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The sad passing of a gender bending trail blazer ....He was once asked the question "What is the most common cause of misery ?" he answered "To live in fear" ... (One can't get any more Buddhist than that...)
RIP David Starman
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Comments
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
Planet Earth is blue, and there's nothing I can do.
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silverIn the beginning there was nothing, and then it exploded.USA, Left coast.Veteran
Put on your red shoes and dance the blues...
wow such a shock!
Just a couple months ago, I bought two of his cd sets from amazon just for the heck of it.
The NYTimes arts section had an unfortunate blurb today on Bowie's new album, beginning "It's a great time to be David Bowie, turning 69, new album, new Broadway tribute..." I'm paraphrasing but it was clearly printed before this sad turn of events. I guess he kept his illness pretty quiet.
My two fave albums are Diamond Dogs and Let's Dance. I have the 2013 CD but didn't warm up to it much, though now I'll listen a few more times.
Regardless of his shortcomings, he paved the way for many when it comes to moving towards more social acceptance of gender nonconforming people...(Or for that matter people who didn't quite fit the social norms....)....He was a cool guy....
The stars look very different today. I am gonna miss that British gentleman...
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DavidA human residing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Ancestral territory of the Erie, Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat, Mississauga and Neutral First NationsVeteran
edited January 2016
His spiritual teacher, Lama Chime Rinpoche says see ya.
@lobster you say he was "put off" by Trungpa but that wasn't how I read it. He wasn't told not to be a Buddhist. He was told to use his gift of music rather than become a monk. I wouldn't consider that being "put off." I would consider it wise advice. Creativity opens us up to a different place, and allows us to share it with humanity. That was Bowie's gift to the world. One, no doubt, he was more influential in rather than had he become just another monk.
From an article with Pema and singer KD Lang:
Pema: When a ballet dancer leaps beautifully through the air, or a singer hits a note—I bet you’ve had this experience, k.d.— everybody stands up and applauds because of this universal experience of something touching you so deeply that it’s inexpressible-because it's...gapacious!"
I was mainly a fan of Bowie for his uniqueness and gender-bending personas and only familiar with a small fraction of his albums (there's about 4 or 5 I really like); but I was also attracted to the esoteric nature of many of his lyrics. Occult/spiritual ideas are prevalent throughout his albums and films, and this article ties some of them together via his various personas in an interesting way (e.g., the suggestion that Bowie tapped into his own creative, illumined unconscious vis-a-vis Aleister Crowley and Aiwass). I'm not sure if it gets everything 100% right, but it definitely makes me want to take another look at his oeuvre as a whole.
His long-time producer confirmed that his final video was part of a carefully choreographed goodbye to fans. The first line is, "Look up, I'm in heaven."
And I've seen it suggested that the dead astronaut with jewel-encrusted skull in Blackstar represents Bowie via his character Major Tom.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
Seven minutes into this interview from 1999, Bowie reveals he is actually a time traveller, or at least must be for his prescience about the Internet. His interviewer is an apt standin for basically every old person's attitude towards the Internet in the 90s but Bowie just completely sees it all.
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
....>Bowie was as far removed from the ascetic Buddhist monks of Tibet as is possible to imagine.
I'm wondering what the point of this comment actually is... One could say the same about Richard Gere, Tina Turner, Orlando Bloom and Steven Seagal... what does his 'far removal' have to do with anything?
In fact, on further reflection - it could pretty much be said about all of us, I' d imagine!!
I guess he is just highlighting/comparing the lavish lifestyle of Bowie NY mansion etc (who once thought of becoming a monk) to the image of what many in the West see when they think of a Tibetan monk, living in a cave in the Himalayas ...
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silverIn the beginning there was nothing, and then it exploded.USA, Left coast.Veteran
I just read on aol news that he's wanting to have his ashes spread on Bali, and who he's giving most of his money to (wife (ex-wife, right?) Iman, family and staff).
He wanted a Buddhist funeral yet he left all his money to his wife and children. Oh yes, a million each to his assistant and nanny. Hmmmm, how buddhist is that?
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@hermitwin What would you consider to be Buddhist? And why?
A late friend of mine was very involved in Buddhism during the 1960's. During this period he met David Bowie at a Buddhist commune which I believe was in Surrey. He said Bowie actually wrote and performed a song about Buddhism while staying there. The song was not well received. I wonder if it survives?
@rocala said:
A late friend of mine was very involved in Buddhism during the 1960's. During this period he met David Bowie at a Buddhist commune which I believe was in Surrey. He said Bowie actually wrote and performed a song about Buddhism while staying there. The song was not well received. I wonder if it survives?
You never know it might pop up in the new future....
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JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
@hermitwin said:
He wanted a Buddhist funeral yet he left all his money to his wife and children. Oh yes, a million each to his assistant and nanny. Hmmmm, how buddhist is that?
It strikes me as fine... Although one shouldn't get attached, money deserves respect for what it represents - freedom to do what you want, and not to have to spend ages in other people's employment. Not everyone is a monk and cast upon the charity of others while they proclaim the dharma.
Comments
Planet Earth is blue, and there's nothing I can do.
Put on your red shoes and dance the blues...
wow such a shock!
Just a couple months ago, I bought two of his cd sets from amazon just for the heck of it.
He's like a forever young kinda dude.
rip Bowie
His new album was just released on Friday too. It came out of the blue, nobody was even expecting anything new from him.
The NYTimes arts section had an unfortunate blurb today on Bowie's new album, beginning "It's a great time to be David Bowie, turning 69, new album, new Broadway tribute..." I'm paraphrasing but it was clearly printed before this sad turn of events. I guess he kept his illness pretty quiet.
