music - Blog Posts - Yoga Vidya International - Yoga, Meditation and Spirituality2024-03-29T05:59:34Zhttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/musicConfrontation (Polygraph part 2 - revisited)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/confrontation-polygraph-part-2-revisited2012-07-24T16:30:00.000Z2012-07-24T16:30:00.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p>« Polygraph » is intended as a portrait of human relationships turning to the sour, hinting at the necessity of constant kindness and genuineness. The suite lasts about ten minutes and is composed of the following four sections : « Exposition, » « Confrontation, » « Deliberation, » and « Vindication. »</p><p>While the introductory movement describes a heated yet still somewhat civilized exchange, the second chapter, « Confrontation, » aims to depict the often difficult yet cathartic experience of having to stand one's ground and defend one's views when criticism or outright attack threatens one's balance and inner peace.</p><p>The section was originally conceived as an instrumental wherein a dialogue between guitar and saxophone represents the conversation as it devolves into somewhat of a shouting match. Eventually though, I experimented with replacing the already written notes with words, more as a literary exercise than in an attempt to convert the piece into a sung duet. The undertaking proved harder than I had expected, but in hindsight that's what made it even more worthwhile. The lyrics are presented below, and assuming the HTML is preserved as posted, the replies of the guitar should appear in black on the right side, while those of the saxophone should be seen in white on the left side.<br /></p><div style="padding:16px;background-color:#aaaaaa;margin-left:64px;margin-right:64px;" align="left"><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Listen<br /> People<br /> I am here to tell you<br /> <br /> In this<br /> Matter<br /> I know better than you<br /> <br /> I have<br /> Learned about it<br /> It cannot be otherwise<br /> <br /> And all<br /> Who disagree<br /> Can only be telling lies</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Please do<br /> Listen<br /> I have this to tell you<br /> <br /> In this<br /> Matter<br /> Don't let no one fool you<br /> <br /> Practice<br /> Self-reliance<br /> Better to trust your own eyes<br /> <br /> Don't let<br /> Anybody<br /> Try and tell you otherwise</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>People<br /> Confide in me<br /> It is the truth I've read it</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>It does<br /> Not have to be<br /> We can transcend this limit</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>No way<br /> No one<br /> escapes the consequence</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Careful<br /> There are<br /> Flaws in your inference</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Untrue !<br /> Be wary folks !<br /> Do not hear this influence !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>And what<br /> About this quote<br /> See I have the reference</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Merely<br /> Baseless belief !<br /> Nothing but pseudoscience !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>See this<br /> Experiment<br /> More positive evidence</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>I will<br /> Not accept this<br /> You're banned from the conference !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Unfair !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Get out !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>I'm not done !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Go away !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>That's mean !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Who cares !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Let me in !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Out you stay !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Listen</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Shut up !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>I won't !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>That's enough !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Don't boss me !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Stop !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Stop me !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Silence !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>No way !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>I warn you !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Oh no you don't !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>You're wrong</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Says who ?</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>I do</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Small wonder</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>You're claim is false !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>It's true !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Nonsense !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Here's proof</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>You're lying !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Good luck with that !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Leave now !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Make me !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>Obey !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>First hear me !</em></p><p style="text-align:right;background-color:#dddddd;padding:4px;color:#000000;"><em>No I will not !</em></p><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#aaaaaa;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;"><em>Then I will stay<br /> Give me my say<br /> These are no lies<br /> Apologize !</em></p><p></p></div></div>Sooner Or Later (revisited - with poetry)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/sooner-or-later-revisited-with-poetry2012-07-08T03:00:00.000Z2012-07-08T03:00:00.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p>« Sooner Or Later » does not comes from Poligraf's catalogue as such. Rather, it is a piece for solo guitar that I intend to publish on an album of about ten acoustic compositions, all featuring the classical guitar, either playing solo or accompanied by other acoustic instruments.<br /></p><p>The original title of this piece was « Maybe Later, » but I never liked it that much because of the element of doubt and uncertainty that it conveys, which doesn't fit the music. I reworked some parts while getting ready to record the present demo, and along with the changes came the new and more appropriate title.<br /></p><p>While the first half of the piece starts in a reflective mood that leads into a peaceful passage, the second half remains upbeat and playful until the tongue-in-cheeky coda.<br /></p><p>Here's the poetry that I composed for this instrumental :<br /></p><p><em>say do you remember<br /> when you renounced your throne<br />time had come to gather<br />the fruits that you had sown<br /><br />couldn't stand no longer<br />circumstances outgrown<br />nor could future further<br />unconsciously postpone<br /><br />true love is forever<br />and you had always known<br />that sooner or later<br />that road would be your own<br /><br />setting out to conquer<br />noble the enterprise<br />chariot of fire<br />you hero on the rise<br /><br />driven by the hunger<br />and the smile in those eyes<br />sometimes lows would deter<br />but you thrived on the highs<br /><br />tipped off by the spider<br />rewarded by the flies<br />shooting star of ardour<br />serendipitous skies<br /><br />angelic caretaker<br />inspired you to surmise<br />that sooner or later<br />you would obtain the prize<br /><br />once blindfolded juggler<br />one hand behind your back<br />willing to consider<br />one more torch in the stack<br /><br />consummate plate spinner<br />you always had the knack<br />to wow the onlooker<br />while avoiding the wrack<br /><br />but that challenge greater<br />had you taken aback<br />fearful of disaster<br />prone to panic attack<br /><br />tyro wire walker<br />trembling above the pack<br />left with daily wonder<br />why life cut you no slack<br /><br />would it have been clearer<br />written in white on black<br />that sooner or later<br />your step would miss the track<br /><br />witnessing in horror<br />your creation finespun<br />destroyed in a quarter<br />the dream had come undone<br /><br />down under the weather<br />by your guilt overrun<br />dark clouds of dishonour<br />were obscuring the sun<br /><br />but life wasn't over<br />though the event did stun<br />and still your endeavour<br />could be a fruitful one<br /><br />had you known your labour<br />was meant for the long run<br />much sooner than later<br />your quest would have begun<br /><br />as hope touched your shoulder<br />you lifted up your chin<br />finding back your valour<br />you recovered your grin<br /><br />and against your fervour<br />you knew walls would give in<br />and sooner or later<br />that you couldn't but win<br /><br />looking back together<br />and enjoying the view<br />pray this question answer<br />tell me you always knew<br /><br />was it any wonder<br />that it had to be you<br />that sooner or later<br />you would be set free too</em></p></div>Asking For A Miracle (revisited - with poetry)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/asking-for-a-miracle-revisited-with-poetry2012-06-16T21:00:00.000Z2012-06-16T21:00:00.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p>« Asking For A Miracle » is a short instrumental arranged for acoustic instruments, and written in a time of dire need.<br /></p><p>While working on the composition, I recalled a tarot reading I gave to the fiancée of my sole nephew, sometime after she had lost her first unborn baby. Although she never voiced her question, I felt that she was hoping to try to give birth again. The cards clearly told that the possibility was there despite what had gone wrong in the past, and that her attempt would be successful as long as she was willing to commit to the process and make the required sacrifices. I remember she was visibly moved by the reading and very happy about the possible outcome.<br /></p><p>Her son, my sole grandnephew, is now three years old. The piece is dedicated to him.<br /></p><p>The poetry has very little to do with that story. About half the stanzas have been written around the end of April, as observations on events and people in various online communities I am part of. The remainder have been inspired by interactions that took place in the recent weeks. In publishing the verses, it is my hope that some of the prayers and questions they voice will be answered.