Category Archives: Music
Cedars of Lebanon
by Milarepa
I started out looking for myself
Down many paths my travels have led
Somewhere along the way I became
The very thing I was searching for
High are the mountains in the morning sun
I move to the rhythm of a different drum
Around every corner the new moment brings
A light to my journey within
Stand tall like the Cedars of Lebanon
See how they reach for the stars
Stand tall like the Cedars of Lebanon
May your aim be straight and true
The recent Satsang version of this song can be streamed here: https://youtu.be/S3pCsm1cXOA. It features Chandira (vocals), Nandin (flutes), Sudhananda (guitar, vocals), and Milarepa (guitar, vocals). Video editing by Sudhananda. It was originally recorded for the album, “Invisible Worlds” available at http://www.oneskymusic.com/celebration/.
To support One Sky Music, contribute using this convenient link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/oneskymusic. Your support is sincerely appreciated and received with gratitude.
For information about Chandira, visit www.chandiramusic.com.
For information about Sudhananda, visit https://sudhananda.com.
For information about Milarepa & One Sky Music, visit www.oneskymusic.com
“Nature does not allow two persons to be the same. Nature is not an assembly line where cars are produced, so you can see hundreds and thousands of Fords coming off the assembly line; the same, exactly the same. Nature is very creative, very innovative. It always creates a new man. It has created millions and millions of people, but never two people the same. You cannot even find two leaves on a tree exactly the same, or two pebbles on the seashore exactly the same. Each has his own individuality.
“I don’t have a teaching. But whatever I have experienced is a living phenomenon I share with you – not words, not theories, not hypotheses. I can give you as much closeness as you need. Just as when you bring an unlit candle close to a candle which is burning there is a point where suddenly the fire jumps from the lit candle to the unlit candle. The lit candle loses nothing, and there has not been a transfer of any teaching, but a transfer of fire.
“I would like to say that I don’t have any teaching, but I have great fire in my heart, and whoever comes close to me becomes aflame. These people here are not my followers. They are just friends who are sharing in an experience which can burn all that is false in them, and can purify that which is their essential individuality, their authentic potential. This is an alchemical school, a school of mystery. I am not a teacher, I don’t have any ideas, concepts. But I have a life to share, I have a love to share, and to those who are ready, I am ready to give all that I have. And in no way will they be enslaved. The closer they come to me, the more they understand me, the more they will be themselves. That is the miracle.” Osho
This song medley was streamed at the end of Satsang at Padma NYC Meditation Center in New York City, September 27, 2020. It was part of a celebration for new sannyasin, Prem Vidheya. It features two of the most-loved songs from the World of Osho, “Home Is Where the Heart Is” and “The Time Is Right” written by Narayani who is singing here. It also features musicians Nandin on silver flute, Sudhananda on vocals and guitar, and Milarepa also on vocals and guitar. To view the video, visit the One Sky Music Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/oneskymusic. Video editing editing by Sudhananda.
The original recordings of these songs can be listened on the cd, “Songs of Awakening”, available here: http://www.oneskymusic.com/celebration/.
For those wishing to support One Sky Music and the Satsang sharings, use this link to contribute: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/oneskymusic. All contributions are sincerely appreciated and received with gratitude.
Free download of video soundtrack here:
For more information about Nandin, visit www.nandinmusic.com.
For more information about Narayani, visit http://www.narayani.eu.
For more information about Sudhananda, visit www.sudhanandamusic.com.
This meditation was streamed on Zoom from Padma NYC, Sunday, September 27, 2020. It features musicians: Ashik (violin), Chandira (keyboard), Chintan (tablas), Harida (santoor), Milind (bansuri), Prabodh (bass), Rishi (drums, percussion, bass), and Milarepa (guitar). The instructions are as follows:
1. The meditation is one hour long.
2. It is done with eyes closed.
3. The sequence of stages is:
* Bell to start
* Silence
* Music
* Silence
* Osho Quote in Hindi
* Silence
* Bell and Humming —for this section, everyone is invited to participate and hum together. It is very simple, ancient Tibetan technique. With mouth closed and teeth together, simply hum. Be aware of the subtle vibrations this gives to your face and head.
* Silence
* Osho Quote in English
* Music
* Silence
* Three bells at end
This is a free sharing, but please consider a contribution of support (see the “Donate” button on the top right margin of this page). Thank you. Enjoy!
