“Crossing the Pond” CC Asia Band CABACA (2008)

Know ye not that this life is deceit?
Know ye not that enjoyment is illusion?
Know ye not the world is a passing show?
Know ye not that happiness is a dream?
Know ye not that praise and blame is insubstantial?
Know yet not that appearance is the mind itself?

Know yet not that the mind itself is Buddhahood?
Know yet not that the Buddhahood is the body of truth?

When ye reflect, all appearances are compacted out of mind
Contemplate the mind by day and night
From contemplation of the mind comes beatific vision
Abide in that beatitude

Know ye not that the body of truth is truth itself? (x2)

When ye meditate upon these things assiduously
Though ye do not succeed in rooting out desire and hatred
Know that whatever appears is your own mind-stuff
And that the mind itself is void
If ye dwell in wisdom inseparably
All the observances of the law, oblations, and the like
Are thus perfectly fulfilled

Note: These lyrics are an adaptation of one of the Songs of Milarepa, a classic Tibetan Buddhist text. “Crossing the Pond” is an instrumental by Snoblind which I added vocals to specifically for the CC Asia Band Creative Commons project. My vocals were made available on the ccMixter site, and as such, many other songs were created using these lyrics by various producers under different names. Benoit Cassar released his mix, entitled “Buddhahood,” on his 2010 compilation, ‘Danai, Vol. 2.’