Mantra

It came as the biggest surprise to me that mantra and puja would effect me. On the last retreat, a new one infected me. I think in a way that's the power of a rock and roll chorus. I've been singing, from Neil Young:

Old Man, take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I want someone to love me
the whole day through
take one look in my eye
you can see it's true

Now what does that mantra say? It's about indentification with the father. It's about the desire to be love, but to be loved all day. It's about looks in the eye, but I think it's also being loved for your true self, being a subject and not an object that functions for other people. For someone to want to know how you feel, regardless if it hurts them a bit, so that there's greater intimacy.

It's poetry that can't be reduced, like "jewel in the lotus" with is "om mani padme hum" I can't help but look as popular music as worldly and sometimes not good mantras. Sometimes.

I can't help add in, after the fact, this posting about song fixing the damaged mind.