How I got into John Lennon
John Lennon (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter and peace activist who co-founded the Beatles.
“I suppose now what I’m interested in is Nirvana, the Buddhist heaven. I don’t know much about it, or really understand it enough to explain it. George knows more.
Studying religion has made me try to improve relationships, not to be unpleasant. It’s not a conscious move to change my personality. Perhaps it is. I don’t know. I’m just trying to be how I want to be, and how I’d like others to be.
Drugs probably helped the understanding of myself better, but not much. Not pot. That just used to be a harmless giggle.”
~ John Lennon
(Source: The Beatles: The Authorised Biography by Hunter Davies, 1968)
Back in 1980, I was in my family home with my parents. It was my mom, my dad and myself, just the three of us and we were watching the afternoon news. Suddenly, all over the news, it came on that John Lennon was shot.
I knew he was a massive celebrity and very well known all around the world, but I didn’t know much about him. I didn’t know who he was, I wasn’t into his music. I’d heard of the Beatles but I wasn’t into their music at all. So we were watching the news and they kept having clips on his life, his achievements, who he was, and his wife and his sons. They played it over and over, as they do with big celebrities when they pass away and most of the clips they played, that they showed on TV was music-accompanied and the music was “Imagine”.
I remember wondering who this person was, and what the big hype was about. Then when they played the song “Imagine”, you know, when they played the clips, they only played a few bars of it. They didn’t play the whole song, but a few bars of it captured my imagination and then I decided to get the song. I decided that I liked John Lennon and I liked the song.
The large building in the background is the location of the former Steinbach in Manalapan, New Jersey where I purchased my first John Lennon album. At the bottom of the picture is Highway 9 (or Route 9) which I hitchhiked on to get to Steinbach.
So what I did was I left the house. I told my parents, “I’m gonna go buy something” and I did. I left the house and I walked down the street to Highway 9 and I went North. I hitchhiked and I got a ride with a Jewish rabbi. We have a lot of Jewish people living in the town next to us, which is Lakewood. So I got a ride with a Jewish rabbi and he took me for a 15-20 minute ride. I remember there was a traffic jam. He dropped me off at Steinbach, which is a department store we had that’s in the next town from where we live.
So he dropped me off and I walked across the highway to Steinbach. I went in there and I bought the album “Imagine” and I brought it home. I hitchhiked myself back – I hitchhiked a lot those days, it’s quite easy to get around hitchhiking – and I got home and I went to our dining room area, and I played the record player. I put on “Imagine” and I was really lucky because in the sleeve of the album, they had words, they had the lyrics of all the songs in the album written. It was really a plus because back then, there’s no Google so where are you going to get the words or lyrics of songs? In the album sleeve cover – today, you’d call these albums ‘vinyls’ but back then we called them albums – it had all the lyrics, and I was so happy because then I can memorise the song faster and easier with the lyrics.
The first John Lennon album that I purchased after I heard “Imagine” on the TV news
So I played “Imagine” and after playing a few times, it brought tears to my eyes because the lyrics were just so beautiful. The lyrics was about not having any dogmas, not having any attachments, not working towards greed, not living our life in competition to others but just to be free, and just to be ourselves and just to live with care and respect for another human being.
It was about not having any labels, not having any religion, not having any culture or background, just be ourselves, just be good human beings without greed, living in peace. Just to imagine that, just to think about that, just to visualise that for a moment, and to visualise it and to think about it, to make it come true.
The words of that song touched me extremely, extremely deeply and it related to my spirituality because that’s what my teacher was teaching at the temple a couple of streets away. You see, I was going to Geshe Lobsang Tharchin‘s classes two streets away, literally 10 minutes’ walk away and that’s what he was teaching. Almost the same thing with slightly different words. So I felt that John Lennon’s “Imagine” song was very Buddhist, it was very evocative. It was very idyllic but it was an ideal, an idealism that we all need in our lives.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono used their voices to campaign for peace, non-violence, no segregation and no discrimination
You see, what keeps us going is hope. What keeps us going is having hope that things will be better, that situations can become better, situations can become more positive. If we always think that things don’t become better and it won’t ever get better, then no matter who we are, no matter how rich we are, how poor we are, no matter how life has treated us, good or bad, we’ll always be unhappy.
