetting, is based on lies. The Congressional Budget Office now estimates the Iraq and Afghanistan War will cost over $2.4 trillion or $8,0000 for each Calif. resident over the coming decade. I still don't see how our congressional representative Mary Bono & the others of like mind justify these expenditures instead of allocating their use for our infrastructure improvements, police and firefighting, human social services, education, environmental action... the list goes on. These are my thoughts as I bounce down 8th Street.

The Dawn of the Conchus Times Blog

2007-10-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

I sunny sundowner hereby do solemnly pledge to make this world better for the sake of all beings by communicating to the world the Truth of the Fully Awakened State of the Ancestors and Lineage-holders who guide us from the Pure Land... (& to help people remember that the label "Buddha" refers to "Fully Awakened Mind, Un-obscured by defilements & illusion- that which separates...)-=0=-