Notes and Lyrics for Light at the Door

Transcription

1 Notes and Lyrics for Light at the Door Shri Brahmanada - I wanted to start this work with a simple song of gratitude. Shri Brahmanada Saraswati, Jagad Guru, Bhagwan Shankarcharya of Jyotir Math, was the teacher who inspired Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to bring the knowledge of the Veda and transcendental consciousness into the world. So I thank the teacher for giving me a technique that opened my heart and mind to the deeper realities of this life, for which I am grateful everyday! My favorite translation for Namaste is I bow down to that in you which is God. What an incredibly beautiful and uplifting way to say hello! By acknowledging the highest first, our unity with the Divine, then, I m thinking if we greet each with a remembrance like that in our heart, how can we ever be anything but kind, generous, loving and peaceful! Shri Brahmanada Saraswati Shri Brahmanada Saraswat Shri Brahmanada Saraswati Jai Guru Dev Namaste, Namaste, Shri Guru Dev, Shri Guru Deva Namaste, Namastubhyam namo namah Ayam atma Brahm Pragyanam Brahm Brahmaleena Brahmananda Namaste, Namaste, Namaste, namo namah.

2 JAI RAM - This story always reminds me of the King Arthur Legend, only more ancient. I wanted to write it, though, from Sita s point of view, the King s daughter, while she was waiting for her suitor, the one who would lift the sacred bow. She must have been growing tired of watching all the Princes who couldn t string or lift it. She knew Ram was out there somewhere so she is calling to him, encouraging him to come along, lift the bow, take her heart and start their destiny! It s a happy song and it is really fun to sing especially with Daniel and Ali on the chorus! The end was another incredible musical saga that happened live in the studio with Mac and Daniel playing out as long as they wanted! Then we added Tim s flutes and that was the icing on the cake! JAYA JAYA SITA RAM JAI SITA RAM, JAI SITA RAM RAM, I CALL TO YOU KNOWING THERE S STRENGTH IN YOUR NAME I HAVE BEEN WAITING, NOW THE TIME IS FINALLY HERE FOR YOU TO LEAD US ON AGAIN. SO COME AND STRING THIS BOW IT WAS MADE FOR YOU LET US SEE THE BRILLIANT LIGHT BY WHICH THESE ARROWS ARE MADE COME AND LIFT THIS BOW AND STAND IN RUDRA S MIGHT THEN COME AND TAKE MY HEART FOR NOW AND FOR ALL TIME. JUST LIKE IN THE DAYS OF OLD WHEN WE WERE BORN ONE AND THE SAME WITH GOD S LIGHT SHINING SO CONSTANT ON OUR SOULS ONLY THE PUREST LOVE REMAINS SO, COME AND STRING THIS BOW THE GODS HAVE MADE FOR YOU LET US SEE THE BRILLIANT LIGHT BY WHICH THESE ARROWS ARE MADE COME AND LIFT THIS BOW AND STAND IN RUDRA S MIGHT THEN COME AND TAKE MY HEART FOR NOW AND FOR ALL TIME. JAI RAM, JAI RAM, JAI SITA RAM JAI RAM, JAI RAM, JAI SITA RAM JAI RAM, JAI RAM, JAI SITA RAM JAYA, JAYA SITA RAM THE PATHS ARE MANY THE TRUTH IS ONE THE NAMES OF GOD ARE MANY GOD IS ONE LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF JAI SITA RAM

3 YA DEVI SARVA BHUTESU VISNU MAYETI SABDITA YA DEVI SARVA BHUTESU BUDDHI RUPENA SAMSTITHA YA DEVI SARVA BHUTESU LAKSMI RUPENA SAMSTITHA DEVI SUKTA LIGHT OF MY LIFE THE SONG IN MY HEART THE SOUND OF MY VOICE TO YOU I SURRENDER ALL THAT I AM AND ALL THAT I MAY BE I TURN TO YOU AND I SEE MYSELF I AM OVERWHELMED AND CAPTURED BY YOU RE BEAUTY AND YOUR GRACE I AM OVERWHELMED AND CAPTURED BY YOUR BEAUTY AND YOUR GRACE YA DEVI SARVA BHUTESU SANTI RUPENA SAMSTITHA YA DEVI SARVA BHUTESU SRADDHA RUPENA SAMSTITHA YA DEVI SARVA BHUTESU KANTI RUPENA SAMSTITHA IN PRAISE OF THE GODDESS WHO IS UNITY PRESIDING OVER ALL WITH DIVINITY KARPURA GAURAM KARUNAVATARAM SAMSARA SARAM BHUJAGENDRA HARAM SADA VASANTAM HRIDAYARAVINDE BHAVAM BHAVANI SAHITAM NAMAMI YA DEVI The first time I heard Krishna Das sing Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, the sound resonated within my heart and tears filled my eyes. I was at my friend Carol s house in Fairfield and she played it for me thinking I would like it. I immediately went to 21st Century Bookstore and bought the Chandhi Path, read the translation and was in heaven. I was born on the Blessed Mother s birthday (celebrated Sept. 8 in the Catholic Church) and was actually named (middle) in her honor. The idea of Blessed Mother, Mother Divine, has been with me all my life. Many times when I was a little girl I would pray to Her whenever I felt frightened or alone. I have always wanted to sing Her praise and thank her for being there everywhere, protecting us and encouraging us to be more. The English part of this song, I wrote on a plane in about 5 minutes and never changed it. I remember my heart moving and feeling so much gratitude and love. Please take a moment to read the translation because I can t imagine anyone not being able to relate to a Divine Mother expressed in this manner.