<br /> <br /></p><p><em>sister Jo is in tears<br /> her best friend died on her<br />after so many years<br />lost her fight to cancer<br />the ghost rings at her door<br />seeing no one out there<br />she crumbles to the floor<br />please spare her from despair<br /><br />brother Bill generous<br />shares his blessings daily<br />though strong and courageous<br />he sometimes grows weary<br />routine never ceasing<br />hasn't he earned reprieve<br />must his words keep paving<br />the return of his Eve<br /><br />on his own poor Kerry<br />wants to move overseas<br />to join his friends merry<br />and once more be at ease<br />can't you extend his range<br />of creativity<br />so he can bring the change<br />he's so yearning to see<br /><br />and Peter is dismayed<br />by his circumstances<br />all his efforts unpaid<br />never bring his chances<br />lightworking all day long<br />good deed after good deed<br />little he does is wrong<br />why shouldn't he be freed<br /><br />Alysson is in hell<br />or so suggests his name<br />a boy meaning so well<br />why should he miss the aim<br />hankering for a break<br />from his predicament<br />why can't he, for his sake<br />find steady employment<br /><br />Persephone is flawed<br />or so she seems to think<br />why couldn't she be awed<br />and recognize the link<br />in how failings define<br />perfect trajectories<br />designed to intertwine<br />and resolve the stories<br /><br />Kimmie is yet buzzing<br />planning for this and that<br />always multitasking<br />she wears more than one hat<br />isn't she deserving<br />for all her energy<br />why can't she be reaping<br />the desired synergy<br /><br />and Gary is teaching<br />inimitable voice<br />that of heaven reaching<br />we have to make the choice<br />the mystery within<br />hints at the solution<br />the answers lie therein<br />pray confirm his vision<br /><br />Eloura is upset<br />in her understanding<br />she is right on target<br />so she shuns the warning<br />blind as to the error<br />that causes her illness<br />she shoots the messenger<br />save her from this darkness<br /><br />Eva too is lonely<br />upsurges of anger<br />and sudden enmity<br />are nothing to help her<br />in her soul restlessness<br />friends coming and leaving<br />can't you in your kindness<br />grant the peace she's craving<br /><br />Chris is often tired<br />undertaking the vow<br />a pure land required<br />in the here and the now<br />an eight-year wide desert<br />whirlwind of creation<br />can't you with him concert<br />and back his solution<br /><br />the church of the joyful<br />has for only dogma<br />happiness bountiful<br />solves all enigmata<br />some shout their bliss aloud<br />but vain simulation<br />dire needs doesn't shroud<br />please still their affliction<br /><br />and how many do share<br />that which is not given<br />hurting the ones who dare<br />pluck the fruits of heaven<br />thus their mirror is bent<br />takers' economy<br />when their merit is spent<br />pray ease their misery<br /><br />and as their world crumbles<br />wrongdoing they deny<br />when the setback humbles<br />they blame the gods on high<br />eyes open by chagrin<br />angels fall from the sky<br />teach them that there's no sin<br />is the tempter's best lie<br /><br />all the friends of freedom<br />hoping for more justice<br />a new kind of kingdom<br />with no king nor malice<br />cannot they realize<br />that it is in their hand<br />that they must strive to rise<br />to reach the promised land<br /><br />in judging wrong and right<br />and punishing the foes<br />among themselves they fight<br />of conflict in the throes<br />how hours are wasted<br />in wars horizontal<br />prizes never tasted<br />efforts detrimental<br /><br />love is the only choice<br />upward the only road<br />finding our own voice<br />yet partaking the load<br />we're bound by objective<br />endeavour vertical<br />together supportive<br />attain the pinnacle<br /><br />can you allow this wish<br />superorganism<br />must we first relinquish<br />our skepticism<br />is faith spoilt by blemish<br />merciless obstacle<br />or must we accomplish<br />our own miracle</em></p></div>Lepufology 101https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/lepufology-1012010-08-18T18:28:12.000Z2010-08-18T18:28:12.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("Watching The Arrival Of The Mothership" by Mark Brumfield)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="81" data="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fpoligraf%2Flepufology-101-demo&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=23043d" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fpoligraf%2Flepufology-101-demo&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=23043d" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" allowscriptaccess="never" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fpoligraf%2Flepufology-101-demo&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=23043d" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="81" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><p>The Lepufology Project started as an instrumental composition meant as a tribute to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Anton_Wilson" target="_blank">Robert Anton Wilson</a>'s book « <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_Psychology" target="_blank"><em>Quantum Psychology</em></a> » in which he coins the word <em>lepufology</em> to refer to the study of rabbit-related UFO encounters.</p><br /><p>As the composition was intended from the onset to remain instrumental, I decided to write a basic synopsis, more a list of scenes actually, in order to give the piece direction and structure :</p><br /><p><em>1. Alert ! Possible Alien Leporids Spotted In The UK<br />2. Pre-Trip Frenzy<br />3. Cab Ride To The Airport<br />4. Uneventful Flight Over The Atlantic<br />5. From Heathrow To The Discovery Scene<br />6. Identification - The Formula Is 3.0.3.3 + 1.0.2.3<br />7. Back To The Airport<br />8. Mild Turbulence Over The Atlantic<br />9. Finally Home</em></p><br /><p>From that starting point, the work progressed and I quickly found myself developing the story further and further until I finally ended up with a short story in four chapters, along with the music to go with it.</p><br /><p>So, The Lepufology Project is also the story of Jack Babbitt, regarded as one of the world’s most trustworthy investigators of the paranormal, and whose unfaltering curiosity for the mysterious leads on an international chase seeking bizarre rabbits of extra-terrestrial origin that finds its resolution in the tar sands deposits of Alberta.</p><br /><p>« Lepufology 101 » is the first episode of Jack's adventures, and its full title is really « Lepufology 101 - Identifying Alien Leporids. » Leporids are the approximately 50 species of rabbits and hares which form the family Leporidae.</p><br /><p>As a side note, the impression I was under when reading the neologism was that it's only a fictional discipline created by Wilson as a way to demonstrate the power of words in stimulating the imagination. Or maybe there are lepufologists out there, who knows really.</p></div>Dissolution & Dance Of The Archetypes (Between Worlds parts 2 & 3)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/dissolution-amp-dance-of-the2010-08-16T20:50:16.000Z2010-08-16T20:50:16.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://flickr.com/photos/32856635@N00/2287971853">Dance of the Lord of Death</a>" by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/32856635@N00">Jean-Marie Hullot</a>)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.between.worlds.2006.part2.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/yexsyiswj7cmc2m7qwpq/921d143a26bcd4135afda0ab6c7ff19aba01b75b/Asset/3666939/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.between.worlds.2006.part2.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/yexsyiswj7cmc2m7qwpq/921d143a26bcd4135afda0ab6c7ff19aba01b75b/Asset/3666939/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><p>« Between Worlds » is a composition that started as a song entitled « Requiem » which was written in response to the deaths of my father and maternal grandmother, both due to cancer, at the beginning of the 1990s. Inspired by « <a href="http://www.near-death.com/experiences/buddhism01.html">The Tibetan Book of the Dead</a>, » the piece eventually turned into a suite in five movements intended to present the successive stages of the death process as described in Tibetan culture.</p><br /><p>« Dissolution » is a very short section which represents the moment of physical death itself. It corresponds to the first « between world, » or first bardo :</p><blockquote><em>The first bardo comes at the very moment of death, when there dawns the Clear Light of the Ultimate Reality. This is the very content and substance of the state of liberation, if only the soul can recognize it and act in a way to remain in that state.</em></blockquote><br /><p>If the dying person can recognize that their own mind and self is identical with the Clear Light, implying that they themselves are the Ultimate Reality, while in this supreme state at the moment of death, they will attain liberation – that is, they will remain in the Clear Light forever.</p><br /><p>The following section, « Dance Of The Archetypes, » is a longer instrumental that is intended to depict the potentially overwhelming experience of the second bardo.</p><br /><p>If the soul is still not liberated after the first intermediate state, it will descend into the second bardo, which is said to last for two weeks, and is divided into two parts :</p><blockquote><em>(...) in the first, the soul of the deceased encounters what are referred to as « the Peaceful Deities. » On each of the seven days, a particular Buddha-being will appear in radiance and glory, with a bevy of angelic attendants.</em></blockquote><blockquote><em>In the second week of the second bardo, the soul meets seven legions of Wrathful Deities: hideous, terrifying demons who advance upon him with flame and sword, drinking blood from human skulls, threatening to wreak unmerciful torture upon him, to maim, disembowel, decapitate and slay him.</em></blockquote><br /><p>If the person awakens to the fact that all these creatures are not real, but are merely illusions emanating from their own mind, the creatures will vanish and the dying will be liberated. If they can't, they eventually wanders down to the third bardo.</p></div>Between Worlds (Epilogue)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/between-worlds-epilogue2010-08-27T20:16:12.000Z2010-08-27T20:16:12.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maitreya_the_Conqueror.jpg">Maitreya the Conqueror</a>" by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Nicholas_Roerich">Nicholas Roerich</a>)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.between.worlds.2006.finale.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/3q3oirsgx3ueqhzv3p72/494a44b265b02e1bbae12d7a8ac5b3f1c47f6735/Asset/4650172/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.between.worlds.2006.finale.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/3q3oirsgx3ueqhzv3p72/494a44b265b02e1bbae12d7a8ac5b3f1c47f6735/Asset/4650172/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed> </object></div><br /><p>I read the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardo_Thodol" target="_blank">The Tibetan Book of the Dead</a> twice. I started with a French translation, and then read the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208124.The_Tibetan_Book_of_the_Dead" target="_blank">Robert A. F. Thurman version</a>. My motivation at the time was to learn more about the death process and what comes after.</p><br /><p>At the time, I was agreeably surprised to discover that the text, which is traditionally read to the dead and is intended to guide them through the experiences that the consciousness has during the interval between death and the next rebirth in order to help them attain liberation, was also very rich in knowledge that could be applied to my own life, for instance in terms of understanding my own inner workings.</p><br /><p>Years later, I came to the realization that the text could also be interpreted as a metaphor for life, or more precisely, as a symbolized depiction of the process of moving from where one currently is to the next stage in their life. In that perspective, and in a way reminiscent of the death card in tarot, the death process can be seen as the transition from one's present self to one's future self, for instance in terms of changing careers, relocating, moving on to a new love relationship, or similar transformations, which are represented by transmigration and rebirth.