one of Shaman Strings friend just asked: "whats the name of the drug you were on when you made this, i want to try some?"

my comment to her:
clean... yet with years of mediation, some shaman chemical experimentations (in the younger years), always with continual mystical realizations ... oh with decades of poetry and paintings to fine tune the flows ... and a lot of freesytle dancing in my trance.

here, one on the spot words for YOU

sister starlight with your silks
sometimes hanging on braids
swinging like pendulum clocks
or the "thinker" sitting on a rock
ready to rise up or drop
wanting to reject compromise
but then again... friend to friend
feeble handshakes always slip
from our cultural fingers
letting their nails pull us in
this direction or that ...
then we're carrying the crosses
sometimes to etch the +
into our forehead and shout:

Yes the the third eye can guide.

om, baby, Scot Aaron

-----

[btw typically indigenous shamans might use their their drugs from the jungle or peyote buttons form their plains, yet spiritaul awareness is the key ... compare those mediating on the YHVH Tetragramaton name of God, connecting 10 spherical rungs from their Kabbalah ladder.... OR for those from the 60s or otherwise having read "Be Here Now," Albert/Ram Dass compares his drug experiences with experiences from eastern mediation. Basically, he ends up saying mediation gets to the same place... yes awareness in each breath. ... letting go with the power from the consciousness of all dimensions  IS the WAY ... oh and Albert ends, waking up from his powerful God-like drug experiences and having to do his dishes. ]

Okay, it is time to handle the concept that Shaman Strings refers to as ‘New Music.’ (Note the songs are created “new” each performance). First, this idea of creating music ‘in the moment’ is “likely” as ancient as music itself.  An individual and individuals in a group feel something and use music to explore and the depths and breadths of feelings. (Get us high… Let us soar!) Yes music can open us up, sometimes (albeit symbolically) bringing us distortions from hell, routes through purgatory, and heights from heaven.

Neuroscience teaches us that writing is a human creation, yet language and song are indigenous. I love writing and spent 7 years handwriting at least one full page every day. (I have notebooks stacked higher than my waist. Beyond various manuscripts and three books in print, I’m writing scripts for short videos and occasional blogs.)The spiritual principle of the “Be Here Now” awareness in “the moment,” can access total power in the moment… Fortunately, with today’s technology, we can record and share our most powerful moments. Shaman Strings creates in the moment and shares this moment. Yes this means that each live concert and recording will share the power of the moment. Through the year there can be a lot of new songs; each live concert provides inspired connections from the audience. Shaman Strings hopes to share the best of the songs for the public.

Of course I have used the power song writing, the refining and rewriting of a lyrical poem, practicing until it is just right for performance and recording. This encompasses almost all of the other music and how it is almost always done. Yes Jazz supports improvisation, yet this typically encompasses improvising on a basic song. Eastern traditions use improvisation, especially surrounding worship. These traditions improvise upon a given structure like ragas in the morning, afternoon, sunset, full moon, new moon, et cetera.  Shaman Strings music is not really new, yet it does appear new compared to what is out there.

Okay, now for the ‘meat,’ the ‘milk’ or the sunlight reaching all tall fruit trees … these songs are spiritual, shaman-like journeys. From my observation, so many of us get stuck in our materialistic, western world (or others seeking our western-like materialism). How many seek the power of spiritual realizations? Shaman Strings can potentially assist spiritual connections to your own power. Listen to our sitar strings, spoken words, sounds and spiritual journeys. I will try to write the words to each songs, and add some videos from the live performance.

Shaman Strings will unfold its power, complete a few CDs of music to share, a DVD of HD music videos and potentially a concert schedule. YET, right now, we are developing Shaman Seminars where I will share a living shaman experience (with the Strings) …  Every time we will create new music with a meditative focus from the participates. We will then listen to the recording of the live creation, discuss personal healings and meditative/trance-like connections to the music/sound experience. We will then create another Shaman Strings Song, which will lead to further discussion. The concluding set will open up vocal and body movement from the participants… contributing their own sounds, chants, speaking in tongues and healing celebration.

