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Zen of Steve Vai

Music, Art and Spirituality
Free e-book

by Acharya Babananda
Copyright Kim Katami 2012. First edition. This e-book may be freely shared. Donations are warmly welcomed at Yoga Center Sundara's website: www.sundarayoga.fi Published with Steve's kind permission. Cover photo: Pawel Glogowski, http://glogowski.art.pl/ Other photographers mentioned with each picture, if known. Cover art (Zen Circle painted with black ink) and design: Kim Katami Contact the author: Acharya Babananda via email: kimkatami@hotmail.com or call +358-(0)44-3045435 (Finland).

Contents
Preface & Dedication, page 4 Chapter I Introduction, page 6 What is spirituality? Spiritual training What is spiritual art? Traditional Zen arts, page 11 Traditional definition of Zen Art, page 12 Quotes from important Zen art masters of China and Japan: Wang Xi Zhi Omori Sogen Terayama Tanchu Yamaoka Tesshu From the Orient to the Boundless Universe, page 16 Chapter II Steve Vai, page 17 Steve's story in short Early training Solo career Steve's spiritual background, page 20 Sant Thakar Sing and Sant Mat 4 States of consciousness Steve's own words, page 23 On creative process Musical meditation Particular and universal approach Listening and communication Spirituality and art Epilogue, page 33 Author's story, page 34

Preface & Dedication

Whenever we go into that creative element of our brain, we always gravitate to the thing that interests us the most. Some people are very passionate about politics, about love affairs, about fast cars, most of the time we are thinking about sex... Right? But for some reason, ever since I was very young, I've been a seeker, after truth or reality. And through the years, I've studied, even more than guitar, more than anything, I've studied various religions, spiritual thoughts and truths. You know, that's a personal journey, we all can have. And when I go to write my music, many times I immediately just gravitate to that core. Then my brain has all the technical information and ability so it mixes it all up. That's how I get the music that I write. - Steve Vai The idea for this book came to me several years ago. By that time I had long ago left the field of music, in the professional sense, and had spent many years in the field of spirituality and meditation practices. Based on this background, from both music and meditation, and having studied with the greatest Zen masters of Zen art in Japan, I began to perceive the flavour of spirituality in some of the present day popular artists and artforms as well, though it is rare to meet in the most essential sense. Almost a decade earlier I had consciously stopped pursuing the path of guitar because I came to understand that it wasn't the path to perfection for me and that I could never become as great as Steve Vai. I've always considered him to be the greatest of this instrument. I knew I could never understand Steve's greatness by only practicing and studying the guitar, so I took a conscious turn in my life and stopped playing, though at the time I didn't know where my pursuit of perfection was going to take me. After several years of dedicating my time fully to meditation and traditional Zen arts of calligraphy (jap. shodo) and martial arts (jap. budo), I came to understand the uniqueness of Steve Vai and since that insight, I've been planning to write this book, Zen of Steve Vai. This book is not about Zen Buddhism, nor Japan, nor the Orient. Zen Buddhism is a meditation-oriented form of Buddhism and the traditional Zen arts in Japan and China have developed close to it. But to say that spiritual arts and Zen art masterpieces didn't exist in other countries would be a misperception. It does, for example in India and Tibet and in glimpses, elsewhere too. In this book, I take a broader view of Zen as practical spirituality and Zen arts as artistic expression of deep meditation and self-realized mind . This is the way my late Japanese master, Terayama Sensei, viewed Zen art, studying both Eastern and Western art, including all kinds of artforms. If deep understanding of truth is there, it doesn't matter what kind of art or artpiece is concerned. Zen art is universal, alike to all people and cultures. I hope that this little book will bring artists and musicians to spirituality and meditators may gain inspiration in how to express their spirituality.

Steve Vai is a very famous person. He has won 3 Grammys and sold over 15 million albums worldwide. Sometimes he has been titulated as God of the Guitar. If you know what a guitar is, there is a good chance you know who Steve Vai is, too. He is very well known. I've been one of his number one fans for about 20 years, since Passion and Warfare came out in the early 90's. His music has meant a lot to me both as a musician and as a spiritually oriented person. Steve's Zen art, his music, hasn't been seen or valued but very rarely as something having distinctly spiritual qualities, though I think that, that exactly is the root and cornerstone of his music. Because of his musical abilities as well as extended spiritual experience, gained through years of ongoing meditation and inner seeking, it probably wouldn't matter if you took the guitar away from him and gave him an accordion or a banjo. He'd probably be able to touch the listeners heart and blow everyone off anyway. Though this book in most part is about Steve, his spiritual views and his spiritual art, please be aware that the author has never met or interviewed Steve in person. I have written this book from my perspective of him and his music. I do not claim to know his mind or his persona but as you read the book, you will see the identicality of his views and method of music and that of an age-old spiritual art tradition. I want to dedicate this book to my late Zen Calligraphy (jap. hitsuzendo, lit. Way of the Zen Brush) master Terayama Tanchu Sensei (1938-2007) with whom I studied in Japan. Though my study with him was brief, he made deep and life long impression on me as a True Man of the Way. He was kind-hearted, had broad knowledge and had unfettered perception. He was truly someone from whom many could learn about life and arts. In addition to being a dharma heir to one of the greatest Rinzai Zen Buddhist masters of the 20th century Japan, Omori Sogen Roshi, he was a professor and a family man. I am always gratetul to Terayama Sensei for his kindness and warmth towards me. My humble gratitude and sincere bow to him. Thank you, Sensei. Also, my gratitude beyond measure belongs to the masters of my spiritual kriya yogalineage. Without the help and blessings of my Satgurus, surely I wouldn't have been able to write this book. Thank you Thirumoolar. Thank you Babaji and thank you for all the masters in this lineage. I'm not an academic person but a simple fellow, so please excuse me for not being able to write a more detailed and long book on this subject. The book is simple and short, yet hopefully, profound. I hope this book can serve as a source of study and inspiration for people from many fields. I hope it will bring inspiration to many. Many thanks to Steve himself who has read the book and has given his kind permission for it to be openly distributed. Om-Love, Acharya Babananda 1st October 2012 Helsinki, Finland

Chapter I
Introduction
The title of the book include the words Zen and art. Together we get Zen art or spiritual art. It is from this perspective that I will be looking at Steve Vai's music and it's unique character and him as a Zen artist, as a spiritual musician. The 1st Chapter is about spirituality and traditional Zen art, mostly through Zen Calligraphy (jap. zenshodo). The 2nd Chapter is about Steve and his music.

What is spirituality?
Spirituality can mean many different things to different people but here we look spirituality that has to do with man's consciousness and which can be sought in meditation, simply by being aware. There is a wonderfully descriptive story, where a student goes to meet a spiritual master and asks what meditation is and how spirituality can be found. The old master answers, You know that in your mind there is first one thought... And after a brief moment there is another thought... In between, there is a short gap. Remain in that gap and you will be in meditation... And by living being aware of that which is revealed from this gap, is spirituality. This classic story sums it up. Usually man's mind is filled with thoughts and ideas, dreams and memories from morning until night. Only in deep sleep, ordinary man gets a break of the constant stream of uncontrolled mental and emotional impulses, though in sleep he is unaware of this because he is unconscious or semiconscious. Cultivating and rooting oneself into this gap is the art of meditation. Various spiritual methods such as yoga offer tools and methods in how to expand and deepen this short gap between the two thoughts. Throughout this book, when the word yoga is used, it means yoga in the traditional sense. Yoga is a spiritual method of uniting the small self with the universal Self, not merely some gymnastics. What is revealed to a diligent meditator, is that this gap between two thoughts is not short or brief. Rather, this gap is experienced as a vast canvas on which thoughts and ideas arise. These impulses arise either from man's True Nature or soul consciousness or from man's habitual, egoistic mind. The difference between an enlightened master and ordinary egobound man is that, the master experiences at each moment that his true nature is that of the pure consciousness and he doesn't need to do anything to be like that. The master knows that, he is not merely the description of his body and persona. Usually man is identified with his name, occupation, age, gender, nationality, religion, social relations, tall, short, white, black and so on. The true nature of man is beyond this all.

