Interview Video


Something about LEMON JAMES

the following was spoken by a fella named Shibendu in June 2006:


On tolerance and intolerance,on appreciation and criticism.

There have been arm-chair 'intellectual' comments from time to time that Shibendu is intolerant of beliefs and criticises guides. What is tolerance ? What is criticism ? Why should one be tolerant or intolerant ? Why must one appreciate or criticise ? Is it not possible to be free of and aloof from opposites ?
Facts do not demand either tolerance or intolerance, do not bother to criticise or appreciate. Ideas and opinions, fomulations and fragmentations are endlessly caught up in opposites and dilemma. A deep religious consciousness (without the shoddy little illusion called ''I'' which is always in need of phychological investments and involvements) has no belief, image, symbol, motive, ego-trip (subtle or gross) in any form, guide, guilt, gratification whatsover. Tolerance may be the want of energy to see ''what is'' which keeps us amused in ''what should be''. Facts are there for us to face them or escape from them. Why do we beat this drum of tolerance ? All beliefs, in different religions, are a source of enmity between people. Is it being intolerant to point out that obvious fact ? But if I am unwilling to look at the fact, I shall say that you are intolerant ! The fact is so patent that as long as we are divided in many beliefs (Hindus, Buddhist, Jews, Chirstians, Muslims etc) and disbeliefs (communists, atheists etc) as also in many ''isms'' (nationalism, capitalism, socialism, racialism, casteism, linguism, liberalism, conservatism, individualism etc), it is bound to create antagonism ! We are human beings, we are lives, not a mass of conflicting beliefs, ideas and isms. But we have a vested interest in our beliefs and isms. These are profitable. Societies are founded on it. Priests and politicians thrive on it. To them any questioning of belief is intolerance. But one who faces facts as they are, is surely not concerned with either tolerance or intolerance. Beliefs and disbeliefs are the result of our background, upbringing, undertaking, fears, cravings, demand for dependency, conditioning and so on. These have nothing to do with understanding, bliss, freedom, compassion and divinity. Still we go on believing because it is so much more convenient, so much more respectable and safe. If we do not believe, we may lose jobs, we might suddenly find that we are no body ! It is being free of belief that matters, not being tolerant or intolerant.

As regards guides and gurus, you follow because you have a motive, an incentive. So you are always seeking and hoping that your guide (guru) will help you to find. Seeking and becoming generates time and a stupid mind. Mind is time. Mind is fear. Freedom from time is not possible by following a guide who exploits your desire and fear. Following gratifies and helps you to escape from guilt through gullibility. Flowering, not following, leads you to Reality which is outside the field of mind-time.

It is only when there is no seeking (except in technical matters without any psychological residue or sediment), when the embodied consciousness is indeed quiet, completely still, without any form of incentive, that there is the abiding thing (rather ''no-thing'' or nothing!) which can not be captured by mind, which is not found in books or scriptures, and which is outside the domain of the borrowed knowledge acquired by any guru or guide. Knowledge is not knowing. One who claims to know does not know ! ''No-thing'' encompasses everything!

Jai Nothing-ness, Emptiness, Shunyam.

What is Enlightenment?

Enlightenment is the light that dawns making clear the limitation of dualistic nature of the thinking apparatus of human beings which unnecessarily creates division between the thinker and the thought, observer and the observed, experiencer and the experienced, spectator and the sight, controller and the controlled, consciousness and the content of the consciousness. This limitation sabotages an impartial, holistic, detached, free and effortless process of pure experiencing, pure insight, pure observation, pure thinking, natural control, unbiased analytical and rational faculty thus preventing to leap to another level of consciousness where the Reality, which is not I-ness (experience) but Is-ness (existential emptiness) resides!
This consciousness with which we are familiar and is felt with such conspicuousness, can not capture the otherness under any circumstances because of overwhelming involvement and preoccupation with thisness. There are , however, flashes of otherness when thisness somehow gets abandoned occasionally!

The flash is grasped by a kind of shock shattering the separative consciousness.

The way of enlightenment is the way of our daily life, watching the daily living in a state of wisdom which means no watcher! Watcher prevents wisdom by its past prejudices, pressures, pretensions and pursuits. Enlightenment happens under the sky, not in the meditation halls run by spiritual scoundrels and religious rascals! The challenge of enlightenment is to meet each moment with clarity without any pre-concepts and pre-determined conclusions. Comprehension is not reached by climbing a ladder of concepts. Perception is not paradox of postulates. Here and now, not hypotheses and notions, is the dynamism of Enlightenment. It is the aesthetic spirit of awareness, not ambition and achievement!