All sessions will be recorded, to potentially offer participants a CD with the possibility of video and music videos from the seminar.  Can you envision these Shaman Seminars? Let us know your thoughts.

Scot… a Metaphysical, Spiritual Shaman here to Share the Sounds

Since I am working on my first spiritual “Teaching CD” (to include various artices), I will share some words concerning Buddhist Cosmology. This is part of what I will be reading for the CD. Depending on the unfolding of time, I will have short 10 minute video segments on some of the readings (yes for a DVD).

Before getting into the meat of topic (or should I say sunrays for green life if your vegetarian), let this blog begin with a flow of poetic words.

A single breath

full of complex simplicity,

Dreams of jaded justice

rife with blood stained tears,

Crooked crowns of crosses

melting diamonds with brimstone,

Unholy ashes from baked books,

Yeast braiding our shaven scalps,

Skulls with dark and light reflections

that balance proton electrons

as we struggle to feast

upon strings of our new day.

 

Buddhism… Cosmology  Cycles of time are prominent in the major eastern religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Eastern religions recognize the importance of energies in association to divine powers. Essentially, Hindus and Buddhists concepts see life on Earth as ‘empty’ of any ‘real’ substance. Life is Maya, an “illusion” with pain and suffering, completed as an exercise in divine power. Life is lila, the “play” of consciousness.

          For a Hindu, the “true self” (the Atman) is all of existence. For a Buddhist, existence in itself, is empty, only Buddha consciousness exists, translated as “clear light” by some Buddhists. Energy or consciousness has no separate self, and is realized as all of existence/nonexistence. Life eternally turns like a wheel. Energies shuffle from place to place, from realm to realm, caught in jaw-like spokes of mortality … until realizing or not realizing the axis, the center of the Self, also considered as the non-self.

          The Buddha wrote nothing. After the Buddha’s death, viewpoints diverged until becoming the State religion of India with King Asoka (about 200 bc). Similar to Constantine (hundreds of years later with Christianity and the Bible), Asoka forced compliance from disagreeing monks to forge a primary Buddhist viewpoint. The Theravada “teachings of the elders, of the order,” emerged with their canon of scripture. About 300-400 years later, a foundational Mahayana interpretation of the Buddha and Buddhism developed, based on the experience of Buddha consciousness, rather than membership in a group. (See Nagarjuna.) The spreading of Buddhism to China mixed with elements of Confucian ethics and Taoism. Tibetan Buddhism developed from their indigenous shamanism. Although Buddhists might say that they pay less attention to cosmology than Hindus, their cosmologies are well developed.

          For Buddhists, the Buddha is the supreme divine power. The traditional Buddha (Gotama) is considered “God” for our Buddha-field. (Note similarities with Christianity where Jesus is considered God for the beginning and end of our Earth.) Proud Buddhists might calmly admit that they do not believe in God. Based on their scriptures, they mean that they do not believe in anybody else’s God, but rather an all-encompassing consciousness… with divine-like attributes. With Buddhist compassion, intelligence, and spiritual practices, consciousness exists to save all sentient beings. Although the Buddha was said to announce that cosmological speculation was not necessary for enlightenment, Buddhist cosmology forms the framework of their beliefs. This includes all Buddhists, Theravada and Mayahana. 

          Buddhists have spiritually explored and detailed numerous realms of consciousness. Their Wheel of Life provides a cosmological foundation for understanding Buddhism. Life/consciousness first extends through 6 primary realms: the abode of Animals, Humans, Hells, Hungry Ghosts, Jealous Gods, and Gods. The Wheel turns because of ignorance, greed, and hatred. Conscious individuals may exist for various periods of time in these realms. Although the realm of Gods can extend through numerous abodes and for lengthy periods of time, Buddha consciousness/non-consciousness is conceived in the axis of the Wheel of Life where jaws of death trap the 6 abodes.