Peaceful meditation is the key in coming to understand who we actually are. By peaceful, I mean being silent, not holding to any thought or idea. It is abiding in here and now, right at the center of the Universe. In deep meditation, one becomes aware that he has taken this notion of me or I for granted, though it's merely a passing dream. The sense of I does not have timeless, truthful existence. The sense of I is the very cause of all suffering because it causes all other notions, ideas and thoughts to be sort of crooked from the beginning. When this mistaken notion of I as a separate entity drops off, one becomes enlightened, arrives home and the suffering comes to an end. An enlightened person knows that he or she is the canvas, not the thoughts or impulses which play on the canvas. From here, ripening towards spiritual mastery begins. Some times enlightenment is called self-realization, spiritual awakening or by other terms.
Enso, Zen Circle by Harada Shodo Roshi. Author's collection.

We can see that spirituality and the most basic reason for spiritual seeking is not anything mysterious or external to us. It does not or at least shouldn't have anything to do with religion or culture. Spirituality should not be dependent on religion. It should be the other way around because real immanent understanding of religion may only be attained by practical spirituality, that is yoga. This is the way how it is taught in many lineages of teachers, master and yogis. Yogi is a person who has dedicated his life on pursuing the path of yoga meditation. This tradition is ancient and stretches way more far in the history than we can imagine. There are existing lineages of yoga which are thousands and thousands of years old. The need for spiritual practices and meditation has been emphasized by spiritual teachers and masters of all times and places. Teachings of the great prophets may slightly differ but mainly their message is the same, that of understanding, love and compassion. True spirituality is universal and it can be authenticated by anyone at any time or any place. Spirituality is not about belief but of experience. It is man's biased mind which creates borders, nations and national identities and from there, conflicts. However busy and ignorant a man is, his root of life, the pure consciousness, which may be called God or Buddha, remains silently in the background. His soul is the peaceful witness (sanskr. sakshin) at all times, ever present, ever aware. Those individuals who are honest and sincere, with their hearts and minds open, do receive inspiration and upliftment from this boundless awareness, though they may be unaware of this. Those people, who intentionally keep their egoistic impulses in check through moral conduct, cultivation of humility and meditation, putting their habitual mind to it's right place as a servant, and who pull creative inspiration from this pure and aware state of consciousness are extraordinarily blessed. Whatever such a person does, it can be perceived, sensed and valued from the results of their action. In this way meditation and spirituality are means not only for the benefit of the individual but for the benefit of all fellow beings as well.

Spiritual training
Spiritual training is known as sadhana in Sanskrit or shugyo in Japanese. Shugyo translates roughly as spiritual forging. In some circles spiritual training is thaught to be something that has ascetic characteristics. If we ought to become enlightened by enduring pain and discomfort, surely we all would be there already because there is so much pain and obstacles to be endured in human life! We can understand that spiritual training is not about ascetism, not about enduring pain but means for removing it. The life of the Buddha depicts this clearly. On the spiritual path one goes through inner experiences and inner integration which aren't totally painless, however. The seeker experiences frustration, mental confusion, emotional confusion, strong negativity in the form of anger, fear, jealousy and greed. All this comes and goes like clouds passing on the sky. One who is able to witness all this, not avoiding it neither putting up a fight, becomes forged, grows into the experience of the ever-present consciousness or God beyond all dualities. Sometimes spiritual training is described as a process utilizing spiritual practices which grinds ones bones into thin dust. Sadhana is a thorough cleansing of the body and mind. What is cleaned from every cell and atom of the body is the dualistic notion which is karma.
Buddha by Yi Quan master Zhang Chang Wang. Author's collection.

Generally, those who devote themselves on the spiritual path, use all their time in training themselves, by being aware of their body, posture and breath which in turn him into contact with the allpervading Spirit. It does not matter whether one is a monastic or a layman, training can be done no matter what the outer environment is. Meditation in a sitting posture is the main method of practical spirituality. By putting and aligning the body in a straight, natural position, calming the breath and being aware, one can more easily just be, without any kind of doing. This is just being aware, allowing things come and go, whether they are internal or external. Sitting posture with erect spine is the easiest circumstance for peaceful meditation or being in meditative resonance. If you have ever tried doing that, you may have experienced how difficult it actually is. Thoughts, ideas and emotions fly in the air like angry kamikaze bees! The conscious and subconscious minds of man can be extremely restless. That is why there are many techniques, or kriyas, offered by different schools of meditation, so that one may learn how to detach of stress, calm their mind and emotions, reach meditative resonance and dive further into original consciousness. By using some kind of technique, the strong impulses loose their ferocity and any binding power that they might have. Then the meditator may rest calmly, enjoy and let bliss sink into every bone and marrow.

Sitting meditation is to be practiced each day. Usually a beginner is encouraged to sit 4 hours a day or more, as much as other responsibilites allow. Serious meditators may sit up to 18-20 hours per day for extended periods of time, even several months. This is the nature of spiritual and meditative training. When the meditator becomes experienced, he or she is able to remain calm and joyful in all of life's circumstances. Without practical application there is no point in sitting. One does not pursue training for ones own benefit only. Truly spiritual person is very much concerned in the wellfare of all fellow beings. Therefore he develops endless compassion and unaffiliated love towards all. Treading the path of enlightenment is a full time commitment.

What is spiritual art?

Zen is the Japanese word for meditation. Zen is derived from the Chinese word chan or chan-na which in turn comes from the ancient Indian Sanskrit word dhyana which means meditation. Zen art is art which embodies pure consciousness as pure energy. This pure energy is sensed by the observer. Zen art can be sensed as emotional upliftment, stress relief, envigoration, freshness and so on. Zen art is felt as peace and inner brightness. The person who made the artpiece, whether he or she is a monk or a layman, Oriental or Western, can be sensed through the piece. His or her persona and spiritual attainment is clearly seen from his work of art. The piece may be a dance performance, a painting or a piece of music played by him. Even mere walking back and forth may reveal incredible depth of persons state of consciousness. Even the presence of ordinary people may be sensed. We know that if the person next to us is very happy and joyful, we can automatically become joyful too. And if the person next to us is sad and angry, it can affect our state of being too, in a negative, harmful way. When we come to a presence of an enlightened spiritual person or a master, we automatically become harmonized and balanced. We naturally start to slip into the silence within ourselves. This is the most common form of Zen art of various enlightened teachers. They make their students, devotees and people around them their art. When I use the term their art, I mean that as the teacher's consciousness is originally the same as their students, thought the student isn't permanently awake, the student receives immanent assistance from the teacher which pulls his awareness from the external, dualistic impressions to the core within, beyond thoughts and illusion of the I. Hence, the student becomes attuned to the same state of realized consciousness as the teacher. Because of this students and seekers through all times have sought the company of an enlightened teacher or their guru. This meeting is called satsang or sharing of the truth. Art, for example a piece of calligraphy or music, may be brought into life in a very profound way. Usually art is born from the dualistic mind. It may be appreciated by other dualistic minds (of people) but for anyone who is seriously interested and enthusiastic of any field of life, it is not appealing and attractive. The technical finesse may be appreciated but anything deeper is missing in mental art. The magnetism and attraction goes right into the toilet, when the mind steps in with it's limited and narrow views. The mind can not produce anything of true value. Unfortunately it is from mind where most art in any artform comes from. It is mush at best and awful mush at worse.