4 Keeper of the Keys - This is one of my oldest songs. I started writing it in Arosa, Switzerland on a 6 week teacher refresher course. Maharishi was giving a talk where he referred to Guru Dev, his teacher, as the Keeper of the Keys. Then He proceeded to say so many beautiful expressions that I started writing the words down in phrases to eventually sing. It s so funny for me because I hear a word or phrase and know I will sing it. I may end up writing and re-writing around it to make the sound just right but there seems to be some sort of recognition between a part of my brain and the sound of a word or phrase. This was exactly my experience with Keeper of the Keys. KEEPER OF THE KEYS UNFOLDING LIFE TO ME IN WAVES OF ENDLESS MOTION THE SILENCE IN MY MIND THE FULLNESS OF MY HEART THE RHYTHM OF THE OCEAN TIME WILL COME, AND TIME WILL GO- BUT IT DOESN T CHANGE FOR ME ON THROUGH ETERNITY LIFE FLOWS ON A SONG UPON A WAVE WITH MELODIES TO GUIDE ME TO THE SEAT OF LOVE DEEP WITHIN EACH WAVE REACHING OUT AND RISING THERE S NO RESISTANCE TO WHAT A WAVE CAN DO AS A WAVE RISES HIGH, THE OCEAN RISES TOO FROM DEEP INSIDE OF YOU KEEPER OF THE KEYS IN ALL OF LIFE I SEE THE SILENCE AND THE MOTION FROM YOU I VE COME TO BE A KEEPER OF THE KEYS A LIGHTHOUSE ON THE OCEAN KEEPER OF THE KEYS - KEEPER OF THE KEYS

5 UNDER THE GURU PURNIMA MOON THE LIGHT OF GOD IS SHINING UNDER THE GURU PURNIMA MOON HEARTS FILL WITH LOVE DIVINE IN THE LIGHT, IN THE LIGHT IN THE PURE SWEET LIGHT OF THE GURU PURNIMA MOON UNDER THE GURU PURNIMA MOON THE SONG OF GOD IS SINGING UNDER THE GURU PURNIMA MOON CHOIRS OF ANGELS ARE BRINGING IN THE LIGHT, IN THE LIGHT IN THE PURE SWEET LIGHT OF THE GURU PURNIMA MOON AND THE LIGHT OF THE WAY IS THE WAY OF LIGHT AND THE WAY OF THE LIGHT IS THE LIGHT OF THE WAY SHRI GURU DEVA PROVIDES THROUGH HIS GRACE NA GURORADHIKAM TATTVAM NA GURORADHIKAM TAPAH NA GURORADHIKAM GYANAM TASMAI SHRI GURAVE NAMAH TWADYAM VASTU GOVINDA TUBHYAM EVA SAMARPAYE TWADHYAM VASTU GOVINDA TUBHYAMEVA SAMARPAYE TASMAI SHRI GURAVE NAMAH TASMAI SHRI GURAVE NAMAH TASMAI SHRI GURAVE NAMAH THY GIFT, MY LORD, I RETURN TO THEE. Under the Guru Purnima Moon - This is the song that almost never was. The year of 2005 I had gotten together w/ Daniel and Donna for the first time in many, many years and we recorded 2 songs for the upcoming Guru Purnima celebration in July. My heart was on the move those days and I knew I needed to find my way back to writing and singing music again (dharma) which Maharishi had pointed out to me on so many occasions. I brought the songs to Holland where they were played and I was very relieved. This was the very fun course where we all did group program outside under the Full Moon. So the next year I decided to just go to Fairfield to be in the Dome and get some major r and r! No thought of writing and rushing to send over another song even occurred to me. Then, at the end of one of my mediations, I kept repeating the phrase under the Guru Purnima moon..next thing I knew I was singing it in my head! Part of me was thinking, Oh no, don t go there but the other was already racing out of the Dome and knocking on Donna s door who happened to be in town for a few days. I walked in, said, Don t say a word, just please give me some paper and a pen. And that was it. We worked on the words together and used the tune in my head and sent it on over! Recording this song with Mac and Daniel was spectacular. I told them to play out at the end. They were on different sides of the studio where they couldn t see each other and that was how the 2 minute instrumental was created. They were amazing. Two instruments, one heart and one mind. I stand in awe of their creativity and alignment with the divine sounds of the universe! I am eternally grateful.