It’s not how much we have, it’s knowing that things will get better. So we can be the richest person in the world and still have lots of problems and we want things to get better. We can be a person without a lot of financial means and have a lot of problems, and we still want things to get better.
The point is that things can be better, things will be better, and we can make it better, that we’re not victims, we’re not sitting around waiting for things to be better but we can make it better by being proactive, by consistently working towards it and keeping that goal in mind. When we have that goal, we feel hope, we feel happiness, we feel alive, we feel like going on. Every human being needs that hope. If we lose hope, if we lose that thought that things can get better, then depression, unhappiness, a feeling of listlessness and sometimes even suicide occurs in our mind, that thought of suicide and that’s very human, for all of us.
Vietnam War protesters at a peace march in New York City (April 1967).
So when that song came on, I just related to it so much, I really liked it. I liked the meaning behind it. I like the idealism behind it. You have to understand, 1980 was the tail-end of the 70s and 60s, where the younger generation had a purpose. When the teenagers and young people had a purpose. They had a goal, they had an idea, they had a right attitude and that attitude was world peace. They were against the Vietnam War, they were against US’s interference in Cuba and military actions, they were against racism, they were against black people in America being segregated, there was a lot of issues going on in America that was opposite of what the song was talking about.
So this song hit a chord with so many people back then, because a lot of young people back then were looking for peace. They were looking for an end to the war, people were dodging drafts, people were avoiding going to the army, people didn’t celebrate the Vietnamese War, people didn’t celebrate killing or destroying another human life.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono had a controversial marriage but there is no denying they cared about each other very much.
And on top of that, John Lennon had an interracial marriage, which was a big thing that time because mixing between the races was still looked at as something of an eyebrow-raiser, it was something surprising. John Lennon had a beautiful, innovative relationship with a Japanese lady, Yoko Ono of course and nobody thought they’d last. Everybody thought that she wasn’t very nice. Everybody thought that she broke up the Beatles and they had all kinds of thoughts about her. But the bottom line is this, that he loved her, he cared about her and vice versa, and that’s all that really mattered. So him marrying a person of another race was sending a message to the world that we are one, that we are all just people deep down inside and it doesn’t matter what colour we are and what background we are.
He was sending a very powerful message. He married a Japanese lady and stayed with her till his death, and they were totally, totally into each other. He created beautiful music. He was the voice of a generation back in the 60s and 70s. He was a voice that said to people, “We can achieve peace and we should not allow war, and we should not allow violence and killings and racism and segregation and hatred and dogmas and barriers, and all types of walls that we make against each other. We should just live together, love each other, and care about each other and just think of ourselves as one.”
In fact, when he got married to Yoko Ono, they had a kind of a honeymoon for peace, where they just laid in bed together for, I don’t know, how many days and all the press can come and their honeymoon was dedicated to world peace. Because usually, when you go on a honeymoon, you want privacy but they opened themselves up to the press to send a message to the world, that we all have to fight for peace, we have to earn it, we have to believe in it.
So his song “Imagine” was something very powerful because it was about peace, hope. It was about love. It was about not losing ourselves to violence and hatred and segregation, and racism. It was about living as one.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono opened what could have been a deservingly private moment of their life – their honeymoon – to the world’s press. They did this to spread the message about how necessary peace is.