Zen masters as well as spiritual adepts of all cultures have contributed to spiritual art. There are poems, writings, music, wood carvings, sculptures, architecture, cheramics, metal works, paintings, calligraphy... The list is long and art pieces are many but they have one common factor: the spirit, pure consciousness can be felt and even attained by observing them. There are cases when people have attained enlightenment by observing a calligraphy or a painting made by a spiritual master. A transmission occurs. Zen art can be that powerful! The method of spiritual art is very simple: Become an adept in meditation, know your True Self and let it pour into your art. If it is authentic, the energy of clarity, purity and calmness will emanate like Sun from the piece and is immediately perceived by the observer. It will transform the observer's state of thought and emotion. The original face becomes uncovered. Spiritual art is best when observed live on sight. Cameras, scanners and other technical devices and the technical processing tend to cut off and narrow down the spiritual vibration. On the pages of this book, you can see fine examples of traditional Zen Calligraphy. You do not need to understand the meanings of the characters, just feel the energy in your own body and see how it affects your mind. Try to look at these pictures with calm and observing mind, without reservation.

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Traditional Zen arts

Ancient Japanese culture is permeated by the spirit of Zen, simple and profound meditative mind. This includes all the common artforms such as painting, music and martial arts but also theater (jap. noh theater), tea ceremony (chado), architecture, garden design, flower arrangement (kado), social etiquette and so on. In this way Japan is very unique but spiritual arts are very well known in other parts of the world too, mostly in the Orient. For one to become very skilled in any of these arts, one has to devote years and years to ongoing in-depth practice under an authorized teacher or a master. By studying the art itself and various aspects conserned to it as well as training oneself in concentration and meditation, one becomes an adept in his art. Usually, in countries such as Japan, India, Tibet, Nepal and Thailand, students of meditative arts have been students of Buddhist, Shintoist or Hinduist spiritual masters and realized yogis, as well. It is the training of the mind and the awakening to ones true nature, which directly contributes to ones art and enables great, abysmal, depth. My late Zen calligraphy master, Terayama Sensei, conducted laboratory research as a part of his work in the field of science and arts. Sensei had microscopic pictures taken of classic calligraphic examples by famous spiritual masters compared to forgeries and other works by non-meditators. These pictures show that the tiny ink particles are lined up in a neat order, straight lines, and have much more contrast compared to a calligraphy made by a non-meditator. In nonmeditators work the same ink particles are disorganized, messy and devoid of vitality and contrast.
Two Zen-lines. Photographer unknown.

From this picture you may observe to straight lines painted with a large calligraphy brush. The one on the left was made by an experienced calligrapher who has no experience of meditation while the one on the right was made by an experienced meditator and calligrapher. They used the same ink, brush and the lines were drawn at the same session. The difference is clearly seen.

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Traditional definition of Zen art

The following quotes from Japanese Zen Buddhist and Zen art-masters mostly concern black ink calligraphy but the same principles apply regardless of the art form and more importantly, regardless of the spiritual or religious denomination , although Zen Buddhism has it's own vocabulary to describe and express various matters concerned. Later we will take a look of Steve Vai's direct quotes and see how similar, some times even identical, his words are. *** All the following masters belonged to an ancient lineage of Jubokudo-school of Zen calligraphy. Jubokudo means literally enter the heart of the wood. This school of calligraphy begun in the third century China with the following story of the great calligrapher and saint, Wang Xi Zhi.
MU, Nothingness by Harada Tangen Roshi, Bukkokuji, Japan. Author's collection.

In a classic story, Master Wang Xi Zhi told his student to fetch a piece of wood on which he could write calligraphy with black ink. After a while, sweating and seemingly nervous, the student came back and puzzled said to the master, I have tried my best to grind and cut off the old calligraphy ink of this wood but, master, the ink just doesn't wear off! The master laughed aloud and said, You cannot get it off because the ink has penetrated the heart of the wood. Now, go and get me another piece of wood . This story well explains the method and spirit how Zen art is created, or better, comes into creation. It is something which is all-pervading. This cannot be brought about without one-pointedness of concentration and immersion in action. *

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Omori Sogen Roshi (1904-1994), one of the greatest Japanese Zen and Zen art masters of the 20th century explains Zen art, it's characteristics and principles: Zen and the arts have not only a closely-tied but an inseparable relationship, like Siamese twins. The inseparability arises because Zen absolutely negates the self and in the Absolute Being called Buddha, then affirms its Being. The self once negated is not only the simple limited self but is also the manifestaion of Buddha, symbol of that which we revere as Universal Life. When something which cannot be seen or touched is symbolized in this way, it is worthy of recognition as a magnificent work of art. When this occurs, Zen takes the form of artistic expression. But notice, all work from a Zen priest is not necessarily Zen art. The art must symbolize the Absolute Void and in the true religious sense Zen Art must sumbolize Buddha Mind. From ancient times, the traditional arts of Japan were created by immersing oneself into an object (the dualism of self and object is transcended). Thus the one creating is also the creation and thereby contains the fundamental characteristics of Japanese culture: wabi and sabi. Wabi means that and object, though still a part of everyday society, stands apart from it in solitude. Sabi connotates simple, rustic imperfection without decorations. For example, a painting showing extremely few strokes manifests sabi or omission. These unique characteristics of Japanese culture were brought about by Zen. Zen artworks present simplicity, bottomless depth and profundity. Yugen (that which gives a glimpse into the Unfathomable) was born. Zen art is the unrestrained work of one who creates freely as one's will dictates.
Omori Sogen Roshi. Photo by unknown.

In the real world of yuge zanmai (the play of samadhi), the Zen of the True Man without Rank (Zen master Rinzai's term for the True Self) is vibrant with life. Because this is the basis of whatever the Zen master draws, everything is a magnificent work of Zen art. Even when a Zen artist has mastered Zen, he cannot completely disregard technique, however. Needless to say, when he does an artwork, technique must naturally work with his Zen realization. No matter how much he has mastered Zen, if he has never practiced calligraphy, it is impossible to draw bokuseki (calligraphy by a Zen master). Without holding a brush even once, he cannot create a magnificent ink painting. This would be like letting Hakuin (perhaps the greatest Japanese Rinzai Zen master) pilot a jet plane. He cannot do it no matter how great a Zen master he is. Even if you have high spiritual attainment, you obviously cannot use techniques unless you are skilled in them. On the other hand, even if you master techniques completely, it makes you only a skilled technician of calligraphy or painting.

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For Zen art, it is of primary importance to strongly grasp your True Self and to realize the great light and power of the absolute freedom which transcends all restrictions. If this is lacking, one cannot create art which will move the spirit of people. Additionally, you must have the technique which can fully express the great light and power. Otherwise, you cannot attain the highest levels of art. If you ask whether self-realization or technique is more fundamental, understand that the True Man without Rank is fundamental, and technique is an outgrowth of the True Man without Rank. Omori Sogen Roshi was the co-founder of the Hitsuzendo-school of calligraphy with his teacher Yokoyama Tenkei Sensei. He explains the simple act of writing a straight line with a big brush: Whatever is present in the practitioner's mind will be present in the mujibo (straight Zen-line). Unless there is total dedication and hard training, a real line will never appear on paper. A mujibo is like a decisive cut of a live sword in a fight to the finish, it slices the Universe in two. If anything is held back, there can be no mujibo. One calligraphy master in the past refused to acknowledge anyone as his student who was not drenched with sweat after writing one mujibo.
Zen painting of Bodhidharma by Omori Sogen Roshi. Photo by Masatoshi Taya.

