Hello, heard two people the other day arguing about whether these Kula Shaker songs from like 1996 were ‘Buddhisty’… You’re all experts… tell me what you think… usual story; make sure you explain why you think what you think…
At The Moment That You Wake From Sleeping
And You Know Its All A Dream,
Well The Truth May Come In Strange Disguises
Never Knowing What It Means.
Hidden in the misty forest that desire send
Mesmerised like fireflys falling through a flame
We think that some of their lyrics relate to buddhism by co-incidnence “Will I ever see the pleasure that will never end. Hidden in the misty forest that desire sends”
Though these lyrics relate to buddhism by talking about desire. “pleasure that will never end” represents the unlimited wants of humans. The band, however, do mention heaven in one of their songs which could be relative to christianity because buddhists don’t believe in heaven.”Grateful when you’re dead” means that buddhists are happy when they die because they have finally reached nirvana
I believe some aspects of the band are Buddhist. They sing about suffering, greed, not waiting for enlightenment- you have to reach it yourself. One song revolves around one aspect for example ‘Hey Dude’ is about going to find enlightenment, Nirvana and no more suffering.
I think it has some things to with Buddhism because In “Grateful When Your Dead” There are lyrics like I’m painting a picture in your picture which can mean when you are meditating and you are relaxing. Also the lyrics If You’re Driving Roads To Suicide which in the Buddhism killing your self is a wasted life.
There is a reference straight away in the start of the song “Grateful when you’re dead” in the first line where it taks about painting a picture in your eye which is referring to conditioning and placing ideas in your mind. Then looking at the song hey dude we see he is refering to desire and the negatives of it and how he was struggling to find his direction.
I think the song ‘Grateful when you’re dead’ shows suffering in the lyrics, and that is its link to buddhism.
The song ‘The temple of everlasting light’ does not have anything major to do with buddhism. The word ‘desire’ does make a small connection to buddhism.
‘Hey dude’, I think doesn’t particularly show any buddhism themes. The word ‘greed’ makes a slight connection to buddhism.
The song ‘Start all over’ a little bit shows karma and concequences, because the lyrics suggest that he wants to start his love life over.
We think Kula Shaker is a Buddhist Band because in many of there songs they have references to Buddhist terms. In “Grateful when you’re dead” the bad in talking about suffering and dilution (one of the 3 root poisons)-“You’re blinded by the pain”. In the song “Start all over” Kula Shaker are singing about desire. You know this because of the repetition of the phrase “I Really want” and in Buddhism to stop suffering you must stop desiring.
Hey Dude
We think this song is about lusting and wanting which leads to suffering. It talks about the things that he has is enough and that he doesn’t want to have too much which will turn it into greed.
The temple of everlasting light
The title of the song kinda shows its about escaping the wheel of life and going to nibbana.
“Hidden in the misty forest of desire’ Desire is the cause of suffering and not the way to go if you want to be enlightened.
Grateful when you’re dead.
“If you’re love is a cheatin’” Suggests that the person he loves is cheating he he is upset this shows attachment to the person he loves. Attachment is one of the three marks of existence.
Start all over
‘Starting all over’ maybe suggests that he wants to start again, reincarnation. He again is describing his suffering about love which is again attachment.
The band the “Kula Shakers” have been called Buddhist by a number of people but at the same time many others oppose this idea and think that any links between the two are pure coincidence. Its true that lines such as “Mesmerised like fireflys falling through a flame” show links to Buddhist ideals. The fireflys representing us and how we are attracted to things we desire (the flame) that will ultimately hurt us (falling). From the same song the line “Will I ever see the pleasure that will never end” sounds like a reference to nirvanna the Buddhist idea if where you go when you reach enlightenment which is meant to be a very nice place. This line is followed by “Hidden in the misty forest that desire sends” which is similar to the idea that desire fogs our perception of the world and make you suffer through craving. Also lines lines from Grateful when you’re dead show some Buddhist principles. For example “If you’re waiting for a vision, to illuminate you’re mind” could refer to nirvana as well as “To leave this world of misery, to leave it all behind.”
Hey Dude
“All I have is all I need enough for love but not for greed” – This line is about non-attachment of objects wich being buddhist is all about. The rest of the song is about the