ROCK 'N' ROLL AND AVAIVARTIKA
When I introduced the idea of MUSIC AND AVAIVARIKA in this page it was with the clear idea to present the abstract sense of music as having something in common with Avaivartika, which it does. In my mind was clearly classical music and for me the sound of the violin that is so expressive in the hands of Masters.
It would I knew be quite an easy task akin to talking about true expression of the true human nature within the Dharma.
Then two things happened: I heard of certain Masters talking about such topics as "The rebel Buddha and comparisons with various great examples of the fight for liberty. It seemed so far from the Dharma, for Buddha never was a Rebel... Rebel is just a word and his apparent rebellion can only be imagined by a dual mind, no matter how romantic that mundane idea may be.
The second event was that I saw a video, a comedy, but with very serious undertones about "PIRATE RADIO" in the era of "ROCK and ROLL" and I saw that in comparison to the folly of not understanding the Buddha's message, indeed Rock and Roll was worthy of investigation.
It may sound like sacrilege, but the interesting question is, within Rock and Roll, can Avaivartika be expressed. An even greater question is "has ROCK AND ROLL really been a useful tool within which AVAIVARTIKA can be revealed?"
So that is my task in this section.
And if indeed that is the case perhaps we should dig deeper into apparently Mundane Behaviour to see if the Transcendental is perhaps always present. Perhaps indeed we should examine pompous Dharma and discard it forever.
So here I will begin in the New Year with new ideas and illusion.
Rock'n'roll is actually derived from a variety of folk music of the United States which includes gospel, rhythm and blues, hillbillly, blues, country and western.
Rock'n'roll goes back to 1924 with Hersal Thomas and Jimmy Blythe playing what then was called 'boogie woogie' piano.
Some may remember Rocket 88 of Ike Turner in 51, but boogie woogie progressions are exactly the same as rocket 88, which was a hit song about the Oldsmobile "Rocket 88," which was the fastest car on the road at the time.
In 1930, a few years before I was born, Pinetop Smith was playing boogie woogie with his song 'Pinetop boogie woogie',and Count Basie with 'One O' Clock Jump' was clearly in that mode.
You see it was the music itself that was the great liberator. Now why was that? Because within the Western world it liberated the social and religious restrictions placed upon the body-mind.
At fifteen I danced Be Bopp, and it was, believe me, a liberation. Then came Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and the Comets, Chuck Berry and more. Then in the sixties, the Beatles, Dylan, and the revolution was in place so that eventually the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival brought together half a million fans to Max Yasgar's farm in New York.
So what relation can this have to Avaivartika?
As was said, it was a liberation of the body from restraint and the words were akin in great part to introspection and storytelling. Of course identity was present, for it crashes in whenever there is a any temptation.
Look at Presley's famous song "Jailhouse Rock"
The warden threw a party in the county jail.
The prison band was there and they began to wail.
The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing.
You should've heard those knocked-out jailbirds sing.
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock.
Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone,
Little Joe was blowin' on the slide trombone.
The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang,
the whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang.
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock.
Number forty-seven said to number three:
"You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see.
I sure would be delighted with your company,
come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me."
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock.
The sad sack was a sittin' on a block of stone
way over in the corner weepin' all alone.
The warden said, "Hey, buddy, don't you be no square.
If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair."
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock.
Shifty Henry said to Bugs, "For Heaven's sake,
no one's lookin', now's our chance to make a break."
Bugsy turned to Shifty and he said, "Nix nix,
I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks."
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock.
It was the transmission of Body release from the restriction of the social limitations and the old morality of the mind. It did not set in place the natural virtue of the system but it was a first step in the liberation of both mind and body.
Now look at the completely trite lyrics of "Love me Tender".
Love me tender,
love me sweet,
never let me go.
You have made my life complete,
and I love you so.
Love me tender,
love me true,
all my dreams fulfill.
For my darlin' I love you,
and I always will.
Love me tender,
love me long,
take me to your heart.
For it's there that I belong,
and we'll never part.
So why did it light a fire?
It was the projection of the song by Elvis the Pelvis.
He transmitted sentiment and sexuality, all Identity-laden.
It was a release from puritan thought. That, you see is the another step. The liberation from social and religious mind-controlled morality.
It is very clear that you have to expose Mara before a confrontation. Religious and social morality places a blanket over natural virtue, but what is worse is that true and profound introspection becomes impossible.
But there was more than that. Look at Elvis in another song.
As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
'cause if there's one thing that she don't need
it's another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto
People, don't you understand
the child needs a helping hand
or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me,
are we too blind to see,
do we simply turn our heads
and look the other way
Well the world turns
and a hungry little boy with a runny nose
plays in the street as the cold wind blows
In the ghetto
And his hunger burns
so he starts to roam the streets at night
and he learns how to steal
and he learns how to fight
In the ghetto
Then one night in desperation
a young man breaks away
He buys a gun, steals a car,
tries to run, but he don't get far
And his mama cries
As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man
face down on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto
As her young man dies,
on a cold and gray Chicago mornin',
another little baby child is born
Avaivartika ?
Lets's move forward in time to Dylan.
Dead Man, Dead Man
Uttering idle words from a reprobate mind
Clinging to strange promises, dying on the vine
Never bein’ able to separate the good from the bad
Ooh, I can’t stand it, I can’t stand it
It’s makin’ me feel so sad
Dead man, dead man
When will you arise?
Cobwebs in your mind
Dust upon your eyes
Satan got you by the heel, there’s a bird’s nest in your hair
Do you have any faith at all? Do you have any love to share?
The way that you hold your head, cursin’ God with every move
Ooh, I can’t stand it, I can’t stand it
What are you tryin’ to prove?
Dead man, dead man
When will you arise?
Cobwebs in your mind
Dust upon your eyes
The glamor and the bright lights and the politics of sin
The ghetto that you build for me is the one you end up in
The race of the engine that overrules your heart
Ooh, I can’t stand it, I can’t stand it
Pretending that you’re so smart
Dead man, dead man
When will you arise?
Cobwebs in your mind
Dust upon your eyes
What are you tryin’ to overpower me with, the doctrine or the gun?
My back is already to the wall, where can I run?
The tuxedo that you’re wearin’, the flower in your lapel
Ooh, I can’t stand it, I can’t stand it
You wanna take me down to hell
Dead man, dead man
When will you arise?
Cobwebs in your mind
Dust upon your eyes
Avaivartika ?
We can then ask, How many Masters of the Dharma say it better?