The clarity of the bokki, the ki (energy) in the ink, indicates the level of insight. Bokki is not only seen with the eyes, it is sensed with the hara(*), the physical and spiritual center of one's body. Bokki reveals the calligrapher's inner light. Bokki is not identical to the brushstroke, but it is not independent either. When a Zen calligrapher pours his or her spirit into each stroke, every line becomes a vibrant force. Zen is the art of kiai(**).
(*) Hara: for an explanation of hara, please refer to Acharya Babananda's book 4 Houses of Enlightenment, The 1st House-chapter. (**) Kiai: Kiai is the conscious outflow or strike of concentration expressed by an adept meditator. - Omori Sogen's quotes from Omori Sogen, the Art of a Zen master by Dogen Hosokawa

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Terayama Tanchu Sensei (1938-2007), the founder of the Zen Calligraphy Community of Japan (jap. Hitsuzenkai). Terayama Sensei was a long time student and dharma heir of Omori Sogen Roshi in Zen, swordmanship and calligraphy. He was also a calligraphystudent of Yokoyama Tenkei Sensei. He explains Zen art: The calligrapher must become one with the brush if the brush is to come to life. The ink can be thought of as a subtle substance that expresses life and death, and the brushstroke as an opportunity for expression that embodies the whole of the artist. To become one with the brush means eliminating the self and infusing the ink with the spirit to make each brushstroke resonate with vital energy. The ability to manifest one's strength comes only through dedicated practice.
Terayama Sensei drawing a mujibo, straight Zen line. Photo by Masatoshi Taya

According to the Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitaro, true creativity is not the product of a conscious effort but rather the 'phenomenon of life itself.' True creation must arise from mu-shin, or the state of no-mind, a state beyond thought, emotions and expectations. Work that is produced through conscious effort is ultimately devoid of life. Zen calligraphy in particular must spring from shonen sozoku, a Buddhist term equivalent to 'true thought'. Shonen is a state of full concentration that is devoid of thoughts and ideas, while sozoku here means 'free-flowing continuity'. Greatness in brushwork cannot be achieved through conscious effort, it is only achieved through the states of mu-shin and shonen sozoku or no-mind and a continous state free of the thoughts and ideas that distract the mind. Nearly all calligraphy today is born of conscious attention to an aesthetic concept, but we rarely find lines that are truly alive. In contrast, the calligraphy of Zen masters resonates with the energy of no-mind achieved through complete concentration. In these works, the lines are filled with vitality and the shapes are fresh and original. Calligraphy necessarily demands the highest level of spirituality. A line that manifests clarity cannot be drawn if the heart is clouded by worldly concerns, a stroke cannot be brushed if the heart is agitated, and calligraphy that reveals depth cannot be produced if cultivation and experience are shallow. To write kanji characters (with poetic or philosophical meanings) that resonate and demonstrate their deeper meaning, one's own mind must achieve unity with the meaning of the words a requirement that calls for a higher level of spirituality. The calligrapher, therefore, must strive for the state of no-mind through meditation and contemplation.
- Terayama Sensei's quotes from Zen Brushwork by Tanchu Terayama.

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Yamaoka Tesshu Sensei (1836-1888), possibly the greatest traditional Zen-artist of the modern times, tells about his realization and method of teaching: I realized that the ways of the sword, Zen and the brush are not separate paths but rather different functions of one truth. Gather all things in heaven and earth in your brush and you will never tire.
Zen painting of Bodhidharma by Yamaoka Tesshu Sensei. Photo by unknown.

Tesshu's advice to his calligraphy students was the same he gave his kendo trainees: stick to the fundamentals for at least three years forget about developing individual style at first, concentrate brushing single strokes and i-ro-ha, the Japanese alphabet. Thereafter, a minimum of ten years should be spent copying the classics of Chinese calligraphy. Tesshu especially recommended copying Wang Xi Zhi (mentioned in the beginning of this chapter), no matter how difficult it may seem, he told his students, imitate the best from the start because that is the only way to learn.
- Yamaoka Tesshu's quotes from The Sword of No-Sword, Life of the Master Warrior Tesshu by John Stevens.

From the Orient to the Boundless Universe

Ahead, I've tried to explain practical spirituality, spiritual art and traditional Zen art. We come to see that spirituality is something which is mystically expressed by the mind, emotions and hands of the spiritual artist. This is all a natural occurrence once the particulars are well learned and the mental and emotional bodies are pure from negativity. It is like this that one may draw direct inspiration from the Divine, the Supreme Being, and ones expression gains extraordinary quality, that many others are not able to express. Becoming good at this allows one to play at the borderline of form and emptiness. Expression becomes magnificantly charged with pure energy and from there different divinely charged thoughts, ideas and emotions as directly sensable tones and hues may be brought forth. At this point meaning of plain mental philosophy and ordinary mental process of creating have long ago been transcended.

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Chapter II
Steve Vai
Steve Vai is a modern rock musician. He plays specially designed electric guitars with multi-effects, with a lot of distortion, whammy bar and whatnot technical eccentricities. His tools are quite different compared to those of traditional Zen-artists. While on stage, he wears capes made of black leather, boots similar to what the aliens might wear, while having laser-lights beaming from his headset. On the surface, he doesn't appear at all like a spiritual artist does he? Well, he isn't a traditional Zen artist but very much a contemporary one.

Steve's story in short

Steve Vai (b. 1960) had a desire for playing and composing music since he was a child. As a teenager, he would practice the guitar for up to 14 hours per day. At 18, he was hired by composer-artist Frank Zappa, to make transcriptions of his music, mostly complex guitar solos and drum parts. At 20, Steve played and toured in Frank Zappa's band and also played the stunt guitar parts on many of Zappa's albums. After a few years with Zappa, Steve played guitar in David Lee Roth's band as well as in several other hard rock bands such as Whitesnake and Alcatrazz. He published his first solo album as early as 1984. His second solo album Passion and Warfare, published in 1990, is one of the most well known guitar-records ever. Up until 2012, he has published 8 solo albums, has toured the world with his band several times, has toured with the G3project, collaborated with many other bands and artists, and written music for big classical orchestra. In 1999, he started his own record company Favored Nations. He has been featured in the music and guitar magazines countless times and has been awarded 3 Grammys and other awards. Steve has sold over 15 million albums worldwide. He has been married to Pia Vai for over 30 years. They have two children. Since the beginning of his pursuit in music, he has been an ardent and devoted musician, always aiming higher and higher in his endeavours in all aspects concerned: artistic, musical, technical, financial and spiritual.

Early training
As still a teenager, when he was transcribing music for Frank Zappa. Steve would repeat a clip of only minute long, over and over again, to be able to hear the music and to be able to write it onto paper. Those who know how challenging Frank's music is, know that this isn't an easy task. Also, while a member of Frank's band, it must have been very challenging because Frank wasn't the average bandleader and composer. Steve tells the story of his audition for Frank's band:

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I was in that mode of being very hungry to rehearse and to learn and that's really what you need in a situation with Frank. With Frank the rehearsals were... I mean you have to be on, you know, it's a big boys game and when Frank walks in, you just have to be on. I remember my audition. He asked me to come down and learn all these songs and obviously when I got there, we didn't play any of the songs he told me to learn. He says, 'OK, Play this' and he picks up his guitar and kind of cryptically plays a line because Frank had a particular style and it wasn't the virtuoso type nature, you know what I mean... It was more visceral. So he plays through something, (gives a tempo by snapping his fingers) and says, 'Now play it in this tempo' and I'm watching, 'OK...' And you have to get it right like that or else... you know. So I say, 'OK' and I play it. And there's all these guys around (watching) and I'm 20 years old. And he says, 'Add this note here' and he plays some note and I thought about it and added the note. And he says, 'OK, now, play it 7/8 (time signature). I said... 'OK' and I play it in 7/8 and he says, 'It's OK. Now play it 7/8 reggae'. And I thought for a minute and said,'OK', and I play it in 7/8 reggae. It's this ridiculous line that should never be played on the guitar, you know... And then he goes, 'OK, now add this note'. And I looked up him and said, 'It's impossible...' because it was... Nobody could do it and he goes, 'Well, I hear Linda Ronstadt (a country singer) is looking for a guitar player'. So at a very young age, Steve already had a high routine on the guitar and various musical styles. After being the impossible guitar parts player for Frank for a couple of years, he played and toured with Dave Roth, Whitesnake and others which was musically less demanding but gave him experience of showmanship and live performance which he utilizes, in his own way, up to this day.