6 Pita Ji - 2 years ago today somewhere deep in my heart I knew this song was waiting to be written. As it turns out, it is because of this song that this CD came to be. Still, it took me an additional 6 months to get started. I had bits and pieces, words here and there, but I had no idea where it would lead. Pita ji means Father and pashya means see. Those were the only 2 words I knew for certain would be included. This song is a tribute to my teacher, my Guru. I needed it to be born of truth, gratitude and humility. I knew it should be filled with the knowledge of the Vedic tradition that has guided me since I was a young girl. I also wanted it to ring true for anyone who has had a great teacher who impacted their life. For me, this song is about what a Father should be someone who sees you and knows you so well, that effortlessly he guides you to your destiny, encouraging you to find your way. So one day in August of 2008, I heard a chord and started singing. I grabbed a tiny tape recorder and turned it on and continued to sing for almost 15 minutes. I had all my books filled with many quotes from Maharishi s talks open on the floor and I just kept singing, turning pages, looking for high-lighted words and putting the Vedic knowledge together with the phrases I heard in my heart. There was one very critical moment when I realized I had no idea how to end the song. I knew it had to be something freeing, uplifting. Then I saw a quote in my notes about breathing in and out as one and that was it. I sang You have merged with that from where you have come, and still we are breathing in and out as one, and I knew I was finished and everything was as it should be. I miss having Maharishi ji physically on this planet, but He worked so tirelessly to give us the gift of Being in this life that I know He is forever resting deep in my heart and for all this, I am eternally grateful. Jai Guru Dev. Feb. 5, 2010

7 PITAJI, PITAJI, JAGAD GURU PITAJI, PITAJI, JAGAD GURU WATCHING OVER ALL THIS WORLD SHINING MORE BRILLIANT THAN THE SUN PASHYA, PASHYA, PASHYA I SEE, I SEE, I SEE ALWAYS YOU MY LORD I SEE, LOOKING BACK AT ME EVERYWHERE I SEE, IT S YOU MY LORD LOOKING BACK AT ME IN THE SILENCE OF MY HEART I HEAR YOUR NAME, AND I SEE YOUR FACE, AND I KNOW YOUR WORDS PITAJI JAGAD GURU WATCHING OVER ALL THIS WORLD WATCHING OVER ALL WE DO PASHYA, PASHYA, PASHYA I SEE, I SEE I SEE ALWAYS YOU MY LORD, I SEE LOOKING BACK, LOOKING BACK AT ME NOW YOU SAY THE WORK IS DONE THERE YOU ARE SHINING MORE BRILLIANT THAN THE SUN PASHYA, PASHYA, PASHYA, I SEE I SEE I SEE ALWAYS YOU MY LORD, LOOKING BACK AT ME WE ARE IN THE PLACE AND TIME WHERE DARK IS REPLACED BY LIGHT THE PLACE WHERE SWEET DIVINITY FLOWS INTO LIFE KRIYA SHAKTI GYANA SHAKTI LONG WILL LIVE THIS BRILLIANT RAY OF LIGHT KRIYA SHAKTI GYANA SHAKTI IN THE SILENCE OF MY HEART I HEAR YOUR NAME AND I SEE YOUR FACE PASHYA, PASHYA, PASHYA I SEE I SEE I SEE ALWAYS YOU MY LORD LOOKING BACK AT ME PITAJI, PITAJI JAGAD GURU PITAJI, PITAJI, JAGAD GURU WATCHING OVER ALL THIS WORLD SHINING MORE BRILLIANT THAN THE SUN NOW THAT ALLYOUR WORK IS DONE IT IS YOU MY LORD, CALLING THIS UNIVERSE INTO THE REALM OF DIVINITY WHERE TIME AND SPACE UNFOLD THE OCEAN OF GOD S GRACE PASHYA, PASHYA, PASHYA WE ARE STANDING AT THE PLACE WHERE UNITY BECOMES ONE ATMA, ONE BRAHMA YOU HAVE MERGED WITH THAT FROM WHERE YOU HAVE COME AND STILL, WE ARE BREATHING IN AND OUT AS ONE PITAJI, PITAJI, JAGAD GURU NAMASTUBHYAM, NAMASTUBHYAM, NAMASTUBHYAM, NAMO NAMA