          Theravada Buddhists have their Mount Meru cosmology, a single-world-system conceived as concentric rings around Mount Meru, the center of the “world disk,” the center of the universe.  Mahayanist have their Pure Land and Celestial Buddhas. For example the “Cosmology of Thousands” multiplies what is unified and unifies what is multiplied. Combinations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas  (the “Enlightenment-Beings”) all related to a single Buddha and a single “Buddha-field” where Gods can rule over from 1000 to 1000 to the power of 100. Beliefs are clearly seen within Mahayana Buddhist scripture like the “Flower Garland” sutra, also known as the”Sutra of the Garland of Buddhas.”

Feel free to comment and I can add more.

(note this section is actually from Appendix III “Cycles of Time in Hinduism and Buddhism” in my 2003 book, God’s Science)

3 Monks at Night (by Scot Aaron)

"Buddha Peace" by Scot Aaron

Note these are my photos as photo art

(see 2scot.com for some galleries)

Blog written 4-25-9

Becoming Whole, Uniting Male & Female ONEness Within (ie Tantra)

What do people want today? Sex? More materialism? Distractions? Displaced priorities? an hour glass full of meaningless sand until they reach the “Cave of Graves” ? Tell me if you can breathe around so much clutter, avid pollutants …  or is a breath of awareness too much to ask? 

With spring blossoms here in Europe and the Northern hemisphere, many renew realizations of love, or should we say, seek the truth of love. Well, like our name Shaman Strings suggests, we are more than a group singing ‘just another love song.’ In my mind, we exist to realize wholeness… complete awareness… even if this means inhaling pollutants from environments filled with distracting elements. As I wrote in my first printed book, “Get Free from the Chains of Pain,” we exist on Earth and whether we like it or not, people around us are a part of our “Self.”

The concept of a higher “Self” is ancient. That we are all existence (at least our very depths inside) stems from the Vedic: Tat Tvam Asi, “That Thou Art.”  We exist to realize Oneness with all existence. The ancient Vedas talk about the creation of existence from dividing/separating the body of the representative human, Purusha (the Higher ‘Self’ / the ‘Cosmic Man’). This concept is later used and then distorted within a Hindu Caste System; however, when seen with wholeness, we both connect to and are everyone and all existence.  Of course this spiritual concept (this spiritual truth), recognizes the unity of the male and female.

 I remember when a student, independently backpacking 6 months throughout India and trying to understanding Hinduism and religions on this continent. A small village called Badami had ancient carvings with religious imagery. Here I listened to a guide (someone else’s) talk about a male-female representation of Shiva. (See image below.) Of course in India, Shiva is usually worshipped as the Lingum, the symbol unifying the male and female. Whether with Shiva or Krishna or Buddhist Mandalas, Eastern Religions often embody the unity of male and female.

As soon as I returned from India, I choose to change my major at the University to Religious Studies. I then  took an advance graduate course on Hindu Tantra. At this time Tantra was practically absent from public consciousness. This was before writers watered-down spiritual principles to sell books.  Of course Tibetan Buddhism is Tantric, but how many proceed through initiation and then rigorous spiritual practices (ie for hours a day)?

Now for the point, Onenesss is inside. Each of us is responsible for Realizing Oneness. Alright, some big words, yet if you know a bit about the brain, we have two hemispheres. We continually engage in tantric like activities within almost all “connecting” processes of the brain. I could go more into detail, like how neuroscientists distinguish male and female ‘brains.’ They can actually manipulate the brain of rats to have them act like the physically opposite sex.  We are created to realize oneness. Every day, every breath prepares us for realizing the fullness of ONENESS.

All music is about ONENESS. In the words of Govinda (the Sitar/Strings of Shaman Strings), he says that music will heal the world. If this is to be true, music needs to be true to the moment, Realized in the moment of Creation. It is said that the Buddha refused have anything written. Clear awareness of the moment provides REALization. Let music get back to the roots of its existence. Like the Breath, let Shaman Strings exhale the power of Realization.

NOTE, the 2nd Shiva image was online and I cleaned it up in Photoshop. The other images are my photos and art (see 2scot.com for some galleries)

Image from my Digital Art at 2scot.com

....................
4-22-9 

What is a blog, a log of a day and night. A floating feather
that few care about until a bird appears and soars to heights of imagination. …
Here, and now we can extend emotions, uplift feelings, spread wings of hope, or
lions of expression, even as our falcon dives into clear, brilliant realizations.
Let us be aware!