Solo Career
Steve's art is creative rock music played mainly by electric guitar but this is a very narrow definition of his work because his work draws influences from so many sources, not only musical. Since his first solo releases since the early 80's he has made unique musical and artistic decisions and it has been exactly this which has allowed him to find his own voice. Looking at his ongoing active career of 30 years, I'd say that as a maturing spiritual artist, his greatest works are probably still ahead of him. And his fans too. Throughout the 90's and 00's, he has gone through various phases which has all along pushed the limits farther and many times his performances have been astounding, true Zen art, even by traditional standards. His live performances have been amazing to see. Even from live videos, the viewer may sense that he is able to pour all of him: his mind, his body and his heart into the music and in this way is able to transcend the usual spheres of artistic expression. This is just what spiritual art is about. 18

On a deeper level music is not about notes, instruments, fingers running along the keyboard, techniques or this and that but a form of communication and expression of the original state, the pure consciousness. Since the beginning and through all the years Steve Vai has taken a deep dive into just this.

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Steve's spiritual background

In a few interviews, Steve has narrated of the spiritual path that he follows. This has been something that is rarely asked of him because, I guess, usually he is seen as an extraordinary guitar player and a composer whose extraordinarity comes mainly or only from musical training. He has read and studied, sought after the eternal truth for all his life, even more than music, in his own words. His personal meditative path is that of Sant Mat which in his teachers, Sant Thakar Singh's words, is "a practical form of spirituality which is not connected to any particular religion, sect, or thought. " Thakar Singh's core message is to realize the unchangeable permanence behind all things. The Sant Mat-teachings focus on the so called nada or shabda brahman which means Primordial Vibration or Original Sound. This nada or inner sound which is the same as Om-vibration or Om-mantra which is chanted and used in all yoga studios, centers and ashrams all over the world, is the root principle of sanatana dharma (lit. the eternal law), which is Indian based practical spirituality. Out of this wealth and variety of spiritual knowledge of India has Buddhism and Christianity also emerged. Their core teachings and principles, can be found from the ancient classics such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali or texts by the 18 Siddha-tradition. The Om-mantra, both externally toned and internally meditated upon, puts the person into contact with his or her spiritual root. Om is also called as nama or naam, the name or word of God (as in the Gospel of John). It is also the core vibration of the spiritual power, called kundalini shakti. Om, out of which numerous other mantras (spiritually potential sound formulas) emanate, is both the spiritualizing principle of consciouness as well as the creative principle. This root vibration may also be perceived as light in deep meditation. These two, inner sound and light, are routes to understanding ones own nature and they have been taught by all saints and masters in different eras both in simple language as well as symbolically.

Sant Thakar Singh and Sant Mat

Sant Thakar Singh on the Sound Current and other matters: Shabd, Naam, or Word is a form of God or a manifestation of God which human beings can experience, and contact with it has medicinal and practical benefits. The Word is not to be confused with the written words in the scriptures; the scriptures refer to the Word, but reading them does not comprise the experience of hearing it. In order to hear the Sound Current, some specific actions have to be taken on the part of the Master. Functionally, the Soul is buried under the karmic impressions of millions if not billions of years of existence in this world. The Master Saint has the power to burn these impressions so that they are neutralized; after this, the Soul can experience the Sound Current. The appearance of the Sound is a function of purity; the more pure the vessel, the more easily the sound resounds inside it.

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Thus the Sound Current is a gift which the Master can give to those whom he chooses, or perhaps to those he is destined to help. Some souls are specifically marked as belonging to the Master; however "the new applicants can also be accepted." Love is the criterion for the life of a human being. God is Love and love is God and the way back to God is also through Love, as the Master is Love Personified and the Sound Current is also a conscious current of Love. However, the only true form of love from the perspective of life lived in this world, is called devotion. All other forms of love are either debased through egotism or else a form of confusion and delusion, brought on at the level of mind. Any person who is not working through God is always selfish. If anybody claims, I love somebody, and does not have this love connected from God, then it is not real love. It cannot be. It is impossible... The mind has only selfish love, selfish connections, selfish feelingsand no real love at all. That is how all the people at every level (in this world) are operating. However, the love we have for our children is not mental love. The love we have for our children is an arrangement of nature from God. But once the children are grown up, then that special system of love that was arranged by God is taken away, and again we have only the system of selfish exchange.
- Sant Thakar Singh's guotes from Wikipedia

A devoted meditator who applies the teachings learned from his teacher or guru, comes to witness and learn what his conscious mind, subconscious mind and their contents are. He sees that these dreams, ideas, memories and various emotions are but foam on the surface of the ocean. More importantly, by applying various techniques of yoga and meditation, the meditator comes to know that there is someone who is able to witness and know. This is the notion of I separated from the other. Sooner or later, by continuing ones spiritual discipline this I is seen through and one becomes self-realized. From here, the real witnessing occurs. Self-realization may or may not require any preceeding spiritual exercises but for further development and maturing, various techniques such as those about Original Sound or nada, taught by Sant Mat or others, are offered.

4 States of consciousness
As one is able to witness (sanskr. sakshin) more, one learns that there are so many things going through the conscious and subconscious minds. As witness, one is aware of the existence of these impulses. One learns that there are three clearly noticeable states throught which every living person goes through every day. These states in traditional yoga are called: waking state (sanskr. jagratavastha), dreaming state (whether awake or sleep, sanskr. svapnavastha) and deep sleep state (unconscious rest, sanskr. sushuptavastha).

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The first two are states of consciousness where ones conscious talkative and analyzing mind and subconscious mind with its memories and emotions are active. In the third, in deep sleep, ones consciousness has been drawn to the so called latent area of the subconscious mind and there are no mental images, dreams or such, only deep rest but the sleeping person is unaware of this because the witness, the I, has fallen unconscious. Lying behind and beyond all these three states is pure consciousness which is the most important or the foundation of all other states. It is called simply the 4 th state, turiyavastha in Sanskrit. The first three states are like images, vital sounds, forms and colors appearing on the movie screen. The 4th state is the movie screen itself. Do you remember the story from the beginning of this book of the man who came to ask the meditation master about spirituality and meditation? And the master told him to remain in the pause between two thoughts. The 4th state opens up between and beyond thoughts. This is known and taught in all meditative paths. The 4th state of consciousness is called by many names, such as the Self, Soul, God or Consciousness. This state of consciousness is in turn saturated with spiritual vibration, light and sound and that precisely is nada or Om. In both Hinduist and Christian terms the 4th state is known as the Heavenly Father or Siva while the sound-light-vibration principle is Holy Ghost or Divine Mother (sanskr. kundalini devi or kundalini shakti). From the union of these two principles samadhi or meditative absorbtion opens up. This is referred to as Paravastha or paraturiyavastha in classic yoga and tantra texts. In addition to meditation and spiritual practices, the eternal teaching (sanatana dharma) also emphasizes kindness (sanskr. maitri), truthfulness (sanskr. satya), loving surrender to God and ones guru (sanskr. bhakti and sraddha), service to God by serving fellow beings (sanskr. seva or karma yoga), non-violence through vegetarian diet, thoughts and actions (sanskr. ahimsa) ; and compassion (sanskr. karuna). As we know of Steve's lyrics and song titles and can read from his direct quotes, we see clearly that his views and spiritual background is exactly as those who pursue the path of sanatana dharma.

