Shinto - Sunshine Through the Rain

This segment of Akira Kurosawa's "Dreams" seems to be dealing primarily with the ties between Kami and nature, and the relationship between humans and Kami. The wedding procession of the Foxes is only held when the sun shines through the rain, and the mother knows this, but also knows that the Foxes don't like humans to see the processions. The young boy does not heed his mother's warning, however, and pays the price.

Living in harmony with the Kami is so important to the mother that she aquiesces to the will of the foxes, telling her son he must go to beg forgiveness, and barring the foxes forgiveness, must kill himself. She will not even allow the boy within the walls of her home until he is forgiven. Living in reverence and balance with the Kami is paramount, and maintaining the purity of that relationship is all-important.

The bond between Kami and the powerful parts of nature is strong, as illustrated by the mother's insistence that the boy seek the home of the Foxes below the rainbow. Such a beautiful and ethereal thing could only be home to something as deserving of reverence as Kami. The Kami are so powerful and omni-present that the Foxes are able to make it to the boy's home and tell his mother before the boy ever arrives.

Tao of Pooh

I’d like to start by noting that this is one of the most easily accessible books dealing with philosophy or religion that I have ever read, and I I were ever tasked with teaching a friend about Taoism, after a brief introduction to the context and concepts, I’d refer them to this book. “The Tao of Pooh” was short, easy to read and, above all, easy to comprehend.

The book helped me make perfect sense of the Uncarved Block, the Way, the Doing of Nothing and understanding your place, especially in the passages regarding the “Cottleston Pie” song. Everything comes through loud and clear in the explanation through this goofy little song that Pooh sings, and the narrator says, speaking about people knowing their places the way that fish and birds know where they should be, “you’d be surprised how many people violate this simple principle every day of their lives and try to fit square pegs into round holes, ignoring the clear reality that Things Are As They Are (pg. 39).” 

I agree wholeheartedly with the book in its view of America as a collective that doesn’t stop to smell the roses and consumes with reckless disregard for the environment. With so many people in America suffering from anxiety, cardiac issues and other stress-induced ailments, the advice “if you want to be healthy, just watch what a Bisy Backson does and then do the opposite (pg. 95).” However, the positing of Taoism as a “solution” to the “problem” of American culture reeks of hypocrisy. Surely Hoff utilizes the products of American industrialization, a process directly at odds with Taoism, and yet says that everyone should live the way he does. If Americans as a whole did so, the country as it is now would fall apart. 

I’m not arguing against the average American adopting a taoist approach to their personal or professional lives. I endorse the concept, with the understanding that a mix of Taoist practice and the Protestant work ethic would be better for society than either in their purest form. My vision of this is similar to what one would see when one looks at European society, where siestas are encouraged and they work fewer hours a week than Americans, while still producing more on average. Quality of life and amount of free time is increased, but the same amount of work still gets done, keeping a burgeoning society running. 

Buddhism #1: Stereotypes

Image from Rage Against the Machine's 1992 eponymous debut album. (Source image hosted by Amazon). Original photograph by Associated Press correspondent Malcom Browne.

      For myself and many others of my generation, I feel like the above image, of the Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức protesting via self-immolation in South Vietnam in 1963, was one of the most powerful images associated with Buddhism. I know that personally, this was the first image that came to mind when this assignment was announced in class, and it made such an impact on my young self upon the discovery of this image, that it was what I associated principally with Buddhism for a long time. 

      It seems that this image and images and attitudes akin to it emphasize a stereotype of Buddhists as masters of their domain. These monks are portrayed as having no fear of death or anything else, of being able to block out all pain, and of being able to put aside all material concern to do what they must for their faith and calmly accepting anything and everything, even something as painful as lighting themselves on fire. 

      And all of that is true, to some extent. Every stereotype has as its basis some grain of truth. But in this situation, much of the stereotype is based on false assumptions. For one, self immolation is not a common form of protest, and when it is performed, it is often done with the intent of honoring the Buddha. According to some Buddhist schools of thought, self immolation violates certain Buddhist doctrines advising against self-harm. Neither is the act of self immolation in protest reserved for Buddhists: during the Great Schism of the Russian Church, groups of people performed “fire baptisms,” and apparently it was a scattered practice amongst Jesuits to represent the pain of Jesus on the cross.

        This image and the connotation of such radical protest, coupled with the inflammatory (no pun intended) subject matter of the album it has come to be associated (at least by people of my generation), has made many people in the West believe that Buddhists are in total control of their emotions and can withstand anything and everything, and that this sort of self-destruction is commonplace in the Buddhist system. 
     Brad Warner’s book defies all of this. He points out that Buddhists are fallible, and that they have moments (brief or extended) of weakness and lapses in judgment. He shows that they are prone to conflict and in-fighting just as much as any other organization or faith. Warner's life defies the stereotype completely, in that he, as a Buddhist, does not practice extreme self-denial or protest. He seems, for all practical intents and purposes, like a typical moderate Westerner with a firm belief and following of the lifestyle of an Eastern Tradition, not a radical ascetic prepared to light himself on fire to decry the mistreatment of his people. Warner is not so disconnected with himself or his pain, physical or emotional, going so far as to say, in reference to his dealing with his mother's death "I'm not gonna pretend I just sailed through this thing all starry-eyed, going ' Life is death and death is life" like some cartoon Zen master. It was tough. (47, Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate)" He does note that the power of concentration and ability to view things from a different perspective (in this situation viewing it without the preference of being without pain) make it "hard to say whether or not pain exists (119, Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate)," though he goes on to say that he couldn't keep that sort of perspective up for very long, and he wasn't able to escape the pain completely. (So Warner kind of helps to reinforce this stereotype while simultaneously destroying it). 

