WKHardy's Blog

I just read a Ram Dass piece that he called “The Predicament of Somebodyness”. He talks of how we are stuck in the illusion that we are somebody — an amalgam of personality traits and goals and social-psychological concepts and constructs that we have adopted since being born — and that part of that illusion is that time is passing. So if the passing of time is an illusion, then the “Be Here Now” sense is that what there is in front of us and in our hearts at each moment is “all that there is”. That there is no past or future that is pertinent except to the extent that our personality constructs buy into the illusion that it is pertinent. The reality is in a place behind all of that. Our anonymous heart is behind all of that. And yes you’re right — behind all of that in both meanings of that phrase.

“Be Here Now” (Ram Dass) ; “The Power of Now” (Eckhart Tolle) ;  — it’s a beautifully powerful and freeing feeling to know and feel that the elements and dynamics of the moment that’s right here in front of us right now is all that really matters. We don’t need to feel guilt about anything from the past or anxiety about anything in the future. All that there is, is our anonymous heart’s improvisational interaction with the scene that’s being performed in front of us at this single moment.

One thing that is fun to use as a focal point for meditation — and it’s good to remember that every moment is ultimately a sort of meditation — is your own smile.

A check for those attachments that Ram Dass talks about — that it’s best not to have them; that without such attachments, one has found a state of true freedom.

Can I let something go without having a feeling that I’ve somehow betrayed myself? Without having a feeling that now, I don’t quite know who I am any longer?

— My preference in ice cream flavors? Or favorite brand of blue jeans?
— My ideas about the kind of work or hobbies that I do?
— My dislike of, disappointment in, maybe even hatred of, a political system or                                 organization or figure?
— My animosity toward or yearning for someone I once had a relationship with?
— My passion for art history? Or for horror movies? Or for skiing?
— This lifetime?

Can I step back a bit and look at any of these sorts of things and truly say to myself —                                                                                                                                                                                                        “Yeah, I’m good without that.”

It can still be okay to have these sorts of things, as something like props and prompts in the daily and ongoing improvisational theater that is our lives; but to also be able to walk off the stage and leave them there, when that particular scene or act is over.

He said, “Love is so hard to find; everybody’s so scared.”
She said, “Love is easy to find,” and shook the knot from her hair.
Who, and what, and why, and when
The questions never end.
Then a spider lands, upon a hand,
A hurricane clears away the names,
The eyes inside recognize the signs and
Love comes from the outside,
Love comes from the inside,
Love just wants you … You To Be You.

They said they’d tried this thing called love
and tried and tried and tried.
They said Agape conquers all and it starts when
there’s nothin’ to hide.
Who, and what, and why, and when,
The questions never end.
Then a rainbow lands upon a hand,
A hurricane clears away the pain,
The eyes inside recognize the signs and
Love comes from above.
Love comes from below.
Love just wants you … You To Be You.

You say Love is a distant thing, it never quite comes home.
Expectations high or low, you’re still just loving alone.
Who, and what, and why, and when,
The questions never end.
Then another’s hand takes your hand,
The hurricane turns the other way,
The eyes inside recognize the signs and
Love comes from the outside,
Love comes from the inside,
Love just wants you … You To Be You.

recorded version at:     soundcloud.com/wkh

I took the long way here,
And I need you now to just listen.
You know the finest wine has to take its time,
The paths of life don’t always rhyme,
And I’ve had a perfect vision,
Get clouded
And almost disappear.

I took the long way here.
At every crossroad I knew where you were.
But the old pain was my leader,
The wrong reasons always felt much better,
And even though I knew where you were,
I took the long way here.

Now I’m making my own second chances,
I’ve loosened up all those old defences,
So tell me the things that you never get tired of
And I’ll take you to the island where I’ve kept my love,
Take you to the island where I’ve kept my love,
Kept my love,
Kept my love,
My Love, My Love, My Love.

I took the long way here.
There’s no question about happiness,
I’m just gonna do what I do best,
And I’m staying here.

I love that island that I used to live on,
I love that island that I used to be,
But the long way here has made me over,
And now I can love with every part of me,
And I’m staying here.
I’m staying here.
I’m staying here.

All too often, I think I feel the touch of your hair.
More than often, I drift and I think you’re really here.
Laughter — echoes away.

Only human, I miss you, miss you night and day.
More than human, your presence never really goes away.
After you, what do I do?

Your presence, your presence, your presence,
Alway here.
And I know, I know it’s you.

What, I wonder, what good comes of this?
I feel your presence, but I can’t feel your kiss.
Seems I’m under, seems I’m under a spell —
I seem to have forgotten, forgotten what’s in myself.
Your presence has carried me here.

Your presence, your presence, your presence,
Is making me clear.
And I know, I know it’s me.

recorded version at:      soundcloud.com/wkh

The moon’s just, coming up over the mountain.
The sky is still a…. little bit blue.
I’m walking with my hands in my pockets.
Feel a little bit of a grin
Just sort of move all over me.

Not much noise now…
City’s pretty quiet…
Everything is,
Pretty quiet.

It’s one of those times when…
I see that…
Everything that…
Seemed like trouble just…
Turned out to be…
Good for something else.

Think I’ll keep walking a little while longer…
Yeah…
A little while longer….

recorded version at:     soundcloud.com/wkh

I’ve learned that the forest has much to do with trees.
I’ve never met a puzzle that has just one piece.
The city lies among its streets and avenues.
And all those paths in the darkness have led me to you.

Have you done something once, the second time is never
quite the same.
But as the saying goes — Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Quantity, quality, there’s always so much to choose….
I see nothing that was wasted — it all just led me to you.

In the time before the dawn, the atmosphere is cool and clear.
Not so many words now, the music is all I hear.
No limit to the ways twelve notes can make something new.
And all the notes that I hear make a picture of you.

Once maybe twice I had a dream.
What do shadows between sand dunes mean?
Dark orange waves beckon me.
And ten thousand people crawling on their knees.

They hear:    Tai ti ti   Tai ti ti   Tai ti ti   Tai Tai Tai

A broken clock was all that I could find.
Patterns changing with or without time.
We heard, without voice, in our minds.
And ten thousand people stand and begin to shine.

They hear:   Tai ti ti   Tai ti ti   Tai ti ti   Tai Tai Tai

Now the maps only show us where we’ve been.
So we ride the spiral up and around again.
Another dream, new patterns in the sand.
And ten thousand people walking hand in hand.

And they sing:   Tai ti ti   Tai ti ti   Tai ti ti   Tai Tai Tai

recorded version at:     soundcloud.com/wkh