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Steve's own words

On creative process
I think when anybody goes to create something, they go into those creative realms in their mind and they gravitate toward those things that interest them the most. I seem to always gravitate toward the more spiritual element because that is the most important element in my life, to find that balance. (*) People ask me, 'How do you write music and how do you get inspiration?'. Sometimes inspiration just comes and you never know how it's gonna come. The best music comes when you listen to your inner ear and you hear the melodies there. I believe everybody has the ability to be unique, to a degree, when they create. It takes a lot of courage some times because it means that you have to trust yourself. And whenever you create something and you put it in the world, it's a very personal statement. I mean, when you write a piece of song or make a piece of art, you're totally naked 'cause it is an expression of who you are. Unfortunately, a lot of times, we don't find what it is that we are good at because we let all these little voices in our head, you know, discourage us to try to find that out. But really you'll be the most happiest, if you try to shut off whats out there and listen to the inner ear, your own inner ear. There are people who do things that I'm very impressed with and I find inspiration from it. But whenever I feel a tinge of saying envy or jealousy, I stamp it out immediately and I try to become more of a student... Music is not like sports... Harboring feelings of envy is just not healthy... I compete with myself. If I'm gonna learn something on the instrument, I'm not gonna learn it because somebody else can do it better. I compete with myself. I mean, I listen to my music and it fills me up. I mean this humbly but I sit in astonishment sometimes when I listen to my music and I think, 'How did I do that?'. To find a balance, don't look for a balance. In discovering yourself as an artist, try to listen to your own convictions... If you shut down for a minute and let all the influences and all the little voices that say, You can't do it... You're not good enough... You don't have the time... You don't have the money... Other people will critisize you... If you can shut all that crap off, it's there, for everybody, I believe that. When I was about 16 I went through some experimenting in dream states. I wanted to become more conscious and know what was going on. The story of Passion and Warfare is the documentation of these experiences. As a performer if you can confront yourself with the kind of personality you want to achieve, then once you plant that mental seed in your mind, it will start to take grip and that visualization is extremely important. That is one of the ways I construct my music and one of the ways I try to deliver myself in a live performance and it works.(*)

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It all starts in the mind, everything does. You fancy yourself as you picture yourself as the way you want to be, with the kind of creation you want to create. You have to plant those seeds. We do this everyday. There are elements coming in from our culture and society that are absolutely brainwashing. Once you become aware of them, you can deal with them more appropriately, but you have to become extremely strong willed and strong minded in order to syphon all of the pathetic insipid shit that comes in. You have to be aware of it and how your children are feed this stuff. I believe there are people treading this planet who have a complete grip on reality, but they are very spiritually evolved souls.(*) The guitar is a display of emotion. The way I approach the guitar is to use it to liberate my expressive brain muscles. Lyrically it's more difficult because you have to construct lyrics and put those thoughts, feelings, and emotions into a sentence or phrase that relays that. People interpret lyrics very differently, but if you say "sex" and people know what you are talking about. It's harder to say that on the guitar.(*) What I usually do when I learn something is I make an exercise of it and bring it into different realms and I expand upon it. (*) For me to do something classically Indian just wouldn't work because I'm not trained like that, but there are elements in those scales and voices that invoke an ambiance of spirituality. I like to hear elements of different cultures melded together into one. The vocals on "Blood and Tears" are mantra chants. There are also a couple of cuts that have a Celtic tonality like "Lucky Charm".(*) That's really what music is all about, and why I'm into it. Sometimes it's hard to get from point A to point B, because point A is the hearing and realization of the entire piece, and point B is the finished product. It takes thirteen minutes to listen to the "Fire Garden Suite," whereas it took months to make, but only seconds to realize it. For me, it was all there in a flash. When it's (creating) happening it seems so simple like, why didn't I think of this before. But when it's gone, it's as elusive as the wind. It lets you know that you don't own it, and it'll be there occasionally when it wants to be, but when it's there, you're tapped in. I felt like there was a larger, other world of music to explore. I was reaching into that secret part of the brain that we all go to for inspiration, and was curious as to if I could make those visions an audible reality.(**)

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I guess in every person's career they have an inspired concept and all the pieces of karma come together to produce something that is a milestone in their creative consciousness. When I sat down to make this record (Passion and Warfare), I stripped myself naked of all outside expectations, all hang-ups and fears of what might happen. I made a record that I wanted to be a statement of my most inner feelings, a blueprint of my personality. When I wrote or recorded any of the pieces, I wanted to be in the moment. It's hard to explain and I'm asked about it all the time. This objective point of view helped to loosen inhibitions when it came time to musically animate what I found when I hammered my way into my consciousness. Whether it was lust (The Animal), joy (Answers), tenderness (Sisters), anger (Greasy Kid's Stuff), comical relief (The Audience is Listening), complexity (Love Secrets), or deep spiritual longing (For the Love of God), I wanted to make the most naked, honest and extreme personal musical statement possible.(**) I had always kept journals, and built the songs around some of the events in these writings. One such event was this other-worldly state of mind I occasionally experienced as a very young child. Lying in a half sleep state, my perception would become very clear. That seems to be the best way to explain it. Sort of a super state of consciousness where everything was as clear as... well, like they say, there are no words. My ears would be filled with this ringing sound but not quite like a bell. It was more of a toning and it would draw me into it. The closer I let it pull me, the more resonant it became. I was frightened and never let it actually pull me in all the way because the closer I got, the more open my consciousness became and it was somewhat frightening. I was uneasy and unwilling to let myself go. There were visions too but... never mind.(**)

Musical meditation
Here's what works the best: It's when you find what it is that seems natural to you and comes easy. I follow Sant Mat, which is a spiritual path with intense meditation. We don't talk much about the experiences we have during those meditations because that only enhances or feeds the ego. Sant Mat involves Sound and Light and has some lofty principles but it is basically Eastern philosophy. The meditation is the path to liberation, but the philosophy also states that we live in the world and have to balance our worldly duties with our spiritual duties. It has the concepts of reincarnation and karma and makes sense and rings all the bells for me. I was a seeker for many years, reading every single book on every philosophy. We all find what is right for us, and Sant Mat is inclusive. It just helps you be a better person. It does away with all of the dogma and crazy things that have been created in religion.(*) Whenever we focus our attention on anything, it's like a meditation... If you really want to discover your own voice, on the instrument, you have to dig deeper. Mind control of this sort is a meditation. People meditate all the time without realizing it; watching TV is a meditation, in a sense. When many people hear the word "meditation", they relate it to spiritual realms. "Stilling the mind" is probably the highest form of meditation. That is, keeping one's mind from erroneous thoughts and focusing on the divine (or whatever path you're on). We get the best results when we meditate on a subject, but alas, meditation is not easy. The mind loves to wander, and these intrusions keep you from the precious results you seek.(***) 25