</p><br /><p>As hinted in the text through numerous mentions of not giving into fear, and recognizing post-death experiences as one's own mental projections, the quality of this rebirth is determined by the degree to which one is able to recognize the extent of their power, their very nature and their true purpose, and to shed the elements of the past that are not compatible with this recognition.</p><br /><p>The audio clip above presents the finale of the whole suite. Below is an excerpt taken from the first ever live performance given by Poligraf, playing an early version of « Between Worlds » back in April 2002 :</p><br /><div align="center"><object height="364" width="445" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/0IE_oPL8XVM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0IE_oPL8XVM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" ></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0IE_oPL8XVM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" height="364" width="445" allownetworking="internal"></embed> </object></div><br /><blockquote><em>Hey! Now when the life between dawns upon me,<br /> I will abandon laziness, as life has no more time,<br />Unwavering, enter the path of learning, thinking, and meditating,<br />And taking perceptions and mind as path,<br />I will realize the Three Bodies of enlightenment!<br />This once that I have obtained the human body<br />Is not the time to stay on the path of distractions.<br /></em></blockquote><p>(Taken from "<a href="http://glenavalon.com/bardothotrol.html">The root verses of the six betweens</a>" - see near the bottom of the page)</p></div>De Profundis (Lifeforce part 5)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/de-profundis-lifeforce-part-52010-08-11T20:53:50.000Z2010-08-11T20:53:50.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /> <br /></p><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("De Profundis 1" by <a href="http://www.kateparryevans.co.uk/gallery.html">Kate Parry Evans</a>)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.lifeforce.2009.part5.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/gwbzlt94fxo0nyvldb4l/7118b8efd7b7fb56c3aa89ecd60e465c2f226b7c/Asset/4469680/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.lifeforce.2009.part5.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/gwbzlt94fxo0nyvldb4l/7118b8efd7b7fb56c3aa89ecd60e465c2f226b7c/Asset/4469680/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><p>« Lifeforce » is the story of a personal catastrophe, an individual end of the world, beginning from a state of inspiration and hyperactivity, through doubt, destabilization, failure, consternation, collapse, and then on to relativisation, assessment, the return of hope, and renewal.</p><br /><p>The story is told in non-linear time, beginning just after the collapse, and its various stages are presented as objects of an introspection which will lead to appraisal and peace and will allow the protagonist to determine their next direction.</p><br /><p>« De Profundis » is the fifth and final movement of « Lifeforce. » I discovered the title when time came to name the various sections of « Between Worlds. » I opened my encyclopedic dictionary and started looking for words beginning with « d » in the hopes of finding five suitable titles all starting with the same letter (I already had « Dissolution » and « Dance Of The Archetypes » at that point). I stumbled upon this Latin locution which means « out of the depths of misery, » or simply « out of the depths » according to some sources, and instantly thought of the present movement, as it aptly expresses its mood of looking forward with hope after hitting rock bottom.</p><br /><p>The lyrics have been quite harder to come up with though, as I had too many good ideas to fit in the existing musical structures. After much pondering and a lot of almost-but-not-quite-satisfactory versions, I finally decided on the words which follow below. Please note that the melodies you can hear in the clip haven't been updated to match the final phrasings.</p><br /><p><em>Holding in your hands the gift of miracles<br />Resolving yet again to elude all misery<br />Far yet so close, wise yet so blind<br />Will you ever stop and see ?<br /><br />Past endeavors were not wasted<br />Nor was your pain borne in vain<br />With you remain, all the things that you need for the way<br />A brand new day, every chances to show us your best<br />Don’t mind the rest<br /><br />See that your goal is near<br />All that you need is here<br /><br />Let the music move your body <br />Endow with will and way<br />You’re here to play, not to think of more shackles and banes<br />Loosen your chains, and be free to return to the game<br />Show your true flame<br /><br />See that your goal is near<br />All that you need is here</em></p></div>Departure (Between Worlds part 1)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/departure-between-worlds-part2010-08-10T20:49:20.000Z2010-08-10T20:49:20.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buddha_painted_on_a_rock_wall_in_Tibet.jpg">Buddha painted on a rock wall in Tibet</a>" by Unknown Artist - photography by onwardtibet.org)</span></p><br /><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.between.worlds.2006.part1.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/5fubseykaoqxarxsnykk/73eccd7d2d0134ea0bed73a7ad86e6adb41be65a/Asset/3579083/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.between.worlds.2006.part1.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/5fubseykaoqxarxsnykk/73eccd7d2d0134ea0bed73a7ad86e6adb41be65a/Asset/3579083/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><p>« Between Worlds » is a suite in five movements that started as a song entitled « Requiem » which was written in response to the deaths of my father and maternal grandmother, both due to cancer, at the beginning of the 1990s. The original draft eventually became what now constitutes « Departure, » the introductory section of the whole composition.</p><br /><p>A few years later, after discovering Buddhism, I acquired an edition of « <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardo_Thodol" target="_blank">The Tibetan Book of the Dead</a> » (« Bardo Thodol » in Tibetan) which I read with great interest, and wholeheartedly recommend. At that point, I had already toyed with the idea of extending the song to include a hint at after-death, and the book gave both the inspiration and substance needed to turn the piece into a suite intended to present the successive stages of the death process as described in Tibetan culture.</p><br /><p>The composition begins with an illustration of physical decay, presented as a plea for euthanasia coming from someone in the throes of a degenerative illness, which is followed by dissolution and passage into the successive « between worlds, » or intermediate states (« bardos » in Tibetan), finally leading to rebirth.</p><br /><p>The lyrics to « Departure » follow below. Although they work in their current form, I'm not totally convinced that telling this part of the story from the vantage point of the dying is the wisest way to proceed, so the words might go through a complete overhaul before they receive the « Definitive » stamp and get recorded.</p><br /><p><em>Talk to me, tell me it's you <br />Clear sight has gone astray<br />All is dark outside and in<br />I’m sure glad you made it today<br /><br />No word still of even a slight chance<br />It gets harder every day<br />I feel it won't be long before<br />It takes my mind away<br /><br />Is there a point in trying to find<br />Reasons to keep going ?<br />I’ve seen a lot through this lifetime of mine<br />No fear of death keeps me waiting<br /><br />What’s left for me but this life of dependence<br />And fading memories of freedom ?<br />I do accept that my time here is up<br />I want to know where we all go<br /><br />Don't be sad my friend<br />This life is all behind me<br />Stay on for a while<br />Listen to my plea<br /><br />Don’t be mad my friend<br />There’s not much that we can do<br />I’m reaching the end<br />Just help me through <br /><br />I trust you can understand what I'm going through<br />This body, numb, is a jail<br />I know it’s no easy task that I ask of you<br />Promise me that you won’t fail<br /><br />Don't be sad my friend<br />This life is all behind me<br />Take me to the end<br />With dignity<br /><br />Please be strong my friend<br />Give me the shot that’ll kill me<br />Save me all this pain<br />Do it for me</em></p></div>Creeper (revisited)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/creeper-revisited2010-08-26T21:57:07.000Z2010-08-26T21:57:07.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ryogen1.JPG">Two portraits of Ryogen</a>" - Author Unknown - copyright holder is Kiemon Tsuruya)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.creeper.master.intro.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/obnbq4rn1dnhoxintvng/9696082460cc0a9d5d84ab35abe8b2e4f5a6de29/Asset/43353926/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.creeper.master.intro.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/obnbq4rn1dnhoxintvng/9696082460cc0a9d5d84ab35abe8b2e4f5a6de29/Asset/43353926/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed> </object></div><br /><p>« Creeper » is an allegory wherein destructive mental processes are compared to creeping plants. The piece depicts four stages of a confrontation between creeper and host : introduction, growth, conquest, and extinction.</p><br /><p>The audio clip presents the introduction and verses. As the lyrics suggest, the creeper really represents insidious suggestion, worry, negativity, or doubt, which are generally rooted in ignorance or craving and can act as magnets to weird experiences when pursued intently.</p><br /><p><em>Insidious suggestion<br /> Difficult to contain<br />Tendency to worry<br />Threatening to bloom in pain<br /><br />Stemming up from a doubt<br />Burgeoning from a no<br />Better sever the sprout<br />Or a vine could follow<br /><br />Creative energy – Unleashed upon itself<br />Subtle adversary – Not yet under control<br />Creative energy – Cynical of itself<br />Unforeseen enemy - Between here and the goal<br /><br />Coming back from the past<br />Sinister memory<br />Craving for attention<br />The voice of gravity<br /><br />Surely as it will rise<br />Before long, paralyse<br />Surely as it will grow<br />In a spiral, down you go<br /><br />Creative energy – Unleashed upon itself<br />Subtle adversary – Not yet under control<br />Creative energy – Cynical of itself<br />Unforeseen enemy – Between here and the goal</em></p></div>Ignoranthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/ignorant-12010-08-10T00:11:07.000Z2010-08-10T00:11:07.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Niko_Pirosmani._%27%27A_Little_Boy_Riding_a_Donkey%27%27._Oil_painting_on_oilcloth._80X99_cm._The_State_Museum_of_Fine_Arts_of_Georgia.jpg">A Little Boy Riding a Donkey</a>" by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niko_Pirosmanashvili">Niko Pirosmanashvili</a>)</span></p><br /><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.ignorant.part2.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/hliay7qwunkn68gjlqdf/aed616069a88ca13e8bf12ba277380abf9a27378/Asset/5041862/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.ignorant.part2.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/hliay7qwunkn68gjlqdf/aed616069a88ca13e8bf12ba277380abf9a27378/Asset/5041862/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><br /><p>« Ignorant » is one of my first compositions ever, and was originally written for acoustic guitar and vocals.</p><br /><p>The general idea behind the piece is that of lack of knowledge, and how it can lead to damage, even in the absence of ill-intentions, by leaving a door open for misguidance to come in.