Follow Your Bliss with Balls (excerpt from a letter)

Keep your mind OPEN
HAVE FUN
HONE THE CLARITY OF YOUR PURPOSE

It really is a survival skill to follow your bliss
and expand your comfort zone with bliss as the basis
push yourself but completely without strain.

take a dance class
anything that teaches you how to feel the drums in your body
playing from your heart
it's about dancing
and being primal and GROOVING

INWARD AND OUTWARD VIEWS

To cling to oneself as Buddha, oneself
as Zen or the Way, making that an un-
derstanding, is called clinging to the inward
view.

Attainment by causes and conditions,
practice and realization, is called the out-
ward view,

Master Pao-chih said, "The inward view
and the outward view are both mistaken."

Pao Chih also says THE ZEN POCKET READER,
"Just seek nothing at all, and afflictions will naturally fall away"

These are my new favorite quotes.
Allow yourself to grow naturally without getting in the way of yourself.
Don't strain. Just be blissfully faithful and take CREATIVE ACTION.
Spontaneous Discipline.

Having said that I have recently made a spreadsheet for myself that has every category of what I would do in an UNLIMITED AND PERFECTLY IDEAL DAY.

from
Brushing Teeth
to tabla to drum books
CONCERTS:PERFORMING, ATTENDING, REHEARSING
rudiments
tabla solo
rebounder
to education from books films You tube blogging
fitness
and I have ZERO obligation to the spreadsheet
it is just my cosmic blueprint
reminder of what I continually return to putting my attention on
set as an intention to blossom in its own time with Easy Effort.

If you're having trouble focusing it's because your heart isn't open fully or the stakes aren't high enough.

I remember one saint Ramakrishna didn't attain enlightenment until his Guru stabbed him in the Third Eye with a piece of glass after several suicide attempts.

You are undertaking the path of the warrior so anything you can do to strip away the BULLSHIT
Dance
Yoga
Running
Singing
Free writing
Reading
Films
LISTENING TO ALL KINDS OF MUSIC
anything that opens your heart
VOLUNTEER
SERVICE
COMMUNITY
FRIENDS
AMENDS
LOVE LETTERS
TEMPLES
MEDITATION
SHOULDER STAND
MEANINGLESS WORK
TOTALLY RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
LAZINESS
INSANITY
make up parameters
buy a stop watch and say
"okay for fun I'm going to play the simplest exercise I know for two hours straight with zero improv"
or
"okay today I'm only allowed to practice for ten minutes"
find ways to STOKE YOUR PERSONAL FIRE
You MUST REALIZE THAT YOU ARE YOUR ONLY TEACHER
and THAT EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING IS YOUR TEACHER
EXPERIMENTATION
write a love letter in tabla speak
FREEDOM IS WHAT EVERYONE SEEKS
FIND IT IN YOUR ART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IMPROVISE
DON'T IMPROVISE
TAKE RISKS
JOIN A BAND
USE GARAGE BAND
VIDEO TAPE YOURSELF
TAKE SELF PORTRAITS
YOU GOTTA GET IN DEEP
FIND THE ECSTASY OF INSANITY
THAT IS THE LIFE OF THE ARTIST
REVISE
FAIL
FAIL AGAIN
FAIL BETTER
STAY UP ALL NIGHT
DON'T LET ANYTHING DISCOURAGE YOU
EVERYTHING IS A GOOD OMEN DIRECTLY FROM GOD
FOLLOW YOUR BLISS WITH BALLS AND MASTERY WILL BE YOURS IN TIME.



SELF PORTRAIT WITH PETAL FROM PUJA TO GURU DEV ON MAHARISHI'S BIRTHDAY, JANUARY 12TH, 2009.

Outside the Box

This video was sent to me by my good friend George Foster. Even though this is "inside the box" It is a direct charge to LET YOUR BLISS LEAD YOU TO THE ECSTASY OF GOD AND TOTAL FREEDOM OUTSIDE THE *&%ing BOX. That is the charge to all musicians and artists, or as Eminem says "Lose yourself in the music the moment you want it you better never let it go..." :) Find your edge!

viva la "CISSY STRUT"

FREE TIBET,
David Hurlin



PS Here's Scofield's version
PPS Here's John Mayer's version
PPPS Here's the version by the guy who wrote the song
PPPPS Here's the crazy Oriental Allman Brothersesque Fusion Incredible version WOW
PPPPPS Here's New Orleans funk group Galactic's version

Humility and Perpetual Learning

As a drummer, artist and survivor :) I always keep my ears "peeled" for inspiration, revelation anything that will open the skies and summon the LIGHTNING GOD. I regard every person and every moment as a highly revered teacher. If you are FULLY OPEN you will be bombarded by continuous OMENS OF BLISS. You can walk on water when you have the balls to follow your bliss.

One of the stories I have overheard, I forget the source, but that doesn't matter. It doesn't even matter if the story is true or not because the principle is so gorgeous. I heard that in some parts of Africa the master drummers refrain from teaching the babies and little kids for awhile. In fact the masters give all the kids drums and then learn new ideas, new approaches, new perspectives to the ART of drumming from them. Kids, non-drummers, beginning drummers, everyone truthfully has something to teach you if you can remain grounded in the sheer joy and humility of perpetual openness and learning.

One fun exercise to maintain humility is to go into a music store where everyone likes to show off and pretend to barely know how to play. It's interesting how attitudes shift depending on skill level or association. The lesson is for you, to remind yourself to treat ALL ARTISTS at every level with the same amount of respect and humility. Not just because it fosters well being, an open heart, and harmony between all people, but because paths are not necessarily linear. If you are totally encouraging and uplifting and respectful to a beginner drummer, that drummer might develop into an ELVIN JONES equivalent. Your network should be maintained with love and dignity ALWAYS with EVERYONE at all times.

The lesson is you don't have the right to judge even yourself. Stick to the bliss and the work.

Check out my son Dil Mondrian Hurlin!

How to Sit

God won't give you more than you can handle
and He won't give you any less.

Let go or get dragged

So fully imprisoned we are in the moment
that I believe if you let go deeply enough,
if you become like water and find a true horizontal
within your mind, that even turning on the faucet
would invoke a feeling of religious rapture.

This is the state of mind that needs to be cultivated
in the listening to, practice and performance of music.

Just sitting behind your drum set, just holding your instrument
should be enough. Anything more than that; tidal waves of bliss.