Tag: music

Defiant Joy

October 19, 2026

I just voted by mail, and yet that doesn’t feel like enough of an effort to address a world descending into chaos and madness.

I did not march in the recent No Kings street protests because, while I’m sympathetic to the notion of resisting authoritarianism, I don’t necessarily agree with all the various fringe causes that distract attention from the main theme of the gathering. And I don’t want to align myself with the angry, violent people who sometimes hijack a peaceful protest and turn it into vandalism, arson, or rioting, as we’ve seen the last few days in Paris.

Granted, so far all of the No Kings marches here in Sonoma County have been orderly, and my friends who have attended them have reported that they experienced an atmosphere that was more festive than furious. But having witnessed violent demonstrations in Berkeley and San Francisco in the past, I’m distrustful of any negative energy that can spiral out of control and turn into anarchy.

The day may yet come when I feel compelled to take a more active stand against the encroaching fascism in this country and around the world, but for now my attention is elsewhere.

While there are serious social, political, economic, and environmental issues that need to be addressed, those topics are not my primary focus, though I follow them on a daily basis. I’m more interested in the underlying psychological and spiritual dynamics that are driving the evolution of the human race.

The big questions are: How can we humans get along with each other instead of destroying ourselves and the planet? How can we learn to be better stewards of our Earth home and its various non-human life forms? And how can we awaken to our own divinity and that of our fellow homo sapiens in a spirit of love?

Those are the questions I’ve been asking myself over the course of my 57 years of Buddhist practice. I used to think that Buddhism was the answer to those questions, and for some people, it is. But it is not the answer for most people. I suppose there are many paths to individual and societal awakening, but I just read about an insightful attitudinal approach to our dark times that I’ll share with you now.

In an article published two days ago the New York Times interviewed Bono and The Edge, two of the four musicians who comprise the Irish rock band U2. Lead singer Bono and guitarist The Edge, the band’s principal songwriters, were promoting their new album Carnaval De Luz. When asked what inspired their new musical compilation, The Edge explained, “We decided that the album should be a countervailing mood to the times. The times are anxious, despondent. People are really a bit lost, and we were like, what is it that we can help with here? And we thought an album that’s a party, a celebration, a sort of bringing people together, a gathering around our common aspirations, would be the thing to do.”

Bono chimed in, adding, “There’s a defiance to this too. There’s a Dan Savage [journalist] quote about when he was an AIDS activist in San Francisco in the middle of that crisis. He said, ‘In the morning, we would bury our friends. In the afternoon, we’d go out to protest so we’d have less people to bury. Then, in the evenings, we would go out and dance, because the dance is what we were fighting for.’ I loved that so much. That is not surrendering to the melancholy. That’s the defiance…If you go to the black church during civil rights, they’re up…Defiant joy is the thing we were looking for.”

The interviewer asked, “Where’s the line between the defiance you’re describing, and fiddling while Rome burns?”

The Edge replied, “Well, one is to be in denial, and one is to be fully aware, to stare darkness in the face and to still choose joy.”

I’m glad I voted, but maybe singing and dancing are more important.

Chipper

May 9, 2026

A couple of days ago a friend in my outdoor meditation group told me that he was glad to see me because I’m always chipper. I hadn’t heard that term in a while, but was pleased to hear that he thinks of me as cheerful and upbeat. I suggested that perhaps I’m happy because I’m healthy, and he responded that not all healthy people are in good spirits. True enough.

Meditation is a good practice for listening, breathing, relaxing, and slowing down. I love doing it in nature because I enjoy the fresh air and feel nurtured by the trees, grasses, birds, and clouds. But I also need something more…well, active. This month marks the 57th anniversary of the day I began chanting the mantra Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. One advantage of chanting is that it is a form of prayer, of setting an intention, and it allows me to focus my energy on a desired outcome rather than just passively meditating. Doing both practices helps me balance both openness and directed energy.

I also love to sing, and chanting is a form of singing, of creating positive sound vibrations. Reminds me of the Beach Boys song Good Vibrations. So I like to practice LSD: Laughing, Singing, and Dancing. Doing those activities helps me achieve what Nichiren Buddhists call a high life condition – a lively, sunny disposition. And being in nature amplifies the healthy good vibrations.

However, my friends know that I can also be cynical about national politics and negative current events around the world. While I try to stay informed about political, economic, and cultural developments, I don’t wallow in the despair that afflicts so many people these days. Rather, I deliberately choose to cultivate a sense of wonder and appreciation, and alignment with the higher power that resides within each one of us. Is there ugliness in this world? You bet. But also great beauty. I try to stay grounded in the beauty of the oaks and redwoods in my neighborhood, while at night I marvel at the moon and the stars.

And speaking of stars, this week the U.S. government began releasing limited amounts of information regarding UFO sightings. Do I believe in UFOs? I don’t know – I’ve never seen one. Do I believe that the human race is the most intelligent life form in the universe? No.

As I like to say, I’m a short term pessimist but a long term optimist. Or as the song from the musical South Pacific says, “I hear the human race is falling on its face, and hasn’t very far to go. But every whippoorwill is selling me a bill, and telling me it just ain’t so.” Nature is resilient, and in the grand scheme of things, Gaia, our mother Earth, inspires me.

Makes me feel chipper.

Happy Mother’s Day, mother Gaia.