</p><br /><p>The song ends on a call to integrity, hinting at the idea that happiness does not need to come at the end of a relentless pursuit, but rather that it is always available along the way to one whose thoughts and deeds are in alignment with their values, hopes, and dreams, and who remains true to their heart :</p><br /><p><em>Back to when I was ignorant<br /> Simple child, open, wild, and free<br />Sun and shine never went for long<br />Clouds and rain never cared for me<br /><br />Then I heard what you said and mistook it for real<br />« Pursuit of happiness is the highest ideal<br />Here's what you have to learn, here's how you should become<br />So you can get your share of the wealth that's out there »<br /><br />Unavowed as your confusion<br />Was the truth I needed to see<br />The answers that your principles<br />Can’t provide to anybody<br /><br />Had faith in what you said, are you sure it is real ?<br />I can’t reach happiness please tell me what’s the deal ?<br />All that I seem to find is more doubt in my mind<br />What am I doing wrong ? Have you lied all along ?<br /><br />Say, have you considered<br />Before you taught me of your way to see reality<br />I can't make any sense in having all the world to me<br />When I just need to be<br /><br />Back to when I was ignorant<br />Simple child, open, wild, and free<br />Tell me just how could I have guessed<br />The ignorance of those guiding me ?<br /><br />There's so much to unlearn, now I see it’s not real<br />As empty as the words in that hollow ideal<br />How can one aim to find what comes in its own time ?<br />Leave your concepts behind and you'll find peace of mind<br /><br />Say, how often do you wonder<br />If everything you’re working for<br />Is worth all that wait<br /><br />Say, how often do you ponder<br />Pretending that all is fine<br />When you can’t bear your fate<br /><br />Say, have you ever loved<br />Or are you waiting for the day<br />When it’ll be too late ?</em></p></div>Derelict (Lifeforce part 4)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/derelict-lifeforce-part-42010-08-07T00:12:57.000Z2010-08-07T00:12:57.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:D2991_%2807707%29_shunter_at_Eastleigh.jpg">A derelict-looking British Rail Class 07 shunter</a>" by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Photographs_by_Paul_Miller">Paul Miller</a>)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object width="400" height="100" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.lifeforce.2009.part4.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/fq81xqvkowp9baco7vbo/bf51a045f9f9f0ef1dae13996549e4a7b41a3cc5/Asset/3869550/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="100" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.lifeforce.2009.part4.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/fq81xqvkowp9baco7vbo/bf51a045f9f9f0ef1dae13996549e4a7b41a3cc5/Asset/3869550/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed> </object></div><br /><p>« Lifeforce » is the story of a personal catastrophe, an individual end of the world, beginning from a state of inspiration and hyperactivity, through doubt, destabilization, failure, consternation, collapse, and then on to relativisation, assessment, the return of hope, and renewal.</p><br /><p>The story is told in non-linear time, beginning just after the collapse, and its various stages are presented as objects of an introspection which will lead to appraisal and peace and will allow the protagonist to determine their next direction.</p><br /><p>« Derelict » depicts the period when things start to go awry. Inspiration is ignored or resisted and activity slowly subsides. The goal is put aside, only for a while, but long enough for doubt to invade the process and destabilize it.</p><br /><p>The section is completely instrumental and the music is intended to evoke a dark, chaotic, threatening mood, and to suggest a painful descent.</p></div>Determination (Between Worlds part 5)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/determination-between-worlds2010-08-24T20:48:27.000Z2010-08-24T20:48:27.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akshobhjavadzra--Guhyasamad.jpg">Akshobhya Buddha</a>" by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:VanemTao">VanemTao</a>)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object width="400" height="100" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.between.worlds.2006.part4.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/l8ccbclm5dgnyifgtwjm/67c3ba4d16cfce3bce5d4aa5fa7353f04cdeb5b4/Asset/4414193/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="100" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.between.worlds.2006.part4.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/l8ccbclm5dgnyifgtwjm/67c3ba4d16cfce3bce5d4aa5fa7353f04cdeb5b4/Asset/4414193/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed> </object></div><br /><p>« Between Worlds » is a composition that started as a song entitled « Requiem » which was written in response to the deaths of my father and maternal grandmother, both due to cancer, at the beginning of the 1990s. Inspired by « <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardo_Thodol">The Tibetan Book of the Dead</a>, » the piece eventually turned into a suite in five movements intended to present the successive stages of the death process as described in Tibetan culture.</p><br /><p>The last section of « Between Worlds » is entitled « Determination » and is intended to depict the intermediate state of rebirth, known as the « sidpa bardo, » the bardo of karmic becoming or transmigration.</p><br /><p>According to Wikipedia, this bardo features karmically impelled hallucinations, typically imagery of men and women passionately entwined, which eventually result in rebirth.</p><br /><p>The title of the section was chosen to reflect the main characteristic of this state, which is the determination of the dead's next incarnation. Basically, the person will experience the rebirth that corresponds to the hallucinations to which they feels drawn to while in this state of consciousness. Thus, one who has learned to distinguish between what is truly beneficial and what is not in this present life will be able to enjoy a most beneficial embodiment in the next.</p><br /><p>The clip presents the end of « Deliberation » followed by the beginning of « Determination. »</p></div>Into The Ashram (revisited - with poetry)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/into-the-ashram-revisited2010-08-23T19:00:00.000Z2010-08-23T19:00:00.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p>« Into The Ashram » is the first chapter of the « Entering The Stream » trilogy, which also comprises « The Chrome Lake » and « Leaving The Ashram. »</p><br /><p>The composition is intended to depict the progress of an individual getting fed up with their day to day life to the point of taking an extended time off for reflection and introspection.</p><br /><p>The piece is an instrumental which counts the following four movements :</p><ul><li>The Ordinary</li><li>Running Out Of Breath</li><li>Dweller On The Threshold</li><li>Jambudvipa</li></ul><br /><p>In the cosmology of Buddhism, Jambudvipa is the name of the continent of the terrestrial world where ordinary human beings live, and this is also where one may receive the gift of Dharma and come to understand the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and ultimately realize the liberation from the cycle of life and death.</p><br /><p>In a way, both the ordinary and Jambudvipa can be taken to be coextensive, or sharing the same spatial extension if you prefer, as it is the mindset or attitude of the individual that determines in which they abide. In other words, the ashram that is referred to isn't necessarily a physical location, for instance some building located in India, but can also mean a mental construct, or a way of approaching things. In that sense, the piece depicts an inner journey beginning from over-activity and ending in temporary seclusion, where reflection and healing can take place.</p><br /><p>In an effort to convey more clearly the intent that gave rise to the piece, I've written the following verses, even though at the moment I have no plans of upgrading the music with vocal melodies :</p><br /><p><em>Always on the verge of spinning out of control<br /> Going through the motions better than down the hole<br />Today I will not scream I am unsatisfied<br />Isn't this the mantra to become ossified<br /><br />The things I bowed down to have me under their weight<br />I'm not sure I recall how it feels to stand straight<br />So many things I crave I think I'll never get<br />I may be warm and fed but my needs are not met<br /><br />There must be something else I have been here before <br />But this time I'm fed up I won't take anymore<br />Others have stopped stooping and even learned to dance <br />When will it be my turn if I don't take the chance<br /><br />I dream of India and of sabbatical<br />Simplifying my life to the canonical<br />Shed the superficial and leave it all behind<br />So I may figure out how I messed up my mind<br /><br />I can't keep silencing that impulse forever<br />And let aspiration fade away to wither<br />That's no way to progress I need to introspect<br />And away from it all on my life to reflect<br /></em></p><br /><blockquote>It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.” – Buddha</blockquote></div>Immersion (The Dam part 5)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/immersion-the-dam-part-52010-08-05T18:32:13.000Z2010-08-05T18:32:13.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Underwater_world.jpg">Underwater World</a>" by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/56755410@N00">Felipe Skroski</a>)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.the.dam.v14.part5.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/f3jq82kffpxhxa07qh9r/26f4b3f09f354b879a3bd33ba03195d0cb8354ae/Asset/2832740/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.the.dam.v14.part5.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/f3jq82kffpxhxa07qh9r/26f4b3f09f354b879a3bd33ba03195d0cb8354ae/Asset/2832740/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><p>« The Dam » is a 22-minute long suite in 8 movements that uses the metaphor of water flowing from source to ocean to illustrate the process that we affectionately refer to as life.</p><br /><p>As the title suggest, the focus is directed on one major obstacle/life-changing experience, symbolized by a dam on the river, which the protagonist/narrator has to conquer in order to reach their intended destination.</p><br /><p>The storyline is inspired by my own life and struggle to reach the goal of earning a living through my artistic output, as opposed to working a day job to support myself and invest what’s left of my energies in artistic pursuits on a part-time basis, as I’ve done for the most part of the last twelve years or so.</p><br /><p>In the storyline of the suite, once the obstacle is recognized and the necessity of the conquest accepted, the protagonist must transform to become what they feel they must be.</p><br /><p>The fifth movement portrays this transformation, and is entitled « Immersion. » The word is intended to refer to both the introspective facet and the manifestation of this shifting process, as it evokes the process of entering oneself for reflection, and the qualitative change wherein one fully becomes oneself.