Question: In your song, "Silent Within" you sing, "Words fail to describe what we feel inside." What is it we feel inside, what is this silence? Steve: What I was referring to was that place, like in meditation, where everything is shut off. When you really shut your thoughts off, certain worlds and understandings open up within you. It's not an easy thing. It's easy to become rich and famous and a rock star, a great musician or artist, but it is virtually impossible to still the mind. When you are within that silence within, it is like a quest to get to the core of our being... Every inspired founder of every religion has said the same thing - that it is all within. "Silent Within" is all about being within that space and on that quest... I believe some people can (go in and out this 'Ultra Zone' at will), but I can't. It is something that I am constantly trying to achieve, but I'm not that evolved. I can't tap into that place, that Ultra Zone, whenever I want to. When it happens it's like a glorious gift and you don't even realize that it is happening. I think it takes training and constant practice. When you are talking about the subtle realms of the spirit there are obstacles that are very different than what we perceive on the physical plane. Also events that take place in the physical have their reality in the other realms. (*) When you focus long enough on something, everything else goes away and you become part of what you are focusing on. With that song, (Windows to the Soul) while playing the guitar I would focus on an emotion and try to reflect that in the notes I was playing. It's easy to get discouraged right off the bat, but you have to stay with it and try to find any little thread that you can pull on that will get you to the goal. When I wrote the melody I wanted to see how tenderly I could play each note. At one point I stopped playing and just sang the melody which felt like it came straight from my heart. When you can focus that long, I believe you are in an ultra zone of sorts and an altered state of mind. That's when I get my best results. You've got to make every breath count. The intensity that you feel when you create art is what a lot of people will feel when they see or hear it.(*) I believe these experiences of heightened awareness come about when the mind is at ease and not motoring from one thing to another. When you're in that in-between stage, not quite awake but the consciousness has not quite dropped down to the sleep state yet and becomes aware of it's surroundings. Meditation, in many circles, is the exercise of bringing the mind and body to that very still place. Then the inner worlds open up. It's easy to become a famous guitar player but it's virtually impossible to still and control the mind (I did say virtually).(**) Later on in life I would occasionally have experiences that were somewhat similar to the earlier ones. At first they would seem like very lucid dreams of grandeur and magnificence. There was always music involved but not like the music that we hear with our physical ears. Much more intense, colorful, furious yet mellifluously enchanting. The problem here is that I'm trying to explain something that I don't have the verbal skills to convey, and even if I did there's no way to explain such a personal experience.(**)

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When you concentrate on a given situation wholeheartedly, you'll get the best results. The key is single-pointedness of mind. This holds true for any pursuit; a bricklayer who concentrates on the work at hand covers every detail and gets the job done quicker and better. When you read a book with your mind fully focused, your comprehension and retention are vastly improved. Here's a musical example: I was transcribing music for Frank Zappa, doing everything from guitar and drum solos to orchestral scores and lead sheets. The work was quite intensive, and I found myself spending 10 or 12 hours a day listening to just one minute of music. I was concentrating so intently that I felt dazed whenever I stopped for a moment, but I achieved unprecedented results. I discovered new forms of written notation, greatly developed my ears, and transcribed some of the most rhythmically complex musical situations ever recorded all by sheer single-pointedness of mind.(***) When you meditate on something, you're forced to look at it from many different angles, including some you've probably never thought of. You're forced to reach down into the depths of your identity and individuality. Consequently, your results will be uniquely yours. That's what we seek as musicians: to light that tiny flare (or bonfire) of originality and individuality. The following exercise will help you develop your musical meditation skills. Take one isolated musical idea, such as a single chord or riff. For our example, let's take vibrato. Vibrato is a very expressive technique, and can say a thousand different things when properly used (or misused). Sit with your guitar and a clock, and vibrate a note for one hour. Sounds simple, but here's the catch... Never deviate from holding that note. Most important, don't let your mind wander. When you find yourself thinking of anything other than vibrato (and you will, probably in the first few seconds), pull your mind back to the note. Your mind will wander off into thoughts such as "Am I doing this right?", then "Boy, what a waste of time this is!" Eventually, you'll find yourself thinking about your friends, your financial situation, what you did yesterday, what you're going to do tomorrow, and of course, "Let's eat!" This is the hard part. Just keep pulling your mind back to vibrating that note. It's a discipline worth working on. Eventually, you'll exhaust all conventional vibrato approaches, all the ways you saw someone else do it. Then (if you have the discipline to continue), your mind will enter private realms and you will reach deeper into your own uniqueness for different ideas. You may have to start practicing this technique little by little, doing it for just five or ten minutes. Try timing yourself. Ultimately, you'll find that when it comes time to "just play", you'll use these vibratos with great ease, and you will discover something different in your playing. You can practice this exercise with any riff, solo, or chord change. Just keep your mind on it and constantly analyze your performance. It can become very soulful. You might, for example, take just two notes any two and play them for an hour without straying from them. Try any approach; stretch them, use different picking styles, play hard or soft, make the notes long or short, or vibrate them. One of the great things you'll gain from this type of practicing is authority. When you play something, you'll feel confident about pulling it off with flying colors. But most important, you'll gain discipline. Great results require discipline, and meditation is a discipline. But if you are really into this, it won't seem like a discipline, but a pleasure. But there's one thing for sure: Nothing you read in a column can teach you anything. You just have to do it!(***)

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Particular and universal approach

Some people, some young musicians, are very attracted to a particular style or a genre, like jazz, blues or pop. And that's OK, if that's what you feel compelled to play. And if you study a particular style, you can get very good at it. Your effectedness as a musician is going to be determined at how much vision you have in a particular style. What I encourage musicians to do, is to forget about all of that.

Listening and communication

I much prefer playing with a band. Playing with the band lives and breathes, it's organic, what I'm doing is fun but I'm not performing. When I'm in a situation when I'm on stage, it's a whole different thing. With an audience it's a whole different mindset. I kind of induce myself into a trance of sorts. It involves being aware of whats going on around you, listening to the band. A very important element of creating music is listening, so many people don't listen to what's going on around them. When you're jamming with somebody, communicating with somebody musicly, it's a very intimate frame of mind, it's very intimate place, it's very different than any other relation we have with anybody. We have lovers in our life, we have parents, we have teachers, we have coworkers and we have relationships with all those people. But a relationship that we have with a musician we communicate with is different, it's equisitive, in a sense but you have to be open to it. You have to have the right balance in being able to listen and to respond. It's the same thing with conversation. Who wants to sit and listen to an egomaniac that has nothing to say except the stuff about themselves? It's the same thing musicly. You have to be able to listen and respond. A great conversation is when there's the right balance of somebody being interesting and being interested. And when I'm on stage, I'm responding to what I'm hearing but I'm also feeling the audience. I feel, as my biggest responsibility is to give people their moneys worth and to give them an experience that makes them feel good, or something that's uplifting or enjoyable, you know. I'm not how to change the world. Besides meditation, I take cognizant steps in the direction of this emotional abyss when I'm performing live. Sometimes, when performing, I'm tenderly battered about and brutally caressed by these frightening yet engaging energies. Occasionally the audience even seems to experience them with me. In a gallant attempt to bring audible reality to this life-altering experience, I constructed the song "Love Secrets". It's the best I could do to make real the sound and ferocity of these ethereal episodes. It's not even close to the real things though. Worlds, no... universes, no... dimensions away from the real thing.(**)