This meditation was streamed on Zoom, Sunday, August 30, 2020. It features musicians: Nandin (flutes), Milind (bansuri), Rishi (drums, percussion, bass), Sidhamo (keyboards), and Milarepa (guitar). The instructions are as follows:
1. The meditation is one hour long.
2. It is done with eyes closed.
3. The sequence of stages is:
* Bell to start
* Silence
* Music
* Silence
* Osho Quote in Hindi
* Silence
* Bell and Humming —for this section, everyone is invited to participate and hum together. It is very simple, ancient Tibetan technique. With mouth closed and teeth together, simply hum. Be aware of the subtle vibrations this gives to your face and head.
* Silence
* Osho Quote in English
* Music
* Silence
* Three bells at end
Although this is a free sharing, please consider a contribution to support the music (see donate button on the top right margin of this page). Thank you. Enjoy!
This song medley featured in the celebration part of Satsang, number five in a series that began streaming May, 2020. It includes two songs: “Through The Eyes of Love” written by Maneesha and Milarepa, and “Just Say Yes”, the wonderful perennial classic of Sudhananda’s. Nandin plays alto and soprano flute. Although this is a free sharing, please consider a contribution to support the music (see donate button on the top right margin of this page). Thank you. Enjoy!
“Real religion, authentic religion, is concerned with your love, with your trust, with your joy. And when you see through the eyes of love, a small flower becomes so mysterious, the faraway song of a cuckoo becomes far more holy than any scripture. You love me; that’s why my smallest gesture makes an immense impact on you. It is not the gesture, it is your love. There may be somebody else sitting by your side to whom the gesture means nothing, just a movement of the hand. If his heart is not full of love, then just the movement of the hand is meaningless; if his heart is full of love, the hand, its grace, can be indicative of greater mysteries and secrets of life. This is one of the mysteries of life, that life is how you see it. It depends on your eyes. If you have the eyes of a poet the same trees are greener, livelier; they have a message, they whisper things into the ears of the poet. But if you are not a poet you pass by the same trees without even noticing them. All depends on you. Your whole life experience goes on growing with your growing consciousness. As your consciousness becomes more and more juicy, life becomes more and more divine. Because you love me, my words have a meaning to you which they will not have without your loving heart. Your love contributes ninety percent, at least, to the meaning of my words or my gestures. The day you are capable of contributing one hundred percent, then my gesture becomes your gesture, then my word becomes your word, then my heartbeat becomes your heartbeat. That state I call the state of the devotee: a merger, a melting of two souls into one.” Osho, The Golden Future #19
This song was written song by my dear Danish friend, Bindu, who left his body last year. We sang it the first time together in Buddha Hall for Osho’s discourse at the Osho Commune, Pune, India sometime in 1988. It went on to become one of the sannyas “classics” i.e. very loved. This version was featured at the end of Morning Satsang lV streamed on Zoom, July 26, 2020. It features Nandin (silver flute), Sudhananda (vocals and guitar), and Milarepa (vocals and guitar). Although this is a free sharing, please consider a contribution to support the music (donate button in the top right margin of this page). Thank you.
“Buddha is the very nature of existence. From the smallest grassleaf to the biggest star, everything is intrinsically, potentially, a buddha. Some buddhas are asleep, there is no harm in it. Some buddhas have awakened, there is no glory in it. Just take care, when you are a sleeping buddha – don’t snore, because that disturbs other sleeping buddhas. Not to disturb anybody, not to interfere in anybody’s territory – that is the only virtue I know of.”
Osho, One Seed Makes the Whole Earth Green #3
The fourth virtual Morning Satsang of the year was Zoom’d on Sunday, July 26, 2020 at 12:15pm EDT. It features special guests Chandira (piano, bass), Nandin (silver flute), Harida (santoor), Milind (bansuri), Sudhananda and myself on acoustic guitars and vocals. I wish to thank and acknowledge all the musicians for sharing their talents and gracing this meditation with their inspired playing.
The meditation is one hour long. It is done with eyes closed. Sit comfortably and relax. The music, quotes from Osho, humming, and gaps of silence are there to support letting go into silence as deeply as possible. The stages are as follows:
1. Bell to start
2. A short silence
3. The first music track
4. Fifteen minutes of silent sitting
5. An Osho quote in Hindi
6. Another bell signals the Humming Stage (ten minutes long). This stage requires participation. Hum quietly to oneself with lips and teeth together.
7. Fifteen minutes of silent sitting
8. An Osho quote in English
9. The second music track
10. A short silence
11. Three bells signal the end
The celebration song that follows, “We Are Buddha Nature”, is written by my dear Danish friend, Bindu, with whom I played with for many years. We first sang this song in Osho’s discourse, probably sometime in 1988. It went on to become one of the sannyas “classics”. The song video, edited by Sudhananda, can be listened to and viewed on the One Sky Music Youtube channel. Visit https://youtu.be/mc3zNAWfdVY. The entire meditation can be downloaded below or it can be stream at https://youtu.be/ZkQ8_RqPKrg. This is a free sharing to be enjoyed by all. However, consider a contribution of any amount you feel appropriate to support the music and events like this to continue. Please visit the “Contribute” button at the top right margin of this page. Thank you!