For those who like symbols from ancient Egypt, the Falcon-headed
 “Horus” represents an embodiment of the
living spirit on Earth. At the death of the physical body, Horus becomes his
Father Osiris. Of course, like all spiritual representations  of complete energy, the female Isis is fused in marriage. …the ladder of male-female fusion continues until realized, expressed ONEness (Ra). Let the falcon dive within the ever changing dynamics of a day by day, continually seeking the clarity of nutrient moments that flow and grow. The clarity of a falcon or any bird of prey (like eagles), stems from
its eyes and brain seeing both far away and close up at the same time.

Let us consider being able tosee in the distant future, resolved with our current circumstances right now.Physically our eyes can only focus on one location. If we look at a close object the distance is blurred. If we look in the distance, objects close by are blurry. Now, what if we walk the path, focused on our ultimate goal in the future, with clear awareness right now! Whether the Horus Falcon from ancient Egypt or the Third Eye from Eastern Traditions, let us realize clarity, within our moments, through our days, and as our livetime.
.. ..

Here is a poetic flow from the Shaman of Shaman Strings.

.. ..
Taste silk inside stronger sunshine and heal blindness with
radiant color…
balance apparent mistakes along reverberating strings of perspectives,
as mountaintop peaks cleanse plateaus where we work on lotus realizations.

..

The Images are from my photo art... all are hi-res. go to 2scot.com

....................April 17, 09

My current Shaman Activities …. What am I doing today, yesterday, and
maybe tomorrow?

I have decided to work on a new music video "Beautiful Plateau." …  4 of the songs on the
Beautiful Plateau CD stem from live recordings on Sunday March 29, 09. We filmed in HDV; although the lighting could be better we do have a record of the
moment.  

NOW, realize how powerful moments in life are very
significant. If we look at the power and writings of the earlier 60’s
generation, or in mediation, especially Zen meditation, the power of the Now,
the very breath is totally real. This is Shaman Strings. Music created in the
moment, recording a Shaman-like journey!

So I have decided that we will get the Beautiful Plateau
video up to share visuals from the actual recording of the
title track on the CD. This will be a video from the live creation of the song for all interested in Shaman Strings music. Stay tuned for the video.

Mp3’s of the CD are being sharing on the main torrents. It
has been about 1 day and it appears around 150 people have download the full CD. They may choose to listen to the whole CD or choose a track to mix with mp3 player, ipod etc.. I know that if they truly listen to this music they can tap in to the power of the Shaman journey. This is spiritual music. The creation entails an
authentic spiritual, shaman-like journey. The power is present for those who
choose to connect to our music.

.. .. .. ..

Okay in my day to day life. I spend a little time taking care
of my 2 kids, Julius and Eve (8 and 6 years old) who are very creative,
drawing, practicing keyboard and violin and of course playing. (tv is limited
to none or maybe an hour on some days or an occasion kids film).

I am also working on a short film script (actually a few
scripts). I am ready to record “UFOs and God.” I will go to the studio and
record this in the near future. Additional scripts concern Crop Circles and
reincarnation … I then plan on doing some recording on topics from my books that are in print. …. The future will tell.

Now for a Shamanistic, poetic flow right now...

Blast us into brilliance,
like a precious teardrop,
its diamond vortex shows us how,
to hold most precious moments close inside,
branch like a blazing tree of life,
a crystalline lotus blossom
that leaks upon our plateaus,
opening stairs upon our delicate rose,…

always, always keep us intimate,
even upon strings of sunshine weaving our day,
or as bird of prey feathers,
rising the futures and past
guiding us through swords of light,
preparing every ingredient
for our feast.

Sit at the table of shaman strings and listen as time and
space unfold within our heartbeats.

Upon our ladder of light, love and blessings from Scot Aaron

.. ..

BTW a friend of Shaman Strings who was at the live concert
might do some remixing or the CD or some tracks for those who want more
electronic dance music.