After that, I really got into his music and I listened to “Imagine” over and over again, and it brought tears to my eyes and it still does today, because it’s exactly what I believe in. That song really spoke to me as it did millions of other people who thought of things beyond their neighbourhood, things beyond their little city, things beyond their little barriers. After that I really got into John Lennon and I was so sad that I didn’t know about him before he died. I was sad that he wouldn’t create more powerful messages as in “Imagine”, you know, the music. I felt kind of like, “Boy, I was born too late for this generation” because I really liked what that generation in the 60s, the 70s represented and I was just too, too young for it.
I was really sad that someone who has such a powerful voice, who spoke for peace, who used his fame and his name for peace and to empower millions of people around the world to hope for peace in the world, to stop the war, had been killed. It was really, really sad because you know, you have people and then you have people, and this type of person really meant something powerful to all of us. He had a voice to express it, to tell the world, “Don’t be afraid to stand up for peace, equality.”
And so that’s how I got into the Beatles’ music. That’s how I got into John Lennon and after that I started buying the “Red” album, and I bought the “Blue” album and a couple of other things by them. I used to like to draw and paint in my room a lot, and I had a little record player in my room so I would play the Beatles’ music and John Lennon’s music all the time, listen to it. I would paint and dream and wish; I would paint the Buddhas and wish that I can really just, you know, live the life that John Lennon was talking about.
Just imagine we can be at peace and never to lose that hope.
Tsem Rinpoche
I wrote to the LA Times many years ago about an article that had been published about Yoko Ono and my letter was published: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=43450
I think that everyone should have the freedom to be with whomever they want and pray to whatever they want. We should not discriminate against people on the basis of who they marry or what they have faith in: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=55375
These are some of my favorite John Lennon songs I’ve chosen for you with video and lyrics. I find them meaningful and very touching. I hope you will enjoy them and help you in whatever you are going through in life.
- Imagine
- Mind Games
- Nobody Told Me
- Watching the Wheels
- Instant Karma
- Stand By Me
- Woman
- Give Peace a Chance
- Power to the People
- Whatever Gets You Through the Night
Imagine
Lyrics:
Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace, you
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
The video and its associated content belongs to its original owner and creator. It is shown here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes, to express my admiration and respect for John Lennon’s talent, artistry and creativity. No profit is being generated from its display.
Mind Games
Lyrics:
We’re playing those mind games together
Pushing the barriers planting seeds
Playing the mind guerrilla
Chanting the Mantra peace on earth
We all been playing those mind games forever
Some kinda druid dudes lifting the veil
Doing the mind guerrilla
Some call it magic the search for the grail
Love is the answer and you know that for sure
Love is a flower
You got to let it, you gotta let it grow
So keep on playing those mind games together
Faith in the future out of the now
You just can’t beat on those mind guerrillas
Absolute elsewhere in the stones of your mind
Yeah we’re playing those mind games forever
Projecting our images in space and in time
Yes is the answer and you know that for sure
Yes is surrender
You got to let it, you gotta let it go
So keep on playing those mind games together
Doing the ritual dance in the sun
Millions of mind guerrillas
Putting their soul power to the karmic wheel
Keep on playing those mind games forever
Raising the spirit of peace and love
The video and its associated content belongs to its original owner and creator. It is shown here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes, to express my admiration and respect for John Lennon’s talent, artistry and creativity. No profit is being generated from its display.
Nobody Told Me
Lyrics:
Everybody’s talking and no one says a word
Everybody’s making love and no one really cares
There’s Nazis in the bathroom just below the stairs
Always something happening and nothing going on
There’s always something cooking and nothing in the pot
They’re starving back in China so finish what you got
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Strange days indeed
strange days indeed
Everybody’s runnin’ and no one makes a move
Everyone’s a winner
and no one seems to lose
There’s a little yellow idol to the north of Katmandu
Everybody’s flying and no one leaves the ground
Everybody’s crying and no one makes a sound
There’s a place for us in movies you just gotta stay around
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Strange days indeed
most peculiar
Mama
Everybody’s smoking and no one’s getting high
Everybody’s flying and never touch the sky
There’s Ufo’s over New York and I ain’t too surprised
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Strange days indeed
most peculiar, Mama
The video and its associated content belongs to its original owner and creator. It is shown here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes, to express my admiration and respect for John Lennon’s talent, artistry and creativity. No profit is being generated from its display.