Books I Am Loving
Unusual times such as these give opportunities for things I haven’t take time-out for in recent years: like reading a good book! One I just finished is authored by my good friend and occasional tennis-partner, Gyata, who lives with her beloved in Cazenovia, New York.
It is one of life’s great joys having a tennis partner with whom one can play totally, 100%, without holding back. Gyata is one of those people for me. We first met and played on the Pune ll Resort courts that Osho asked to be built. These courts were a source of great joy (and good exercise!) for many, many people.
I am trying to remember the time when I first learned tennis. It must have been during one of my summer breaks in high school. I do remember considering myself good enough to enter a county tournament in which I got shredded, humbled, and knocked out in the first round to my great embarrassment. This experience was a stepping stone to wanting to improve my game and learn more. So, I took tennis as a PE elective in my sophomore university year. Three of my best friends were also in the course. We had a lot of fun games together, especially in the evenings under the lights after classes. I have many fond memories from this time.
After university, I had a long gap from playing. It wasn’t until I went to Uruguay in 1986 to join Osho that I picked up the game again. The house where Osho was staying in Punte Del Este had a tennis court. I found some decent racquets in the clubhouse and sometimes in the late mornings during our free time, Rafia and I would have a hit. We even persuaded Nirvano and Shunyo to join a few times which was a lot of fun.
When Osho returned to India, I had a partner in Mumbai before Pune ll started. We were evenly matched and this kept me in shape especially as I did weights every other day. And of course, once the courts got built at The Resort, I began playing more regularly. Even on the tours, I would often find courts and partners to play with along the way. I have memories of some great clay court games at Osho RISK in Denmark; Parimal in Germany; and some summer hits in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. On the USA tours, Amlas and I always carried our racquets in the van. There were even times we managed to route ourselves through Cazenovia to have a hit with Gyata, Chuck, and their friends.
Tennis for me will always be a Love Game, as Krishna Prem is fond of calling it. So it was with great joy last week to receive a signed copy of Gyata’s new book, “On The Ball: Doubles Tennis Tactics for Recreational Players”. And I must say, I enjoyed it from start to finish — without leaving the couch! Yes, of course reading about the game it is not quite the same as being physically on the court with friends. But as I read through the pages, I felt an old passion kindled for the great game tennis is. I also felt gratitude for all the joy it has given me in this lifetime. I even got my old racquet down from the shelf. And yep, the strings are still tight. Ready to go. God knows I could use the exercise!
If you are interested in purchasing Gyata’s book, contact her at ontheballbook@gmail.com. Highly-recommended.
“Osho, What is the most important word in our language: Tennis, meditation, chi-chi, mangoes, suntan, women, philosophy, exotic beaches, cricket, instant coffee, or jazz music and skinheads?
“Milarepa, I know you are crazy, but if I answer your question truthfully it will also drive the police commissioner of Pune crazy, because none of these words you are mentioning have any importance.” The Great Pilgrimage: From Here To Here #23
For Osho’s birthday celebration at The Ranch in 1982, one of my songs was chosen by the Commune to be sung as Osho sat and celebrated with us in satsang. There were maybe five or six songs all together, and a band of the best musician’s among us was selected to play them. It was something of a bonus that each songwriter got to sing their particular song and also had some choice over its arrangement, accompanying singers, and soloists. I, for one, was fascinated by Toby’s alto flute and asked if he would mind playing on my song. All of the songs were great. Many of them later would become Ranch classics. Some were high-energy and danceable while others, like mine, slow and ballad-like. The strongest thing about the whole experience, though, was a certain realization I had while singing. My song had started and the band was playing along beautifully. I felt relaxed feeling their support. I looked out over a sea of swaying, ecstatic people — his commune — and addressed my heart directly to him from across the hall to where he sat. “In the silence of your presence, you carry me away. In the silence of your presence, you carry me away. Carry me away, carry me away”. The words and music wafted out over the hall. It was all I could do to keep my voice steady and not get emotional. Suddenly the realization dawned on me what a golden opportunity this was, not only for me, but for us as a Commune, to say thank you to him. Not just in words, but through song. To express something from our side: our gratitude for all the inspiration and love he continuously showers. What a gift to express this to Osho! From this moment on, I understood that song is not only a powerful medium for love, but also has an ability to touch and open hearts.