Success and Liberation

Success Songs

The Smiths, “Frankly Mr. Shankly,” Alternative, 1986

Polar Bear Club, “Boxes,” Indie Punk, 2009

Person L, “The Positives,” Indie/Pop-Punk, 2009

Rush, “Working Man,” Rock/Progressive, 1974

The Beatles, “And Your Bird Can Sing,” Classic Rock, 1966

Liberation Songs

Hot Water Music, “I Was on a Mountain,” Punk, 2002

Braid, “Never Will Come for Us,” Emo/Punk, 1998

Big D and the Kid’s Table, “Moment Without an End,” Ska/Punk, 2004

Fleet Foxes, “Drops in the River,” Pop/Folk, 2008

Biffy Clyro, “Now I’m Everyone,” Alternative, 2007

Observations

      Once again, I'm sure all of us had an easier time finding songs dealing with the first aim (worldly success) than the second (liberation). American popular music is, once again, largely materialistic and focused on status and the ideal of "the successful person."
      The desire for liberation is comparably rare in popular music, though one could argue that much of the Psychedelic genre advocates for an experience with some type of divinity. Liberation, in American thought, is something reserved for churches and armchair theologians and Christian gospel singers, though I tried to find songs pertaining to the Hindu interpretation of liberation, meaning the loss of the elf and achievement of unity with Brahman and freedom from samsara. Obviously, rebirth is not typically seen in American music, so I had to be a bit creative with my lyrical interpretations, but I don't think any of the songs I've chosen fall outside the realm of possibility.
      I'm sure many students used examples of Top 40 or rap/hip-hop for success, where the theme is the most prevalent, and easily in keeping with the "support yourself and your family" thought process associated with the Hindu aim of worldly success. In the genres that I tend to frequent, the whole concept of "worldly success" is something viewed at arm's length, something looked down upon (ironically enough) by the very people seeking to be rich/famous. The songs I chose for worldly success deal less with the acquiring of wealth and more with the problems inherent in wealth and celebrity (punk, indie and rock music tend to have a large emphasis on not "selling out" or "being corporate"), though they deal with "success" in the same terms, meaning they acknowledge fame, money and power as successful (but are very careful to note the folly by which these items are attained, at the price of self-respect, honor and interpersonal relationships).
      All in all, the Hindu aim of worldly success (and its renunciation) is easily visible in today's popular music. Western musicians are, after all, in pursuit of fame and fortune. The theme of liberation in the Hindu understanding, however, is very rare, and where liberation is discussed, it is often in the form of another tradition (i.e. Christianity). Some songs here and there in American music deal with separation from the material world, but few deal with escaping rebirth or joining with Brahman.
      

Pleasure & Community Service

Pleasure

"Happiness is a Warm Gun," The Beatles, Rock and Roll, 1968

Say Anything, "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too," Pop-punk/Emo, 2006

Minus the Bear, "White Mystery," Indie/Post-Rock, 2007

The Smiths, "This Charming Man," Alternative, 1984

The Planet Smashers, "Super Orgy Porno Party," Ska, 1999

Community Service

Billy Bragg, "The Milkman of Human Kindness," Folk Punk, 1983

Wyclef Jean, "President," Reggae/Hip-hop, 2004

The Riot Before, "5 to 9," Punk Rock, 2008

Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, "Heart Problems," Indie Punk, 2004

The Roots & John Legend (Originally by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes),"Wake Up Everybody," Hip-hop/Motown, 2010

Observations

          As everyone will no doubt find, the aim that was more prevalent in American popular music was pleasure. I chose to do songs about sex (convenient, as my recent radio show had been themed similarly) and had no trouble finding many examples, even outside of Radio Ready Rock and Hip-Hop.
         Community service is obviously less popular in music in general, because in America (and in most other places, I would assume, but I don't have a sufficient basis of knowledge to say definitively), music is consumed for enjoyment, and most popular music is upbeat and "fun," not addressing societal ills like poverty and corruption. Some segments of popular music have a wider focus, but the most consumed music in America pertains to sex, partying, drinking and general debauchery (source: Billboard Top 100).
          What surprised me was how much less difficult it was for me to find community service-centric songs than I thought it would be. Within the punk and hip-hop/reggae genres, there is more vocal observations and calls to action regarding society's problems than most American music in general. Punk music has a reputation for being rife with politically charged songs, though I wouldn't consider all political songs or bands in support of community service in the hindu understanding.
          The hindu aims of pleasure and community service are different from what is presented in the popular music like those listed above. For one, devotion to community service comes only after the desire for personal pleasure and worldly success has come and gone, while every band or singer is still trying to be successful and make money (more or less). None of these musicians dedicate all of their time to tending the poor, and many of them are younger (or were when writing the song) than what most Hindus would consider ole enough to be in the community service stage of life.
           The pleasure extolled in the songs above, and much of popular music, is very similar to the Hindu notion of pleasure, excepting of course the Hindu admonition to seek pleasure intelligently and in moderation. An orgy; waking up drunk, only to go out drinking again; binge drinking continually as in Taio Cruz's "Bottoms Up" or LMFAO's "Shots;" none of these express a desire for intelligent seeking of pleasure.