Diversity for performing daily tasks and for daily living is sabotaged by attachment through psychological recording in addition to the necessary technical recording by the memory. Then I springs up as the aggregate of psychological investments, positive or negative, that is, attachment or aversion, likes or dislikes, justifications or condemnations, pleasant or unpleasant, profitable or not profitable. Now this garbage I imagines a separate and godly I, an individual soul, a supersoul, i.e. a higher self, ready for the Saviour, success, sin and Salvation and so on! These illusions perpetuate the split in the consciousness, the duality, the opposites, the choices, the separation generating demands, desires, cravings, fears, dependencies, belief-systems and bigotry, conflicts, wars and so on.

The garbage I seeks to glorify, grandise, gratify itself through ideals, holy concepts, heaven, high sounding phrases, culture, nationalism, internationalism, God, no-God, Enlightenment, peace, conquest of evil, communism, capitalism and on and on!

Diversity is sabotaged by psychological residues in the technical recording by the memory, thus giving rise to an I-ness and, in turn, this I-ness is perpetuated by the duality of a spurious higher and permanent I as against the lower I. But the higher self is the lower self. The Saint is the Sinner! Allowing this duality to disappear by a total inaction on the part of the I is to allow the advent of the divinity. This is the most sacred mutation, the radical change, the fundamental transformation in the psyche and the absolute and unconditional freedom of humanity from sorrow and suffering.

Enlightenment is like a toilet paper which cleanses you by making itself dirty. Throw it and flush out immediately. Otherwise, it would become an experience and start stinking and spread pollutions all around!

Narrated by: Shibendu Lahiri

WOW!! an enormous effort resulted in a great fun nite at the venue Fusion. Originally this show was scheduled to be performed at a different location, however renovations where not yet complete and a change of venue was required. It was a long day of travel for many of the musicians in the band, but that didnt slow them down any. Brian blazed through some high energy intricate melodic solos on the keys, adding dynamics and showmanship to the mix.

I experienced the blessing of hearing these VERY FINE EXTREMELY TALENTED musicians supporting me on a Lemon James original tune "Loneliness calls" WOW!! Darryl on sax, provided the long sought after smooth soulful horn lines weaving in and between the solid sexy bass foundation held down by Peanut.
Gayelynn. WOW!! geeze what can i say!! an artist on the drums unlike any other! you should have heard her drum solo!! WOW!!

ahh, and the ladies singing that sweet harmony hmm.. :)
Jovia, shared tastefull percussion adds, and the most sweetest and sincere smile!! and a GREAT conga /hand drum solo!!

as can happen with electronic musical instruments, troubles sometimes arise, and Felicia did well to work through the technical difficulties that popped up with her keyboards. I want to jamm with her again to be able to experience her full talent potential :)

Thanks Brian for including me in on the fun!!
it was a BLAST!!



Jovia, Brian, Felicia, lem, Gayelynn in Lexington Ky

A friend of mine suggested on weds, that i may want to check out this fitness event on sat :) So I signed up to participate in the Navy Seal fitness challenge. Was a bit nervous about the swim and all, so on fri I went to a pool to practice the side stroke (they wanted participants to use either the side stroke or breast stroke for this event)

minimum requirements
Swim 500 Yards within 12:30
Rest 10:00
42 push-ups within 2:00
Rest 2:00
50 sit-ups within 2:00
Rest 2:00
6 pull-ups (no time limit)
Rest 10:00
1.5 mile run within 11:00

was fun and challenging, and the best part is that I met the requirements !!! yahoo!!!
met some great people, and, the Navy folks were very cool!! Aron O'Neal was our team leader, hopefully they will be back next year!

here is a short video of the cargo net climb, great fun!!

thanks for stopping by this blog:)
luv
lem

What a fabulous time!! Such a great privilege to perform with some of the most talented musicians around!! Thank you Brian O'Neal!! Very fine sax work by Darryl, imaginative and sweet. Solid drumming and a most entertaining drum solo by 17 year old Krislyn from Ohio. On bass with the sexy smooth feel was "Peanut" I could just listen to him weave those smooth bass lines. Polly with a sweet smile, shared her vocal talents on a few numbers. On percussion and hand drums was Lily, she displayed some fantastic work on them drums! Vince with his expertise chord work, supported Brian on a very special tune that Brian wrote for his mother. And of course, Brian with his phenomenal key work, and showmanship, guaranteed the audience a most memorable and satisfying evening :) Also, want to mention that Brian shared more of his talents by playing some bass guitar for the attentive crowd as well as drums and timbales !! they just loved it!! .. hmm.. thinking that hmm. maybe some instrument switching can be done on the Lemon James show too .. hmm.. sounds like fun!

it was a great time at a most groovy venue.
Brians myspace page:
www.myspace.com/brianoneal

luv
lem

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