Watching the Wheels
Lyrics:
People say I’m crazy
Doing what I’m doing
Well, they give me all kinds of warnings
To save me from ruin
When I say that I’m okay, well they look at me kinda strange
“Surely, you’re not happy now, you no longer play the game”
People say I’m lazy
Dreaming my life away
Well they give me all kinds of advice
Designed to enlighten me
When I tell them that I’m doing fine watching shadows on the wall
“Don’t you miss the big time boy, you’re no longer on the ball?”
I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go
Ah, people ask me questions
Lost in confusion
Well, I tell them there’s no problem
Only solutions
Well, they shake their heads and they look at me, as if I’ve lost my mind
I tell them there’s no hurry, I’m just sitting here doing time
I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go
I just had to let it go
I just had to let it go
The video and its associated content belongs to its original owner and creator. It is shown here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes, to express my admiration and respect for John Lennon’s talent, artistry and creativity. No profit is being generated from its display.
Instant Karma
Lyrics:
Instant Karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you right on the head
You better get yourself together
Pretty soon you’re gonna be dead
What in the world you thinking of
Laughing in the face of love
What on earth you tryin’ to do
It’s up to you, yeah you
Instant Karma’s gonna get you
Gonna look you right in the face
Better get yourself together darlin’
Join the human race
How in the world you gonna see
Laughin’ at fools like me
Who in the hell d’you think you are
A super star
Well, right you are
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Ev’ryone come on
Instant Karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
Ev’ryone you meet
Why in the world are we here
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there
When you’re ev’rywhere
Come and get your share
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
Come on and on and on on on
Yeah yeah, alright, uh huh, ah
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
On and on and on on and on
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
The video and its associated content belongs to its original owner and creator. It is shown here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes, to express my admiration and respect for John Lennon’s talent, artistry and creativity. No profit is being generated from its display.
Stand By Me
Lyrics:
When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No I won’t be afraid
No I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won’t cry, I won’t cry
No I won’t shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Oh, stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Darling, darling stand by me
Stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
The video and its associated content belongs to its original owner and creator. It is shown here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes, to express my admiration and respect for John Lennon’s talent, artistry and creativity. No profit is being generated from its display.
Woman
Lyrics:
Woman
I can hardly express
My mixed emotions at my thoughtlessness
After all, I´m forever in your debt
And woman
I will try to express
My inner feeling and thankfulness
For showing me the meaning of success
Ooh, well, well
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Ooh, well, well
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Woman
I know you understand
The little child inside the man
Please remember my life is in your hands
And woman
Hold me close to your heart
However distant, don’t keep us apart
After all it is written in the stars
Ooh, well, well
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Ooh, well, well
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Well, woman
Please let me explain
I never meant to cause you sorrow or pain
So let me tell you again and again and again
I love you, yeah, yeah
Now and forever
I love you, yeah, yeah
Now and forever
I love you, yeah, yeah
Now and forever
I love you, yeah, yeah
The video and its associated content belongs to its original owner and creator. It is shown here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes, to express my admiration and respect for John Lennon’s talent, artistry and creativity. No profit is being generated from its display.
Give Peace a Chance
Lyrics:
Two, one-two-three-four!
Ev’rybody’s talking ’bout
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, that-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Hit it
C’mon, ev’rybody’s talking about
Ministers, sinisters, banisters and canisters
Bishops and Fishops and Rabbis and Popeyes and bye-bye, bye-byes
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Let me tell you now
Ev’rybody’s talking ’bout
Revolution, evolution, masturbation, flagellation, regulation, integrations
Meditations, United Nations, congratulations
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Ev’rybody’s talking ’bout
John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary, Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan, Tommy Cooper
Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer, Alan Ginsberg, Hare Krishna, Hare, Hare Krishna
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
The video and its associated content belongs to its original owner and creator. It is shown here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes, to express my admiration and respect for John Lennon’s talent, artistry and creativity. No profit is being generated from its display.