The songs of the Commune, often referred to as “Osho Songs”, all start their journey as a single seed in an individual’s heart. These seeds, when watered with love, sprout from feelings of deep gratitude. Many of the well-known ones — those that the Commune embraces after years of singing them in countless celebrations — become part of the fabric of our Sangha. A handful are perennials: they go on flowering year after year and remain as fresh today as when Osho was in-the-body. Songs such as the Pune l music group classic of Anubhava’s (Peter Makena) “There Is So Much Magnificence”; the Ranch classic “Way of the Heart” (Ruparahi); the Pune ll classics “Ah This” (Abhinandan), “Love Is The Fire” (Miten); “Just Say Yes” (Sudhananda); Home Is Where The Heart Is (Narayani); Om Shanti (Subhan); I Am Touched (Neera); I Just Close My Eyes (Madhuro); This Life Our Celebration (Milarepa); and many many more too numerous to list here — all continue to touch people and open hearts, inspiring thousands around the world to explore the dimensions of love, meditation, and personal growth. I consider myself blessed to have had an opportunity to share them via my events since more than thirty years. I have witnessed, time and time again, their transforming effect on people, how they speak directly to the heart, and how they effortlessly open the door to Osho and silence. Perhaps it is this miracle that has kept me going this long!
One of the songs I speak of, that needs to be included in this conversation, is one that blossomed in the heart of Danish Pratibha. With a little help from her friend, Bindu (also Dansih), she gave birth to “Nothing Is Said”. I can still remember passing them sitting together in Mariam Canteen during lunch hour in Pune 1988, and calling out to me, “Hey, Mila! We have a new song. Wanna hear?” That same evening, we sang it with the Commune for Osho’s discourse. Now more than thirty years later I can say it remains one of the most-loved of all the “Osho” songs. It is as heartful a tribute to the Master if there ever was one. I will post a link below to Pratibha’s article in Osho News Online where she speaks about how the song came about for her.
In the autumn of 2016 after the USA tour, I started a project teaching myself the professional recording software LogicPro X. Learning as I went along, I began sketching out ideas for seven or eight new songs, all the while doing tutorials to practice and sharpen my recording skills. As it happened, on May 24, 2017, a beloved friend of mine and many, Ma Satya Priya — who ran the Osho Padma Center in New York City and also organized our annual band retreat in Upstate New York — left her body. When I received the news, I dropped everything I had been working on and quickly recorded what I knew to be her favorite Osho song, “Nothing Is Said” with the idea of using it as the soundtrack for a video tribute to her I wanted to make. Three days later, I posted the tribute but lost total interest in recording and going further with my projects. So, I dismantled the studio and never looked back. Alas, COVID-19 came along this March and, after the last of my events of the year canceled, I felt pulled to the studio again. My creatively began flowing effortlessly in this direction and so I set up the studio again and began the process of picking up the thread I had dropped three years earlier. One of the ways to familiarize myself with the technicalities of recording was to go back into tracks like “Nothing Is Said” and use them to practice, polish, remember, and hone my rusty skills. When I had originally posted Satya Priya’s tribute, I had some inquiries about whether the song was available anywhere and, if so, where to find it. So, as the track was becoming more finalized, I wrote Pratibha and asked whether she would mind if I shared it as a free download on my homepage. She very graciously said, “Yes”. In one of her email sentences to me she writes, “I couldn’t claim the song as mine since it was really Osho who sent it”. I know she feels this way, but I still want to acknowledge HER on behalf of myself and the many people I know who are going to be touched by this sharing. I hope you will enjoy the beautiful expression of love and devotion for the Master her song is.
Speaking of Satya Priya: what a divine coincidence this sharing comes on the second anniversary of Padma NYC our dynamic New York City center that continues and celebrates her legacy of sharing Osho and meditation in the heart of Manhattan. We all felt Priya a lot in last Sunday’s event!
Pritabha shares about the creation of “Nothing Is Said” and her experiences playing music in the Commune: https://www.oshonews.com/2015/05/24/pratibha-music/
For more about Pratibha, visit http://www.pratibha.dk.
For more about Padma NYC, our miracle of a meditation center in the heart of New York City, lovingly facilitated by Meera and Arpana, visit www.padmanyc.com.
“Nothing is said, nothing is heard, and yet the heart starts dancing in tune with the master.” Hari Om Tat Sat – The Divine Sound: That Is the Truth Chapter 27
“I am simply singing my own song. The meaning is not in the words, the meaning is in the silences between the words.” Osho, Om Mani Padme Hum – The Sound of Silence: The Diamond in the Lotus #19