</p><br /><p>The lyrics have received the « this-close-to-satisfactory » status :</p><br /><p><em>Standing back it's all clear<br />Following the wrong stream<br />Everyday I'm dying<br />For fear of failing<br /><br />Signs ignored and doors missed<br />The whole world misread<br />Always the same barrage<br />Self-inflicted damage <br /><br />I must reconnect to<br />My source and my outlet<br />Carefully rebuilding<br />What has been lost drifting<br /><br />Choosing a better boat<br />Today and hereafter<br />The ocean is calling<br />Myself I must enter</em></p><br /><p>While googling to verify some English phrasing, I stumbled upon the following text, which expresses very well how I view my relationship with Poligraf and its music :</p><br /><blockquote>Artists often appear to be absolutists - absolutists of their artistic enterprise. Because they consider it the most important thing to be done - for themselves and in the art world in general. This absolutism often meets with criticism. But there is a reasonable point in it: The artist - the emphatic artist - is the only person in this world who is able to produce just the kind of things he produces. If he were not to do it, nobody would, and the world would remain poorer. A potentiality which can come into existence only through you - because you are the only person who is haunted by this vision and who has the potential to give birth to it - will be realized by you, or never. It constitutes your personal singularity, and you may also feel responsible for bringing about this objective potentiality which can come into existence only through you. It is either given birth by you - or will not exist at all. - Similar phenomena are to be found in other spheres too, in writing, science or philosophy. - <a href="http://www2.uni-jena.de/welsch/" target="_blank">Wolfgang Welsch</a>, "<a href="http://www2.uni-jena.de/welsch/Papers/becomingOneself.html" target="_blank">Becoming oneself</a>"</blockquote></div>In The Vortexhttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/in-the-vortex2010-08-04T17:46:43.000Z2010-08-04T17:46:43.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21804434@N02/3991293504/in/photostream/">Scylla by William Pye</a>" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21804434@N02/">mira66</a>)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=in.the.vortex.mrr.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/yfdcgftq9rn1ap6wiatx/b9d506c6c15c1802cb534d4304852e292acea1ac/Asset/40879868/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=in.the.vortex.mrr.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/yfdcgftq9rn1ap6wiatx/b9d506c6c15c1802cb534d4304852e292acea1ac/Asset/40879868/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><p>« In The Vortex » is an energetic instrumental put together while toying with leftover ideas from « Informaëlstrom » and « Leftoverturned. »</p><br /><p>The intent here was to communicate the experience of feeling enthusiastic and determined despite being faced with a demanding or overwhelming challenge.</p><br /><p>The title refers to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Hicks">Esther Hicks</a>' concept of the vortex, or to be more precise, to the experience of being in that vortex, a state of mind characterized by purposeful joy and focused forward motion.</p><br /><p>The clip presents the short version of the composition which was edited to fit the requirements of the Melodic Revolution Records Theme Song Contest held in 2009.</p></div>Infused (Lifeforce part 3)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/infused-lifeforce-part-32010-08-03T00:03:35.000Z2010-08-03T00:03:35.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/poligraf/51881970/lightbox/#/photos/poligraf/51881970/">Tea In The Studio</a>" by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/poligraf/">poligraf</a>)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.lifeforce.2009.part3.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/ieuix5x2j0of0ajbcdwo/c15291ac770ef63f01548fe4230ce8d6b2458edd/Asset/3754171/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.lifeforce.2009.part3.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/ieuix5x2j0of0ajbcdwo/c15291ac770ef63f01548fe4230ce8d6b2458edd/Asset/3754171/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><p>« Lifeforce » is the story of a personal catastrophe, an individual end of the world, beginning from a state of inspiration and hyperactivity, through doubt, destabilization, failure, consternation, collapse, and then on to relativisation, assessment, the return of hope, and renewal.</p><br /><p>The story is told in non-linear time, beginning just after the collapse, and its various stages are presented as objects of an introspection which will lead to appraisal and peace and will allow the protagonist to determine their next direction.</p><br /><p>« Infused » is the third movement of the suite and is intended to communicate the energy felt in the state of inspiration and hyperactivity, prior to the collapse.</p><br /><p>The clip presents the solo on which the section opens, followed by verse, build-up, and first chorus.</p><br /><p>The lyrics to the choruses were inspired by « Lift up your heads, O ye gates » from Handel's « Messiah » that I happened to hear while pondering the composition during the Christmas holidays a few years ago.</p><br /><p><em>Heighten awareness beyond material<br />Question the sensing, master imagining<br />Guided by the quest, fired by the plight<br />Follow the insight, further the need to uncover<br /><br />So many ways this could fail, so many pitfalls<br />Yet there would not be a point if not for these walls<br />All the difficulties of the world can’t make this fall apart<br />No hurdle is too high for the heart<br /><br />Lift your head up – so much to be done, so much to be said<br />Lift up your head – confrontation is no reason to stop<br />Lift your head up – so much to be done, so much to be said<br />Lift up your head – opposition will only make you thrive - keep it alive<br /><br />Heighten awareness beyond conventional<br />Question the meaning, master the reasoning <br />You are a life force, nurture your creation<br />Be elevation, foster the need to rise higher<br /><br />So many claims challenging your intuition<br />Why should their voice speak louder than inspiration<br />All the cynicism in the world can’t make this fall apart<br />Intellect is no match for the heart<br /><br />Lift your head up – so much to be done, so much to be said<br />Lift up your head – confrontation is no reason to stop<br />Lift your head up – so much to be done, so much to be said<br />Lift up your head – opposition will only make you thrive - keep it alive<br /></em></p></div>Deliberation (Between Worlds part 4)https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/deliberation-between-worlds2010-08-20T20:50:52.000Z2010-08-20T20:50:52.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%27The_Dhyani_Buddha_Akshobhya%27,_Tibetan_thangka,_late_13th_century,_Honolulu_Academy_of_Arts.jpg">The Dhyani Buddha Akshobhya</a>" - Unknown Artist)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.between.worlds.2006.part3.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/goarrre6mxmckcr3twaj/eadbcb00a22146cb23bb9aae266b56a9cdd1c6c5/Asset/3787489/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.between.worlds.2006.part3.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/goarrre6mxmckcr3twaj/eadbcb00a22146cb23bb9aae266b56a9cdd1c6c5/Asset/3787489/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><p>« Between Worlds » is a composition that started as a song entitled « Requiem » which was written in response to the deaths of my father and maternal grandmother, both due to cancer, at the beginning of the 1990s. Inspired by « <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardo_Thodol">The Tibetan Book of the Dead</a>, » the piece eventually turned into a suite in five movements intended to present the successive stages of the death process as described in Tibetan culture.</p><br /><p>« The Dance Of The Archetypes » culminates with an encounter with the Lord Of Death, a fearsome demonic deity appearing in smoke and fire, who subjects the dead to a judgment based on the karma accumulated during their lifetime. If the person is still not liberated after this judgment, they proceed to the next bardo.</p><br /><p>« Deliberation » refers to this subsequent experience and depicts a fluid state wherein the dead hovers about the world, observing the surroundings and other beings, but without committing to any specific course of action. Eventually, the soul will recognize and be drawn to something in the environment, perhaps a being, or what looks like a feature of the landscape. The object of this attraction will in fact become the entrance toward their next rebirth.</p><br /><p>Currently the section is instrumental only, but lyrics will possibly be added to better describe this particular intermediate state.</p><br /><p>The clip presents the culmination of the « Dance Of The Archetypes, » followed by the first half of « Deliberation. »</p></div>Questioning Tasteless Creepershttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/questioning-tasteless-creepers2010-08-19T16:29:31.000Z2010-08-19T16:29:31.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("QTC Recycled" based on "<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plastic-recyc-03.svg">Plastic recycle logo PVC</a>" by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Tomia">Tomia</a>)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.qtc.v13.pt2.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/zscsayibpqfcjutoghtg/d4af05a0042de3b5fc7bd2c3772f77662cd16560/Asset/4944546/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.qtc.v13.pt2.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/zscsayibpqfcjutoghtg/d4af05a0042de3b5fc7bd2c3772f77662cd16560/Asset/4944546/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><p>« Questioning Tasteless Creepers » is one in a series of rehashes which come from reengineered ideas left over from other works. Other pieces of the band's repertoire, such as « Leftoverturned » and « Reinfused, » have also seen the light of day from that recycle/don't-throw-out-anything process.</p><br /><p>At the beginning of 2008, Poligraf was selected to perform in the semi-finals of CONGA 2008, a local band contest, which had some specific rules about duration and repetition that restricted our setlists assembling options. To make a long story short, had we made it to the finals we would have needed an additional short piece for the encore. Thus a first draft entitled « In The Taste Of Countless Creepers » came about as a rehash of « Countless Questions, » «In The Taste Of The Day, » and « Creeper » just in time for the event (although we didn’t make it past the semis). I refined it a little later and finally decided to change its name to « Questioning Tasteless Creepers, » or « QTC » as I like to refer to it.</p><br /><p>The second half of the piece, which is featured in the clip, begins with variations on themes from « In The Taste Of The Day, » including a canon for drums, bass, and electric guitar based on the song’s chorus. Then, a build-up segues into a reprise of the main riff from « Countless Questions » which leads to a reharmonization of the release section from the same track. The composition ends on a reworking of the ending solo of « Creeper » in a more relaxed mood and with an added counter-melody on a backdrop of synthesized mellotron.</p></div>Uncertainty Principlehttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/uncertainty-principle2010-08-01T20:33:22.000Z2010-08-01T20:33:22.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_William_Waterhouse_-_The_Crystal_Ball.JPG">The Crystal Ball</a>" by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/John_William_Waterhouse">John William Waterhouse</a>)</span></p><br /><div align="center"><object height="100" width="400" data="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="song_label=poligraf.uncertainty.principle.clip.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/byqchthasabjtbdkdmbb/c35947d80bb49c5b624a8d4670d1197ee128db05/Asset/40606382/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=poligraf.uncertainty.principle.clip.