Power to the People
Lyrics:
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
Say we want a revolution
We better get on right away
Well you get on your feet
And into the street
Singing power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
A million workers working for nothing
You better give ’em what they really own
We got to put you down
When we come into town
Singing power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
I gotta ask you comrades and brothers
How do you treat you own woman back home
She got to be herself
So she can free herself
Singing power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
Now, now, now, now
Oh well, power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
Yeah, power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people
Power to the people, right on
The video and its associated content belongs to its original owner and creator. It is shown here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes, to express my admiration and respect for John Lennon’s talent, artistry and creativity. No profit is being generated from its display.
Whatever Gets You Through the Night
Lyrics:
Whatever gets you through the night
It’s all right, it’s all right
It’s your money or your life
It’s all right, it’s all right
Don’t need a sword to cut through’ flowers
Oh no, oh no
Whatever gets you through your life
It’s all right, it’s all right
Do it wrong, or do it right
It’s all right, it’s all right
Don’t need a watch to waste your time
Oh no, oh no
Hold me, darlin’, come on, listen to me
I won’t do you no harm
Trust me, darlin’, come on, listen to me
Come on, listen to me; come on, listen, listen
Whatever gets you to the light
It’s all right, it’s all right
Out of the blue, or out of sight
It’s all right, it’s all right
Don’t need a gun to blow you mind
Oh no, oh no
Hold me, darlin’, come on, listen to me
I won’t do you no harm
Trust me, darlin’, come on, listen to me
Come on, listen to me, come on, listen, listen
The video and its associated content belongs to its original owner and creator. It is shown here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes, to express my admiration and respect for John Lennon’s talent, artistry and creativity. No profit is being generated from its display.
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I’m a super fan of The Beatles, I like John Lennon too. I had read some stories about their way to India to Maharishi Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh to learn and practise transcendental meditation. George was the most spiritual one in the band.
There’s a documentary about The Beatles, the band was saying there were hard time for them when they suddenly became so famous and recognised by everyone in anywhere which make them lose their private life in such a young age. I feel sad for them too.
The songs by the Beatles and John Lennon talk a lot love, peace, simple life stories. Many uncountable good songs, which inspire people so deeply. I like “Imagine” very much too, it always remind me about my life purpose to the world, this song give me hope.
Thank you for all the wonderful creations, John Lennon & The Beatles.
Even though John Lennon has passed away but his songs continue to bring positivity in people’s life. Famous people are very influential to the public, some choose to use their fame to give people a positive influence, such as John Lennon. What we want, we have to fight for it and do something to make it happens. If we want peace, we have to start with ourselves, we can’t expect it from other people.
John Lennon’s songs have touched many as he composed from his heart. To me, he seem to seeking for something that we can’t find in samsara, something that many are searching for but never had the merits to find. His song, Imagine, was so well received that almost everywhere I went, I could hear it playing, especially more so at his sudden death when the world mourned the loss of a creative talent with radios and tv channels playing his life and songs all over the world. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing your story with us, on how John Lennon had touched your life with his songs.
Lovely write up about John Lennon. Like some of his songs too like “Stand By Me”, “Woman”. I have known about The Beatles and John Lennon when i was very very young through my uncles whom i grew up with. Great to learn more about john Lennon from his songs and thank you very much Rinpoche and blog team for sharing this wonderful write up!????
Most people live in a life where they do not express much. They follow the crowd so that we do not become the odd one. Not that they do not care but to avoid controversy.
