Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: Monk

  • Karmic Dreams

    Karmic Dreams

    For all of the downside attached to the devastation that is the Corona virus, the other side of the darkness is beauty, rich and magnificent; ethereal and majestic, peaceful and meditative. Facing his own personal battle with all-be-it a mild dose of Covid-19, Michael Whalen was compelled to create his second album of 2020. Karmic Dream, a collaborative work with Rasaul, known also as Blue Monk, based in Malaysia, is the result of this time spent in isolation in New York, with both musicians combining their skills through modern technology.

    Blue Monks’ immense talent with the flutes enchants the electronic ambiance created by Whalen as they draw forth from the very essence of an almost Zen like existence, a rare and beautiful meditation album that is elegant, purposeful and transformational.

    In a plethora of electronic based meditation works that have been born throughout the year 2020 as people struggle to come to terms with the new reality, with musicians offering the solace of music to bring relaxation and a sense of peace to many, Karmic Dreams stands very, very tall, as there is a subliminal feeling of vulnerability underlying the compositions which offers a reminder that our time on this earth is all too short; a precious gift that should be treasured.

    The Secret Garden welcomes you into a world that is unexpected, as it is when you enter your secret garden, a place of timeless enchantment; flute, bells and gongs dance within the boundaries of the electronic medium, creating a fascinating, surreal piece that is a fitting match for the title.

    And so the journey has begun into a wondrous place only you can visit via The Way of the Samurai, to feast the senses on Cherry Blossom Heart, a piece as delicate as the title infers. Moonscape leads into The Trance, a subtle and gentle piece morphing into Boundless Love a haunting, ethereal blessing before ushering in the final melody.

     Karmic Dream, the final track on this absolutely divine work is sublime, powerful; a musical essay into spirituality and creativity even in time of crisis. Out of the darkness comes true beauty; out of change come fresh frontiers, out of closures come new beginnings, all of which can be discovered hidden within the secret garden you are bid to enter in Karmic Dreams – exceptional.

     

  • If Truth Be Told A Monk’s Memoir

    If Truth Be Told A Monk’s Memoir

    What is it that drives a person to give up all they have worked for to take up the life of a monk, to step away from all they love and hold dear, to become one with not just themselves, earth and nature, but with God?

    In this honest, enjoyable and intriguing memoir told by On Swami, he explains why and what it was that encouraged him to do just that; to set a pathway through his life that was to be ultimately undeniable; something that all his life, in an almost subliminal way, he knew he would do; undertake the life lived by a monk.

    Approaching his 3oth birthday, he began seriously to consider becoming a monk; casting off his worldly goods to follow a desire which was getting stronger, more insistent every day; a desire to follow what he truly believed was his life purpose.

    Planning his way towards what he considered his destiny was done with the precision to be expected from a businessman of his ability and standing. On the chosen day he walked into an internet café, emailed his family and business associates, letting them know he was going away, destroyed his SIM card, deleted his email account and set out with a feeling of immense vulnerably, to discover the way forward to a ‘new inner life’.

    As his story unfolds, it is very easy to walk with him as he discovers the pathway to becoming a monk is not all he has thought, or even dreamed, it would be. He discovers several of the personages he has read about and respected from afar, are perhaps not the best role models, but the humble people who help out when needed, devote their time and effort to helping him survive and walk with him on his journey, often come with many lessons he needed to learn.

    Today, Om Swami is a very different man to the young child growing up in India: he is a man who followed his calling, suffered as he sought the Divine, learned his lessons, often the hard way, discovering once he finally reached enlightenment, that there is one truth, that of the eternal truth; which is to have the right to live your life to the fullest.

    Written in a manner to be enjoyed, the words come from a very personal and truthful place: that of a man facing often terrifying options, in the firm and unshakeable belief that no matter what the world and the elements choose to test him with, he would eventually see God, see the ultimate, and by doing so would become a far, far better person.

    His conclusion to his time of renouncement is not what would logically be expected. Once again it is befitting of a man who had to take it to the limit, no matter what, to discover the ultimate truth.