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/byqchthasabjtbdkdmbb/c35947d80bb49c5b624a8d4670d1197ee128db05/Asset/40606382/v3/web_preview&autoplay=false" height="100" width="400" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></object></div><br /><p>« Uncertainty Principle » gets its title from Heisenberg's quantum mechanics principle which states by precise inequalities that certain pairs of physical properties, like position and momentum, cannot simultaneously be known to arbitrary precision. That is, the more precisely one property is measured, the less precisely the other can be measured. In other words, the more you know the position of a particle, the less you can know about its velocity, and the more you know about the velocity of a particle, the less you can know about its instantaneous position. But the subject matter of the song has little to do with science, some might say quite the opposite in fact.</p><br /><p>The intent here is rather to convey the difficulty and the value of keeping an open mind while waiting or working for a particular outcome to a process. This is not so hard when the process in question is of short duration. But as the length of time increases so does the temptation to decide that the desired effect will never come to pass, and that it is better to terminate the process, stop exerting efforts and investing resources, and forget about the whole thing. The uncertainty can become harder and harder to bear with time.</p><br /><p>But what if this uncertainty is the only door through which the wanted result can come about ? This is especially relevant when one is engaged in a creative process or trying to bring about innovation. Holding on to a vision, nurturing the faith that an experience wasn't instigated in vain, and that the reward for keeping the door open will come, can turn into a tremendously demanding struggle in some instances. But when it's the only way to go, then having the capacity to sustain uncertainty becomes a determining factor in the fight between hope and actuality.</p><br /><p>The music is still at the draft stage. The arrangements, for the chorus in particular, will have to be developed, but for now they mostly serve the purpose of capturing the melodies and chordal structures.</p><br /><p>The lyrics are almost complete at this point, but they still need a little polishing before they receive the « Final Version » seal. Here are the third and fourth verses, followed by the chorus :</p><br /><p><em>Reflecting<br />Wondering<br />Observing<br />All day - Hoping for a sign<br /><br />Of presence<br />Of guidance - Divine<br /><br />Sometimes it's better not to know<br />Maybe goes further than a no<br />The future's not for me to see<br />But I can wish wholeheartedly<br /><br />Count on the unknown quantity<br />Nurture the possibility<br />Magic needs a way to get in<br />Let it begin<br /><br />And when it seems unlikely<br />That you'll ever be set free<br />Before the brand new day<br />Your darkest hour<br /><br />Forget about what can't be<br />The sacred, the worldly<br />Keep open the doorway<br />Of uncertainty<br /><br />You may find if you open your mind<br />That you're one of a kind<br />In your finest hour<br />Life loves a dreamer<br /><br />Amazing discovery<br />Wildest reality<br />Your wish has come to be<br />For all to see</em></p></div>The Music Of Poligraf : Leftoverturned part 1https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/the-music-of-poligraf-32009-07-08T17:09:27.000Z2009-07-08T17:09:27.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9078782255,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" width="444" height="397" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">(Detail from "<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_quilt_(DSC04818).jpg">American quilt</a>" )</span></p><div align="center"><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="100" flashvars="song_label=converted-poligraf.leftoverturned.pt1_converted.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/bstlwu9djleavpwiykr7/8ae789755531fc2f3e3f57ddd87032e5c5462a6a/226e0300-903a-012b-716c-fc1b21f73cd2/080c0660-903f-012b-873a-f2eb8ca45431/v2/content&autoplay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></div><p>When I complete a composition there are often unused ideas left. Some of those I find actually pretty good but if I can’t see how to fit them into the piece then there’s not much choice but to discard them. For a while.<br /><br />I rarely delete stuff, I archive. Once in a while I browse the archives and listen to such ideas in no particular order, and sometimes I get to see a way to combine some of them. Then I have the seed of a new composition.</p><p>“Leftoverturned” is a rehash of “Countless Questions,” “Informaëlstrom,” and ideas discarded from the “1000 Radios” writing sessions. The origin of the “leftover” part of the title should be obvious by now, and the “overturned” part refers to the countless questions which have been vanquished, and have now vanished.</p><p style="text-align:center;">I had set out to understand<br />Which thoughts were best to be untwirled<br />Which lines were fit to make the strand<br />Which words were apt to free the world<br /><br />As I advanced onto the quest<br />No issue left me unconcerned<br />No question was left unaddressed<br />No single stone was left unturned<br /><br />Just driven on by a feeling<br />Proverbial mental splinter<br />I never knew needed healing<br />Explored ahead ever faster<br /><br />The hands of time were overruled<br />Future and past blended and burned<br />Nobody could have had me fooled<br />The learned became the unlearned<br /><br />Until one day I encountered<br />Round a corner of my psyche<br />Childhood events that had triggered<br />An invisible injury<br /><br />And there and then I understood<br />My quest had been for disclosure<br />Of the wound that I had withstood<br />That robbed me of my composure<br /></p><p>To be continued...</p><p style="border-width:1px 0px 0px 0px;border-style:solid;border-color:#AAAAAA;font-size:x-small;">The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and demo audio clips that have been originally published on The Goal Was So Near from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series.<br /><br />If you enjoy what you hear, you are invited to visit the section of our website and support our efforts by pre-ordering our first album entitled Samsara.</p></div>The Music Of Poligraf : Juggernaut part 2https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/the-music-of-poligraf-52009-07-30T15:19:34.000Z2009-07-30T15:19:34.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" width="444" height="328" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rath_Yatra">Ratha Yatra</a> Festival in Puri, India / <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rathajatrawpuri.jpg">Painting by James Fergusson</a>)</span></p><div align="center"><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="100" flashvars="song_label=converted-poligraf.juggernaut.v6.pt2_converted.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/uaxsljeijxrtatxrk3rj/c94fa94d599b942705609d033a306f2732bcee22/ea933690-9295-012b-f646-fbf5b8150e81/41452660-9296-012b-1d0b-f299d2fa62f0/v2/content&autoplay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></div><p>Juggernaut. Lots to say about this one. Make sure your seat is confortable...</p><p>I’ve started the writing for this singular piece on November 2, strangely enough beginning with the epilogue. I “completed” it over the following weekend, on November 9. The lyrics, and thus the vocal melodies, remain to be addressed, mainly because I’m not sure which approach is best : the symbolical, the theoretical, or the experiential. The vocals will be accompanied by the alternating organ and guitar arpeggios vamps, the first of three beginning at around 1:10 of the clip embedded above.</p><p>In its totality, the composition clocks in at a little under 18 minutes, and is made up of the following six parts : <br /><br /> 1. Prologue<br />2. Heedlessness / Status Quo<br />3. Procession<br />4. Steamroller<br />5. Resilience<br />6. Epilogue</p><p>The clip presents the second part, the title of which I’m not quite sure at this point, but it will probably either be “Heedlessness” or “Status Quo.” The clip starts with the end of the prologue, and the section ends on the timpani signalling the beginning of “Procession.”</p><p>“Juggernaut” has originally been inspired by a most painful experience that took place in the spring of 2000, if my memory serves me right. At the time, I was living in a huge rented house with five other persons. There was a problem with mildew accumulating on the ceiling of one of the bathrooms, so we asked the owner to fix it by installing a fan. But he had other plans. Although he was renting the cottage, his intention was to sell it, and since he had received no offer over the course of my stay there, which meant two and a half years at that point, he decided that a makeover would improve his chances of getting rid of it. So he went ahead and made plans, without consulting us, for revamping the building, while we were living in it. In theory it must have seemed like a good plan, but in practice it meant among other things : almost constant noise, moving our stuff around for a few days and then back in their original place, not having access to certain rooms like the bathrooms or the kitchen for extended periods, and dealing with the workers and with an overbearing and not-totally-honest designer-team-leader. And let me remind you that we were six mostly human beings living under that roof. In other words, a suffering experience of high quality.</p><p>Yet it generated its fair share of musical inspiration, ten MIDI sequences or so, more than enough for a suite, along with a concept to tie it all up, the idea of a juggernaut running us over.</p><p>“Heedlessness / Status Quo,” presents the situation before the traumatic experience, where the protagonists aren’t aware of what could come their way, although the signs are definitely there. The situation is characterized by its frailty, following incidents that remained unresolved either by sheer ignorance, lack of courage, or a poorly implemented ideal of tolerance that trod upon some of the needs of some of the protagonists.</p><p>Since errors have been committed and signs are being ignored and/or unrecognized, life, being what it is, constantly bound by the synchronicity principle, has no choice but to respond with an experience strong enough to insure that errors are rectified, communications take place, and incidents are resolved, so that everybody involved is redirected on their proper course.</p><p>From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bohm">David Bohm</a>’s <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=kDyoPuWKB6wC&printsec=frontcover#PPA64,M1">Unfolding Meaning</a> :</p><p style="margin-left:32px;font-style:italic;">Bohm : “(…) – you see, there is the word ’sin’, and apparently there was a Greek word in the bible meaning…. <br /><br /> Q. : “Harmatia, missing the point.”<br /><br />Bohm : “Missing the point. Yes, hamartia which meant missing the point, missing the mark. Now that got translated as sin. And repentance was metanoia, meaning a transformation of the mind, and got translated as pain, right? Penitence, repentance. The point is that repentance is merely to understand that you missed the mark, you see? (laughter) Therefore evil is missing the mark, basically. It is confusion, right? Its ultimate source is the kind of confusion I described about thought.”</p><p>Also found <a href="http://www.pathways.plus.com/questions/answers13.html#39">on the net</a> :</p><p style="margin-left:32px;"><i>In Greek, the word “hamartia” was used to signify sin. It means “missing the mark”. This was equated with ignorance. In effect, an individual would not sin if he understood what he was doing. It may be true that some sins are due to ignorance, but it does not follow the Christian concept of deliberate sin.