My two fave albums are Diamond Dogs and Let's Dance. I have the 2013 CD but didn't warm up to it much, though now I'll listen a few more times.
Changes Nothing is permanent ....
I liked that film "The man who fell to earth".
Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low
mmm ... At rest now
What you may not know is Bowie nearly became a Buddhist monk but was put off by Chogyam Trumpet. Bowie got lost in himself, fascism, drugs, music, golden dawn Crowley new age nonsense etc. On occasion Bowie still went on Buddhist retreat. Somewhere in Kent I think it was in later life.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/americanbuddhist/2016/01/david-bowies-fascination-with-tibet-and-buddhist-influence.html
Choose your rinpoche and one day heroes with care and attention ...
Regardless of his shortcomings, he paved the way for many when it comes to moving towards more social acceptance of gender nonconforming people...(Or for that matter people who didn't quite fit the social norms....)....He was a cool guy....
Musician, poet, gender bender, innovator etc. Yes, no doubt. First rate. I loved his music, videos, persona etc. RIP
The stars look very different today. I am gonna miss that British gentleman...
His spiritual teacher, Lama Chime Rinpoche says see ya.
^^^ Ah yes Marpa House was Davids Sangha. Not sure how often he went on retreat.
@lobster you say he was "put off" by Trungpa but that wasn't how I read it. He wasn't told not to be a Buddhist. He was told to use his gift of music rather than become a monk. I wouldn't consider that being "put off." I would consider it wise advice. Creativity opens us up to a different place, and allows us to share it with humanity. That was Bowie's gift to the world. One, no doubt, he was more influential in rather than had he become just another monk.
From an article with Pema and singer KD Lang:
Pema: When a ballet dancer leaps beautifully through the air, or a singer hits a note—I bet you’ve had this experience, k.d.— everybody stands up and applauds because of this universal experience of something touching you so deeply that it’s inexpressible-because it's...gapacious!"
http://www.lionsroar.com/pema-chodron-k-d-lang-talk-buddhism-creativity-and-gapaciousness/
I thought this was an interesting read:
The Occult Universe of David Bowie and the Meaning of “Blackstar”
I was mainly a fan of Bowie for his uniqueness and gender-bending personas and only familiar with a small fraction of his albums (there's about 4 or 5 I really like); but I was also attracted to the esoteric nature of many of his lyrics. Occult/spiritual ideas are prevalent throughout his albums and films, and this article ties some of them together via his various personas in an interesting way (e.g., the suggestion that Bowie tapped into his own creative, illumined unconscious vis-a-vis Aleister Crowley and Aiwass). I'm not sure if it gets everything 100% right, but it definitely makes me want to take another look at his oeuvre as a whole.
His long-time producer confirmed that his final video was part of a carefully choreographed goodbye to fans. The first line is, "Look up, I'm in heaven."
And I've seen it suggested that the dead astronaut with jewel-encrusted skull in Blackstar represents Bowie via his character Major Tom.
And this is pretty far out there....
Ziggy needed dharma more than most. A troubled soul. NT 1
https://bowiesongs.wordpress.com/tag/insanity/
RIP
A lad insane ...
I'm just mentioning it about Glenn Frey - he passed today - another musical marvel gone to that great stadium in the sky.
Seven minutes into this interview from 1999, Bowie reveals he is actually a time traveller, or at least must be for his prescience about the Internet. His interviewer is an apt standin for basically every old person's attitude towards the Internet in the 90s but Bowie just completely sees it all.
"David Bowie's lifetime interest in Buddhism to culminate in Bali scattering of his ashes"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/12131199/Bowie-wanted-ashes-scattered-in-Bali.html
....>Bowie was as far removed from the ascetic Buddhist monks of Tibet as is possible to imagine.
I'm wondering what the point of this comment actually is... One could say the same about Richard Gere, Tina Turner, Orlando Bloom and Steven Seagal... what does his 'far removal' have to do with anything?
In fact, on further reflection - it could pretty much be said about all of us, I' d imagine!!
I guess he is just highlighting/comparing the lavish lifestyle of Bowie NY mansion etc (who once thought of becoming a monk) to the image of what many in the West see when they think of a Tibetan monk, living in a cave in the Himalayas ...
I just read on aol news that he's wanting to have his ashes spread on Bali, and who he's giving most of his money to (wife (ex-wife, right?) Iman, family and staff).
He wanted a Buddhist funeral yet he left all his money to his wife and children. Oh yes, a million each to his assistant and nanny. Hmmmm, how buddhist is that?
@hermitwin What would you consider to be Buddhist? And why?
Just another influential pop star we have IMO enough of. Just another monk I have a feeling he would not have been ...
He was what he was. Well advised? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
RIP
Sorry if this is a necro post (excessively old post) but it was from this year.
It turns out David Bowie had a relationship to a Buddhist teacher named Chime
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/david-bowies-buddhist-david-rang-me-up-and-said-i-have-a-very-bi/
A late friend of mine was very involved in Buddhism during the 1960's. During this period he met David Bowie at a Buddhist commune which I believe was in Surrey. He said Bowie actually wrote and performed a song about Buddhism while staying there. The song was not well received. I wonder if it survives?
You never know it might pop up in the new future....
It strikes me as fine... Although one shouldn't get attached, money deserves respect for what it represents - freedom to do what you want, and not to have to spend ages in other people's employment. Not everyone is a monk and cast upon the charity of others while they proclaim the dharma.