Hard Rock Dharma

My dear friend Rod Mead Sperry, cultural maven and old Dharma hand once opined that “Aerials” by System of a Down was a genuine Zen Buddhist song with the lyrics derived from an annecdote about the American Zen missionary Shunryu Suzuki. I think he’s right. Some important pointers for those walking the way, or who would like to…

The lyrics…

Life is a waterfall
We’re one in the river
And one again after the fall
Swimming through the void
We hear the word
We lose ourselves
But we find it all….
Cause we are the ones that want to play
Always want to go
But you never want to stay
And we are the ones that want to choose
Always want to play
But you never want to lose

Aerials, in the sky
When you lose small mind
You free your life

Life is a waterfall
We drink from the river
Then we turn around and put up our walls
Swimming through the void
We hear the word
We lose ourselves
But we find it all…
Cause we are the ones that want to play
Always want to go
But you never want to stay
And we are the ones that want to choose
Always want to play
But you never want to lose

Aerials, in the sky
When you lose small mind
You free your life
Aerials, so up high
When you free your eyes eternal prize