John Lennon walked his talk. He shared with everyone the truth he found in his life through his songs. He used his influences and fame as an artist to spread love and peace. He didn’t tell people how to feel but rather expressed what we all feel. His life and death had great impact to the world and his messages of peace still remembered by many people until these days.
Whether we are somebody or nobody, we should stand up for peace and equality. Share our enthusiasm about peace and love. The world needs our voice of honest, truth and compassion.
I know about John Lennon was when I heard the song ‘Imagine’ playing in some clubs during my early 20’s, hearing it for the first time, it didn’t stand out to me too much but that time, I find the song melody is quite soothing and comfortable, then when I heard this song for the second time, I started to like the song and later on, I will play this song from youtube from time to time.
I do agree that John Lennon’s song is very spiritual and its all about love, harmony, peace, etc, and that’s why I like his song especially Imagine. Another song I like very much is The Beatles – Let it Be, which I would play it again and again and again.. It is so sad that he died at such young age, I would always think, if he didn’t die that time, will he walk into a more spiritual path, because I always sense spiritualism in his song, but then the fact is the fact, there is no if or maybe.
John Lennon’s story has also reminded us a teaching in Buddhism, impermanence.
When John Lennon was at his peak period in his life, when he was the most influential celebrity at that time, when he was very rich at that time, when he has his best life at that time, death decided to knock on his door, and he’s gone forever. Whatever he has done in his lifetime, whatever he has gained in his lifetime, he can’t bring a single bit with him to his next life, with the amount of monies he has, it couldn’t prolong his life for even a second. When it is time to go, means it is time to go, no delays at all.
This article also reminded me a teaching from H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche on death:
—————————————————————————————–
Death is so final. Even if we reincarnate back, the life as we know it or how others knows us is gone forever. Most of the time, we don’t even remember that life again once we are back.
It is so important not to lie, cheat, hurt and give pain to the ppl around you or to anyone. Life’s short and it is hard to make up for th wrongs that we do, so why even do it? Make it the best with the ppl around you always. It makes the short time we have available have some sort of meaning.
Death, the meditation of it, the thought of it and the fear of it always motivated me to not hurt others, to give, be generous and to let go. Just let go. It has kept me in the dharma all these years.
Sometimes when something really frustrates me to no end, I think about my mortality and death, and I lighten up to the point of being able to think things through with some sanity.
Death has been my strongest motivation to try something even knowing I might fail. I don’t want to fail. The fear of failing can be paralyzing. But then when I contemplate how many years I’ve wasted, I figure what is there to lose? Only death makes me lose everything, so what is there to be afraid of? Just go ahead and try it out.
When I am insecure, I contemplate how many years I have left to live, and not knowing that, makes me let go.
When I am upset with someone or a situation, I really just think, does it matter if I was going to die today? Is it such a big deal after all? Would I be upset if I was going to die today?? Then again my mind releases whatever upsets me. it doesn’t release all the way, but enough to not be some wrapped up that I can’t do anything else.
Death meditation makes you face the biggest challenge in life, your own mortality. Once you can handle that, all the other challenges become small. And your fear of them start to lose hold on you.
Tsem Rinpoche
There is just so much talent and wisdom in John Lennon’s lyrics. There is so much love, peace and hope within. The ’60s and ’70s were troubled times but also a spiritual one. People were yearning for peace, love, acceptance and spirituality. Many religions at that time were successful and continued to grow because of the people’s beliefs and needs.
As a star, John Lennon used his talent to bring across the message of love and peace to the mass, guiding them towards some sort of liberation. The amazing thing is, it is still relevant today!
John Lennon was an English singer, songwriter and peace activist . He co-founded the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music with his friends. I am not his fan but heard of him having a Japanese wife and been shot. Well reading this post , I came to realised he is not only a singer but a true hero activist fighting for human rights and peace. He married a Japanese have proven that we are all just people deep down inside and it doesn’t matter what colour we are and what background we are.