8 IN THE STILLNESS OF THE NIGHT AND THE QUIET OF THE DAWN THERE IS HOPE AND THERE IS LIGHT WHICH IS MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ALL. IN THE LAUGHTER OF THE CHILD AND THE SHIMMER OF EACH SMILE THERE IS WARMTH AND KINDNESS TO WHICH IS MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ALL AND WHEN WE SPEAK, WE SPEAK THE SAME AS OUR THOUGHTS ARE TENDER THREADS WINDING THROUGH OUR HEARTS AND SOULS WHERE THERE IS LOVE THAN THERE IS PEACE AND THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ALL. OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY COUNT AND THE WORDS THAT MEAN THE MOST THERE S ENOUGH TO GO AROUND AND THAT S MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ALL AND WHEN WE SPEAK, WE SPEAK THE SAME AS OUR THOUGHTS ARE TENDER THREADS WINDING THROUGH OUR HEARTS AND SOULS WHERE THERE IS LOVE THAN THERE IS PEACE AND THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ALL. MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ALL MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ALL WHERE THERE IS LOVE THAN THERE IS PEACE AND THERE S MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ALL. More Than Enough for All - This song has a great story. Ali was going to do a Christmas concert with her Dad, Daniel, in Fairfield, on her way home from Syracuse U to Fl. I really wanted to be there but wasn t able to go. Meanwhile, I had always wanted to write a Christmassy one-world feeling song. I was watching Oprah a few days before their gig and I was completely moved by her generosity (I cannot remember specifically what it was for I think something for her Girl s School in Africa) and in my head I had the realization that there was more than enough for everyone already available on this planet! I scrambled for some paper and the whole song spilled right out. I had a Churchy-type melody running in my head and sat down at the piano and plucked it out note by note. This was 3 days before the concert. I called Daniel and sang it to him over the phone (no Skype then!) and said Do you think you could play it for Ali to sing? So they learned it the day before the show and I asked her to introduce it with loving thoughts to all my good friends who were there! It was so fulfilling! Great kudos to Daniel and Ali for pulling it off and letting me be with them on the level of the heart. Peace all!

9 VASU DEVA KRISHNA GOVINDA, GOVINDA GOPALA GOPALA GOVINDA NARAYANA KRISHNA GOVINDA, GOVINDA GOPALA GOPALA GOVINDA NARAYANA KRISHNA GOVINDA, GOVINDA GOPALA GOPALA GOVINDA NARAYANA VASU DEVA I always wanted to sing this chant. One day walking the beach road, the melody just came over and over. This was a high, recording this in the studio with Ali and Daniel singing such happy fun harmonies. KRISHNA GOVINDA, GOVINDA GOPALA GOPALA GOVINDA NARAYANA VASU DEVA