</i> – John Eberts</p><p>So basically, in the chronology of the song, at the time of “Heedlessness / Status Quo,” the mark has been missed, the harmatia has been made, and so life responds with a metanoia in order to change the mind of those involved who needs their minds changed in relation with the incidents under consideration. And thus the advent of the juggernaut.</p><p>By the way, in our case the incidents were on their own innocuous house-sharing frictions, but as they accumulated led to communication breakdowns, cliques, and a dangerously inharmonious living atmosphere. The situation had to be rectified, we needed reharmonization. In practice, the pain caused by the makeover process was stronger than our differences, enough to get us working together against our “common enemy,” and thus reestablishing communication, respect, and the overall harmony in the house.</p><p>One last juggernaut-related point, while writing the present post I had the following insight :</p><p style="margin-left:32px;font-style:italic;">Things are not what they seem. Things are what they mean.</p><p style="border-width:1px 0px 0px 0px;border-style:solid;border-color:#AAAAAA;font-size:x-small;">The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and audio clips that have been originally published on The Goal Was So Near from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series.</p></div>The Music Of Poligraf : Leaving The Ashram part 1 & 2https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/the-music-of-poligraf-leaving2009-06-30T13:16:55.000Z2009-06-30T13:16:55.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" width="444" height="317" /> <br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">(Detail from a Postcard, Unknown Artist)</span></p><div align="center"><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="100" flashvars="song_label=converted-poligraf.leaving.the.ashram.part1_converted.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/qjekoowbe8auroexll2a/5386708d9a06925aaad713defa1c27abd0d07c42/60bf9db0-8f87-012b-7f83-f3b03b40a8b2/633b1450-8f88-012b-dfb5-f5e88fe06072/v2/content&autoplay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></div><p>“Leaving The Ashram” is the third chapter of "Entering The Stream," a trilogy describing an episode of intense introspection that will most likely open our second album. <br /><br /> An instrumental suite in four movements (Meditative Walk, Running The Last Stretch, The Tabla Master’s Enigma, and The Ordinary II), it was originally put together in 2004, way before the other two chapters, “Into The Ashram” and “The Chrome Lake.”<br /><br />Once reflection and healing have taken place, the ashram need not be externalized anymore, and the meditator can thus return to its work in the world.</p><p style="border-width:1px 0px 0px 0px;border-style:solid;border-color:#AAAAAA;font-size:x-small;">The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and demo audio clips that have been originally published on The Goal Was So Near from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series. <br /><br /> If you enjoy what you hear, you are invited to visit the Music section of our website and support our efforts by pre-ordering our first album entitled Samsara.</p></div>The Music Of Poligraf : Polygraph part 1https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/the-music-of-poligraf-22009-06-26T14:54:46.000Z2009-06-26T14:54:46.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9078781654,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" width="444" height="371" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">(<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polygraaf.PNG">Polygraph</a> from U.S. Patent 4,333,084)</span></p><div align="center"><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="100" flashvars="song_label=converted-poligraf.polygraph.v2.clip.pt1_converted.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/yitf6xgg66zctclzxq4o/91a917c51565eaefc87fe13ffe1fb68b124537e8/fec2f1c0-8f72-012b-0587-f926bee67a06/4946f890-8f74-012b-bb96-faa1a54129cd/v2/content&autoplay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></div><p>The first part of "Polygraph" is entitled “Exposition” and aims to evoke a somewhat peaceful and relaxed dialogue, before the relationship slowly degrades to the point of sourness as personal values and beliefs are questioned and subjected to criticism. <br /><br />The Discipline-era King Crimson influence is undeniable here, and to my ear the second variation sounds like something from Steve Reich’s “Drumming.”</p><p>I have a particular fondness for that piece of music. One fine evening many years ago I stumbled upon the main motif while trying some tapping on my classical guitar. The TV was on to Robert Lepage’s movie “Le Polygraphe,” so when I got to sequencing the motif, I named the file “Polygraph.” The band was looking for its name at the time, and so I also added the word to the list of potential names that I would submit to the boys at rehearsals. An awful lot of names were suggested during that period, but “polygraph” was the first to which nobody voiced any objection, so we jumped on it.</p><p style="border-width:1px 0px 0px 0px;border-style:solid;border-color:#AAAAAA;font-size:x-small;">The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and audio clips that have been originally published on <a href="http://poligraf.wordpress.com/">The Goal Was So Near</a> from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series. <br /><br />If you enjoy what you hear, you are invited to visit the <a href="http://www.poligraf.net/en/music-index/">Music</a> section of our website and support our efforts by pre-ordering our first album entitled <a href="http://www.poligraf.net/en/music-album-samsara/">Samsara</a>.</p></div>The Music Of Poligraf : Void part 2https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/the-music-of-poligraf-void2009-07-29T02:35:04.000Z2009-07-29T02:35:04.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" width="444" height="333" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/poligraf/128344004/in/set-72157615758966918/">Primeval Center</a>" )</span></p><div align="center"><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="100" flashvars="song_label=converted-poligraf.void.bridge_converted.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/ovq5p8rseymaj8g6sooj/033705017d4797b4501495e85423fbe3127eb101/16681fb0-98e0-012b-b3c6-f9d9d1d41d46/51aa0b90-98e6-012b-f0a1-f1f3cb64d5e6/v2/content&autoplay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></div><p>On a background of Wall Street Bailout and the Large Hadron Collider, “Void” paints the Buddhist concept of emptiness.</p><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emptiness#Buddhism">From Wikipedia</a> :</p><p style="margin-left:32px;font-style:italic;">In Buddhism, the realization of emptiness of inherent existence is a “state of pure consciousness” in which the practitioner realizes all particular objects and images to be appearances of the subjective mind.</p><p>The song is made up of twelve short verses, one longer vocal interlude, and no chorus. The vocal sections are tied together with short instrumental passages and one longer instrumental bridge, the latter being featured in the present post.</p><p>To give you a taste of the style, here are some of the verses :</p><p style="text-align:center;">Null ! Nobody-zero<br />Fundamentally<br />Materialism fails<br />To set people free</p><p style="text-align:center;">Universe of words<br />Walls of mentation<br />Discriminating<br />Occult liberation</p><p style="text-align:center;">Stop and recognize<br />Objects are mirrors<br />Subject realize<br />Self-actualize</p><p style="text-align:center;">No cause nor effect<br />Coming and going<br />This world I project<br />Is enlightening</p><p style="border-width:1px 0px 0px 0px;border-style:solid;border-color:#AAAAAA;font-size:x-small;">The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and demo audio clips that have been originally published on The Goal Was So Near from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series.</p></div>Hello Life Lovers!!https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/hello-life-lovers2009-07-28T03:25:59.000Z2009-07-28T03:25:59.000ZSolvei Kristin McKennahttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/SolveiKristinMcKenna<div>I just returned from 3 days in nature, camping by a roaring river,animals all around, bonfires,cooking on the fire, and it always hits me- Life Is So Abundant!Many walk around with heavy minds feeling and saying, "I can'tafford this, I can't afford that, there's not enough to go around". Thenews often ignites this feeling of scarcity and "not enough". Whensitting out there in nature on a rock, overlooking the most splendid colors andviews, such perfect harmony and balance, it required NO money, it isjust life revealing itself as ABUNDANCE.All feelings of "not enough"melts away.For how many thousands of years have humans lived,immersed and in harmony with nature? And for how many years have welived a life where almost everything we do involves phones, cellphones,TV, computers, wireless, software etc. I love all that stuff, itgives me an opportunity to create music in the simplest way, and toconnect with YOU, Right now :-) but please don't forget that the mediaoften thrives on drama, please don't buy into it. Know that theuniverse is abundant, look around you! The stars shine for you, seasonschange color for you, nature sings for you. It is all ours to enjoy.Please acknowledge the sounds, the smells, the feeling, the views, evenwhere you are sitting, right now, there is so much beauty! Please sendlove to your fellow human beings, and especially to yourself, for beinga good person, a strong person, reflection of the divine, a loving and important soul on thisplanet.xoxoSolveiwww.solvei-music.com</div>The Music Of Poligraf : Waking In Heavenhttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/the-music-of-poligraf-waking2009-06-21T19:39:45.000Z2009-06-21T19:39:45.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" height="493" width="444" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">(Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest Heaven by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paradiso_Canto_31.jpg">Gustave Doré</a>)</span></p><div align="center"><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="song_label=converted-poligraf.waking.in.heaven.v10_converted.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/q9wnkxyvx04rlujivii6/ee8154590caab8d21b20aa76deaac66f1d2622ca/fccd6f00-8db5-012b-c0fc-f4de9111d9ff/3b22bd50-8db6-012b-d92f-f81904657379/v2/content&autoplay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" height="100" width="400" allownetworking="internal"></embed></div><p style="margin:32px;padding:16px;text-align:justify;font-size:medium;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">"Waking In Heaven" is a relatively short composition that starts with a minimalist approach, goes to the grandiose, and then takes a leap for the celestial. An irresistible mood lifter for me, it works well on its own, but I have a feeling that it could end up as the concluding part of a suite.