(“We can achieve peace and we should not allow war, and we should not allow violence and killings and racism and segregation and hatred and dogmas and barriers, and all types of walls that we make against each other.)…… as said by John Lennon.
He has used his fame for peace and harmony to certify millions of people across the world.
Thank you Rinpoche for this beautiful sharing of a great man.
Dear Rinpoche,
I like John Lennon. He embodied the sentiments of his time and he delivered his messages through his songs as well as the way he lived his life. I also like what Rinpoche says about hope, that what keeps us going is hope that things will be better. Hope is the belief that something desired will happen. In fact, Rinpoche has always tried to encourage us to have hope and to bring hope to others.
P.S. To those who might be interested, here are some of H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s quotes on hope:
(1) “Give hope to others whenever you can.”
(2) “Always remember that your present situation is not your final destination. The best is yet to come.”
(3) “Don’t hang on to your failures, because you can always try again. Trying gives hope. Hope gives us life.”
(4) “We can have HOPE or GIVE UP, either way we still have to face the challenge.”
(5) “Where there is no hope, we should give some.”
(6) “Find hope where there is none because no one is going to give it to you.”
(7) “We can give hope to ourselves if we create the causes.”
(8) “So many things are not beyond hope as long as you are alive.”
I find Rinpoche’s teachings are truly messages of hope and have personally benefited from them. Thank you,
Dear Rinpoche,
I heard about “The Beatles “ when I was in my primary. Just like Rinpoche, I didn’t know about them much as back then, there’s no Google or Wiki. Our family relied on newspapers delivered every single day in the morning. We had Rediffusion Malaysia back then that aired mainly Chinese songs with news being broadcasted in regular intervals. We used cassettes tapes and a rather big disc player at that time for music. I’m not sure if I had their songs but I remember hearing their songs sometimes especially in commemoration of his death. I didn’t even know he was being shot until Rinpoche published this article.Yesterday I searched for his life stories more. I find that the song recommended by Rinpoche (Title: Imagine) carries a deep message for us. A message of peace with the absence of identity that has contributed to the segregation of human race for centuries. Honestly, I don’t relate much to him but somehow his song reminds me of Michael Jackson with his song “Heal The World”. Something similar.
Thank you Rinpoche for this article about John Lennon.
Great to learn of your love for John Lennon’s music Rinpoche! Having been born in ’73 I was exposed to John’s music at an early age, as my mother had the red and blue albums as you made reference to. Funny I never thought of them as a distinct color like the White album, and I would have referred to them as the OLD Beatles and the STONED Beatles. Ha! My Mother cared less for the LSD infused days of the late 60’s, I thought it was all great, and it sure beat listening to Dad’s playing of Buck Owens! lol The Beatles were always on the radio and if they weren’t, someone influenced by them could be heard alongside. I recall watching the same broadcast you would have watched as a kid and I was heartbroken as well, mostly for my Mother who cried when John was shot. Although I was young, I knew something very tragic had happened and this person must truly have meant much more to the world than just some singer in a rock and roll band. I had only seen my Mother cry like that for her own Father who passed away remarkably close to the same time of John’s passing. Needless to say, it had an impact on my life. Coming to know the lyrics intimately and playing a few of John’s numbers in various bands I was a part of in my teens, it was hard not to want to emulate or to at least capture some essence of what it was to be even half the musician, writer and performer that John Lennon had been. Not even close by the way! But most definite, was the positive influence I would take from coming to know the motivation behind his success and ideals worth embracing, such as described in IMAGINE, and which he lived out in his daily life and aspirations. Instant Karma is one of my person favorites and of course Wheels Go Round. Thank you for posting once again Rinpoche, I will always IMAGINE you when I listen to the song by the way now. All the best from Canada. May you be well, thank you for all you do for others. Please remain to bring others to the full realization of their innate Buddha nature, which is loving kindness and may we bring about a world which is more than just imagined, together in peace and harmony. Sarva Mangalam!