10 FROM THE STILL HOME OF BEING VAULT OF SPACE WITHOUT DAY OR NIGHT AT LAST THE SUN AND THE MOON IN SUCCESSION SHONE THEIR LIGHT FROM THE SILENCE OF CREATION FROM THE DEPTHS OF PURE CONSCIOUSNESS ORDER TRUTH AND LOVE WERE WOVEN PERFECTLY AND THERE WAS BORN THE OCEAN WITH ITS WAVES THE SPLENDOR OF THE EARTH, THE JEWEL OF THE UNIVERSE AND THIS WAS HOME FOR AGES TO BEHOLD ACROSS THE LAND AND SKY THE STORY OF ALL LIFE WAS TOLD. LET OUR AIM BE PURE AND SINGLE LET OUR HEARTS OVERFLOW AS ONE UNITED FILL BOTH EARTH AND HEAVEN WITH OUR LOVE LET US WITH OUR MINDS TOGETHER REST IN THAT FROM WHICH WE HAVE COME LET US SHINE IN A TRUE REFLECTION OF THE LIGHT WE WHO ARE LIGHT WILL ALWAYS BE IN LIGHT THE SILENCE IN THE SOUND THE BREATH OF IMMORTALITY AND THIS IS HOME ALL THIS IS OUR HOME THIS IS HOME QUIET AND SIMPLICITY. Home of Being - This is the best. I wrote this song with my great friend Donna. We were living in South Fallsburg, NY, in a wonderful bungalow and all we did was write songs, record them and preform for the various courses that came through the Academy. I told Donna I wanted to write a song about the beginning of creation and some effect of that. She was reading the Hollow Hills King Arthur trilogy at the time and in a very romantic state of mind. I had all these books from the Rig Veda spread open and was reading and taking notes on the story of creation mostly from the 10th Mandala. Meanwhile she was playing a very wistful tune on the piano and singing words right from the book. It was so funny, I remember she was singing about the bleating of the lambs and the mists on the hill but she was really creating what was to end up as one of the most beautiful melodies we ever finished together. I started plugging in words to her melody and soon she was on the floor with me as we wrote and re-wrote until we had it. We had recently started playing with Daniel and his haunting cello added the infinity to the ever present point value. We wrote this song in 1976 and it is the song I have sung the most over all the years. It never fails to inspire and elevate me and remind me that we are all the same. I will always be over-the -top grateful for DD reading the Hollow Hills and sometimes still chuckle over those lambs on the misty hills!

11 DEEP INSIDE A HEART SO TRUE THE FINEST FEELING GROWS STRONGER TIL I SEE MYSELF AS ETERNAL TRUTH MASTERING ALL OF CREATION, AS I CLOSE MY EYES AND I RISE I M STANDING IN THE LIGHT AT THE DOOR THE GATEWAY TO HEAVEN ON EARTH MOVING THRU SILENCE ONLY PURITY REMAINS AND HEAVEN COMES EVERYWHERE I GO AND ALL I TOUCH, IT TURNS TO GOLD I TRANSFORM IN SEQUENCE AND I BREATHE IMMORTALITY AS I GO ON AND ON I GO ON AND ON DEEP INSIDE THE UNIVERSE THE LIGHT OF THE VED GROWS STRONGER TIL CURVING BACK UPON MYSELF I CREATE ALL OF CREATION AS I CLOSE MY EYES AND I RISE I M STANDING IN THE LIGHT AT THE DOOR THE GATEWAY TO HEAVEN ON EARTH MOVING THRU SILENCE ONLY PURITY REMAINS AND HEAVEN COMES EVERYWHERE I GO AND ALL I TOUCH, IT TURNS TO GOLD I TRANSFORM IN SEQUENCE AND I BREATHE IMMORTALITY AS I GO ON AND ON I GO ON AND ON GURUR BRAHMA, GURUR VISHNUR GUROR DEVO MAHESHVARAH GURUS SAKSHAT PARAM BRAHMA TASMAI SHRI GURAVE NAMAH. Light at the Door -- This song is very special to me. It was the last song I sang live for Maharishi in India in 1988 and it was truly one of those defining moments. I was on the Pioneers course for 2 months where we had wonderful lectures from Dr. Triguna ji, Balraj Maharishi, Dr. Raju, many Jyotishi s and of course Maharishi ji. There were 3 amazing days of talks from Him which got me to writing a new song. It was funny because this was probably the only course I had ever gone to without taking my guitar. I ended up singing a lot on this course which was a surprise to me. Dr Uli, the course leader, borrowed a guitar for me so I could sing at the end of the evening meetings. I was very honored to sing for all the great leaders mentioned above. Then I started writing this song, Light at the Door. My roommate, Wendy and I had some good laughs over me writing this in a couple of days singing it constantly. Then, the morning I finished the song, we were in the lecture hall and I was hoping to sing it. Maharishi gave such a beautiful talk that day and sent everyone off the stage to give roses to all the cps. At that moment, I was standing next to Dr. Uli, who had planned on my singing and we just knew..no..this was not the time. So I hid the guitar behind my back and just stood there waiting for my rose. Then I heard Maharishi say, Do you have a song? I was amazed it was just like when I first started singing for Him. I said yes and He said to come up. I sat so close to him with no one else around it was very quiet and special. I was trying to set up to see my words and I remember Doug Henning hopped up on the stage to help me. He was a dear friend and a great guy! He held the words for me so I could see them and play. When I finished, Maharishi just looked at me and said something very sweet and then Now we should go and do what the song says and close our eyes! And that was the last time I sat right next to my beloved teacher and sang these words to Him.