</p><p style="margin:32px;padding:16px;text-align:center;font-size:medium;font-weight:bold;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Once was a time I can recall<br /> Before the spring after the fall<br />Far from the glory of it all<br />Distressing doubt was standing tall<br /><br />Every morning I would arise<br />As light of day opened my eyes<br />Reflecting on words of the wise<br />Thinking they might be telling lies<br /><br />How then could I ever reckon<br />That brethren heathen and fallen<br />The evil-eyed and I even<br />Would all be waking in heaven<br /><br />One time peaceful contemplative<br />The next sorrowful and pensive<br />Long suffering all subjective<br />Heaven and hell coextensive<br /><br />And on those days I could not find<br />On my own any peace of mind<br />There was music one of a kind<br />And it would free me from my bind<br /><br />I would hear it as it would sing<br />Of a future reassuring<br />Omen of one fateful morning<br />When in heaven I'd be waking<br /><br />As time went on faith I was taught<br />Gathered much strength from all the fraught<br />Sought to be not caught in much thought<br />Grateful for beauty the day brought<br /><br />Words of the wise became more clear<br />Don't let hardships bring you to tear<br />Don't listen to the voice of fear<br />Just address the now and the here<br /><br />Prevail persist and persevere<br />Hold on to your values most dear<br />Do strive forward always sincere<br />And doubt will slowly disappear<br /><br />That fateful day at the sunrise<br />Life had finally opened my eyes<br />Faithful mourning released its ties<br />Gone was the cause of my demise<br /><br />Time had pacified all the cries<br />I was free to rise in the skies<br />Heavens had granted me my prize<br />I had woken in paradise<br /></p><p style="border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(170,170,170);border-width:1px 0px 0px;margin:32px;padding:16px;font-size:x-small;text-align:justify;">The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and audio clips that have been originally published on <a href="http://poligraf.wordpress.com/">The Goal Was So Near</a> from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series. <br /><br /> If you enjoy what you hear, you are invited to visit the <a href="http://www.poligraf.net/en/music-index/">Music</a> section of our website and support our efforts by pre-ordering our first album entitled <a href="http://www.poligraf.net/en/music-album-samsara/">Samsara</a>.</p></div>The Music Of Poligraf : Leaving The Ashram part 3 & 4https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/the-music-of-poligraf-leaving-12009-07-26T22:52:39.000Z2009-07-26T22:52:39.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" width="444" height="498" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("Enigma" by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Mat%C3%ADas_Argud%C3%ADn">Matías Argudín</a>)</span></p><div align="center"><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="100" flashvars="song_label=converted-poligraf.leaving.the.ashram.pt3pt4_converted.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/xadkuewess33dy8jphsc/a5fb252aa696dbebd1e4cc5c908051c09f070d17/c19288e0-975a-012b-75ca-f422761eb17d/f2457cc0-975c-012b-4945-fdd3b3cfc479/v2/content&autoplay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></div><p>The third and fourth parts of “Leaving The Ashram” are respectively entitled “The Tabla Master’s Enigma” and “The Ordinary II.” Our unidentified introspective hero has completed his retreat and is going back to ordinary life.</p><p style="text-align:center;">As I now leave behind the echoes of complaints<br />The struggles of ego in the hall of constraints<br />I recall my time here one of introspection<br />Of intense pondering and of liberation</p><p style="text-align:center;">Long I sat by myself in silence and darkness<br />One by one noticing the causes of distress<br />Observing unmoving ever firm in my oath<br />Persistence consistent is rewarded by growth</p><p style="text-align:center;">On the way there's a man playing on the tabla<br />The master gatekeeper singing his enigma<br />The question is no test but rather a message<br />Telling me the ordeal was a rite of passage</p><p style="text-align:center;">Just a few steps away from the ordinary<br />I pause for one last glimpse of my sanctuary<br />The shelter dissolving having served its function<br />The master and the gate fading to oblivion</p><p style="text-align:center;">Different from the rest eccentric by nature<br />I had spent my whole life avoiding the matter<br />Once to burn sensitive of the whirl centrifuge<br />I return to the world may it be my refuge</p><p>"<em>If you live the sacred and despise the ordinary, you are still bobbing in the ocean of delusion.</em>" – <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linji">Lin-Chi</a></p><p style="border-width:1px 0px 0px 0px;border-style:solid;border-color:#AAAAAA;font-size:x-small;">The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and demo audio clips that have been originally published on The Goal Was So Near from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series.</p></div>The Music Of Poligraf : Leftoverturned part 2https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/the-music-of-poligraf-42009-07-21T16:19:58.000Z2009-07-21T16:19:58.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" width="444" height="271" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">(Detail from "<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lenticular_cloud-B.jpg">Lenticular cloud</a>")</span></p><div align="center"><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="100" flashvars="song_label=converted-poligraf.leftoverturned.pt2_converted.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/lo2foamenkae1ehuwv0x/fe63f72d5f81d6018cfd7ef0cd5e80e1cba162a3/68705710-9366-012b-c1a7-f28812d091dd/980e5500-9366-012b-d1c5-f7abe6a90a8b/v2/content&autoplay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></div><p>Given its structure and contents, the second part of “Leftoverturned” could have been entitled “Informaëlstrom II” (ref: "1000 Radios"), but because of the undeniable influence of Modest Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain,” the full title finally evolved into “Atmospheric Disturbance Over Balkanian Mountain.” Please don’t ask. But you’re welcome to enjoy the clip.</p><p>(... continued from "Leftoverturned part 1")</p><p style="margin-left:0px;">At first I blamed the offenders<br />Until I came to recognize<br />Playing our parts we were actors<br />We had not written my demise</p><p style="margin-left:80px;">Although that much had become clear<br />Most of the mystery remained<br />Of how I could rid me of fear<br />And of all that which had me pained</p><p style="margin-left:160px;">So on the path I walked along<br />Sincerely seeking the answer<br />Frequently deaf to my own song<br />To hear despair and desire</p><p style="margin-left:240px;">Arcane knowledge for you I yearned<br />As I explored ever further<br />The parts of me that had been burned<br />The heart that had learned to wither</p><p style="margin-left:320px;">And how often unwittingly<br />I strove against the unfolding<br />Of a process so fittingly<br />That mostly needed allowing</p><p style="margin-left:240px;">Onward I was driven by will<br />Guided by natural justice<br />All that time directing the bill<br />So it could school its apprentice</p><p style="margin-left:160px;">I scythe the sheaves and dig the roots<br />In my garden of souvenirs<br />The time has come to reap the fruits<br />Of endeavors over the years</p><p style="margin-left:80px;">On the threshold of a new life<br />The world I sought sincere I pray<br />One of love and of freedom rife<br />Almost in reach won't go away</p><p style="margin-left:0px;">The play complete the actors bow<br />The school is out the lessons learned<br />It has happened don't ask me how<br />Countless questions leftoverturned</p><p style="border-width:1px 0px 0px 0px;border-style:solid;border-color:#AAAAAA;font-size:x-small;">The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and demo audio clips that have been originally published on The Goal Was So Near from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series. <br /><br /> If you enjoy what you hear, you are invited to visit the Music section of our website and support our efforts by pre-ordering our first album entitled Samsara.</p></div>New Week- BREATHE please....https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/new-week-breathe-please2009-07-20T19:07:37.000Z2009-07-20T19:07:37.000ZSolvei Kristin McKennahttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/SolveiKristinMcKenna<div>SO... right now, my friend, right now as you're reading this - take one moment of your life and breathe... take a deep breath in... and let it go. Again please, take a deep breath, and... let it go...really let go by exhaling deeply. Una mas... NOW please :-)Good, now bring to mind something that brings a smile to your soul... this only takes a moment, yes you can stop and do this :-)What ARE you passionate about? Bring to mind something that inspires you, right now, why wait?? What excites you and makes you feel good inside? A person? A project? An inner awakening? An event? A place? Whatever it is, just go to that feeling, how do you feel when thinking about it? Yes!! you DO have things you are excited about, and who cares what other people think is possible and not possible, they are not YOU - a glorious and unique creation, vitally important in this world, yes... you are that!Please approach this week with an absolute KNOWING in your heart, that you deserve success, peace, comfort and happiness! Your passion is your spiritual highest self calling out for your attention, don't ignore your calling. Make NO mistake: the world awaits your contribution.xoxoSolveihttp://www.solvei-music.com</div>The Music Of Poligraf : Polygraph parts 2 & 3https://my.yoga-vidya.org/profiles/blogs/the-music-of-poligraf-12009-06-15T19:11:07.000Z2009-06-15T19:11:07.000ZChristopher Stewarthttps://my.yoga-vidya.org/members/ChristopherStewart<div><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="" alt="" width="444" height="591" /><br /><span style="font-size:x-small;">("Deliberation" by <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Assen-Kiewiet-07.jpg">Ronn Boef</a>)</span></p><div align="center"><embed wmode="opaque" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/stlth/static/production/swf/audio_controller.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="100" flashvars="song_label=converted-poligraf.polygraph.v2.clip.pt2pt3_converted.mp3&music_track=http://drop.io/download/public/58dqtfyquztje9rtmrbv/3d4f664f03cdb56a6de8d7a241ee3de3e498fca3/f8921d50-8ce8-012b-4548-f7fc9282afc9/93c84bc0-8ce9-012b-5a68-f7fe6f8ece26/v2/content&autoplay=false" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed></div><p>"Polygraph" is a portrait of human relations turning from sweet to sour, hinting at the necessity and difficulty of constant genuineness. The suite lasts about 10 minutes and is composed of the following four sections : Exposition, Confrontation, Deliberation, and Vindication. <br /><br />"Confrontation" aims to depict the often difficult yet cathartic experience of having to stand one's ground and defend one's views when criticism or outright attack threatens one's balance and inner peace.<br />"Deliberation" is intended to evoke the following phase during which the contents and effects of the aforementioned exchanges are assessed and reflected upon as the heat of the confrontation slowly subsides.</p><p style="border-width:1px 0px 0px 0px;border-style:solid;border-color:#AAAAAA;font-size:x-small;">The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and audio clips that have been originally published on <a href="http://poligraf.wordpress.com/">The Goal Was So Near</a> from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series. <br /><br />If you enjoy what you hear, you are invited to visit the <a href="http://www.poligraf.net/en/music-index/">Music</a> section of our website and support our efforts by pre-ordering our first album entitled <a href="http://www.poligraf.net/en/music-album-samsara/">Samsara</a>.</p></div>