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Spirituality and art

Whenever we go into that creative element of our brain, we always gravitate to the thing that interests us the most. Some people are very passionate about politics, about love affairs, about fast cars, most of the time we are thinking about sex... Right? But for some reason, ever since I was very young, I've been a seeker, after truth or reality. And through the years, I've studied, even more than guitar, more than anything, I've studied various religions, spiritual thoughts and truths. You know, that's a personal journey, we all can have. And when I go to write my music, many times I immediately just gravitate to that core. Then my brain has all the technical information and ability so it mixes it all up. That's how I get the music that I write. And basically, the gist of the matter is that, you know, the Immortal, the God, however you perceive it, is within everyone of us. And our goal is to try to get closer to that. Everything we do in life is virtually an expression of our desire, whether we know it or not, to become closer and basically you know, life is a series of experiences that we go through, to grow. And to become more evolved. That's the basic gist. But to get to what we are inside, really the only way to truly get there is through meditation, a prayer or whatever. Because the mind is... you asked so I'm telling you, I usually don't talk about my spiritual path. But you know, the mind is always running about. It's never satiated, it always wants more. In meditation, the object is to still the mind. And to focus, focus on right here, you know, that's the seed of the Soul. So you try to bring your consiousness, your focus you know, to a fine focus. It's very difficult, let me tell you, it's easy to do orchestra scores, it's easy to be a rockstar, it's easy to be a billionaire businessman, it's virtually impossible to still the mind. But as they say, if you're able to do this, you start to experience reality. You go within. That whole concept is very appealing to me, 'cause I'm a seeker after spiritual truth. And the particular doctrines within the Sant Mat path resonate within me. Vegetarianism, meditation, living a clean moral life. So that's what I, you know.. and I'm not perfect and I'm not an authority either, on spirituality. Some people approach me as such, I'm really not. I'm a beggar when it comes to thirst after spiritual truth.(****)

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...I have had a very vivid type of an experience, I don't know if I'd call it a dream. It's happened several times, I was sleeping so in essence yes, it was a dream. But it was unlike anything else. And the only reason I can talk about it is because I've heard other people talk about it. And I know that my experience is not unique. I think that there is this moment of lucidity when you're in between sleeping and waking. And if your consiousness is able to be excited at that particular point, you're able to perceive some pretty altered states of reality. And one experience that I had, I wasn't playing the guitar but I had just, I was.. it was like thisI don't like talking about it because I just get so harshly criticized for it... Well you know, it's funny. I think the orchestra is a manifestation of man's desire to closer to that music. Because what I was hearing wasn't necessarely an orchestra, it was like this celestrial orchestra, thousands of pieces all tuned differently, but it was this I mean there's really no words to describe. There's no..absolutely no words because it was an unearthly experience. The sound and the feeling of completeunequivocal and pure euphoria. It's beyond crying. And it was a shock. It was almost devastating in a sense that it was so loud you know and it was so intense. And so moving. I think that we all have that..and in the Santmat, one of the concepts is that the divine, manifests within us in the form of Light and Sound. That's why there's always such a perplexing contradiction with the word God. Because people see a person. And maybe there is like that but in this path that I follow that's... and I believe at that moment maybe I was experiencing that Sound. And I know I'm not alone. I've heard other people about it too. I remember watching Terence Trent D'Arby giving an interview and he was basically, verbatim was trying to explain the same thing. So it's my feeling that, whenever we're reaching into our creative mind, any of us, we're trying to approach that state of creative freedom and euphoria. Unless we're miserable people and then we create dark, aggressive, you know. Anyway, there you go. (****) Ready for this? One of these lucid dream occasions happened when I was about 16 years old. I was playing the guitar while recklessly rocketing through colors and space at a brutal speed. My face was being violently shaken from the rushing wind as tears of sheer joy flowed from my eyes. It was an uncompromised state of euphoria. There was what sounded like a 1000 piece orchestra of unknown instrumentation, all out of tune but divinely perfect, audibly racing with me. Every note or sound that I played on the guitar would be engulfed by this celestial orchestra and re-harmonized hundreds of different ways creating these cascading kaleidoscopes of indescribable sounds and colors. It was enormously loud but was coming from within. I wasn't using my physical senses like sight, hearing or feeling. These sensations were being experienced with a different set of sensual tools that were similar than the physical ones, but magnified to a great degree and multi dimensional too (ugh, this is hard to try to explain). The sound was all around. Inside, outside, upside-down etc. There was no pain or discomfort, no direction or real volume in the conventional way we know it. It was just untainted brilliant, euphoric intensity. It all came to a crash landing when I hit the bed and awoke with the remnants of this galactic philharmonic still reverberating in my head. I woke up uncontrollably weeping and depressed that it was "only just a dream"?

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I've heard others try to describe the same state of mind. The greatest music ever sounded on this earthly plane is a pathetic, feeble shadow of the purity and magnitude of the music within, but I am not an authority on this, although I believe that authorities on the subject do exist. I am not in control of these incredible states of consciousness and can not summon them at will, although I try all the time. They come when they want and go as they please. Experimenting in these realms without the guidance of someone who is experienced can be extremely dangerous to one's spiritual health. I believe (and so do many others) that there are those who are in control of these elements and can enter or exit these states of mind at will because they are masters of their mind, but they don't bother with these mental seductions because even these lofty spheres of awareness are the lower planes of even higher dimensions where these great masters make their conscious abode.(**) Trying to conceptualize God with our intellect is impossible. To put any kind of sex or gender on that is craziness. That is one of the big riddles that God plays. Our spiritual experiences are personal and you can't write them down. You can only try to express it the best you can. Where it comes from, I don't know. We all have the ability to be inspired but it goes through the channels of our own egos and that's what makes the statements we make that are so individual.(*) It's a place most of us go to, but sometimes we're not focused on being there. Sometimes I know a certain part of consciousness is off in la-la land, but there's another part that's meandering with the mundane things of the moment. Eventually you just have to let it go and trust it, but it's hard because of the obstacles. You have to demand your consciousness to rise above those things, and deal with the moment as it comes. When I was a kid practicing guitar, trying to make every note sound perfect, my mind would wonder to other things, and I would have to pull it back. Anyone who's really successful at something, it's because they were able focus their consciousness on that one particular thing, without letting extraneousness ideas into their mind. Everything I did back then (early 80's) was a reference to mysticism and metaphysics! Through my whole life, Ive always been a seeker. And the recording of Flex-Able marked a kind of turning point for me. Because right before then, when I was 20 and living on Fairfax, I went through a really dark depression. I dont know why really. It happens to people. But it was a very, very dark night of the soul. And right around that time I started going to a great metaphysical bookstore in West Hollywood called the Bodhi Tree. I used to live in there! I would go in there and read all kinds of stuff. Im a very practical person. I can only understand things that make sense to me. From a very early age, I understood that science is limited by human intelligence. I grew up as a Catholic, but all of that didnt make sense to me at all. But when I was exposed to the Bodhi Tree and all these different Eastern and mystical philosophies, there were these core principles that started to emerge. And those were the things that started to make sense to me and pull me out of this black hole. And when I moved to Sylmar, California, built the studio and started Flex-Able, that was really the awakening of my leaving behind that very dark state of mind. And thats reflected on the album too. Thats why, when I listen to it, I just hear a young man going through a cathartic mental change in life. But Id like to emphasize that now I feel deeply in my heart that Im a completely happy and fulfilled person. (*****)

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I think its extraordinarily arrogant to believe were the only living or intelligent creatures in the universe. But back then, as I say, I was researching a lot of things... One of the things that actually makes some sense to me is the idea of interdimensional beings. But as I started to prioritize my spiritual goals I realized that, even if aliens exist, they still have to answer the same basic question that humans do: Why are we here? Why do we exist? And we each take that journey alone. So all that stuff extraterrestials, UFOlogy, seances, mediums, numerology, reading the starsI dont discount that it exists. But I went through that stuff and it now resonates at a very low level for me, spiritually. In fact, its a deterrent, because you get lost in that stuff and lose sight of the real goal. I just think that the thing an alien would have to discover is the same thing we humans have to discoverwhich is what some spiritually advanced people have always known. And they all say the same thing: the creator and the whole creation is in the core of the human consciousness. And you have to figure out how to get there. That makes sense to me. Theres no alien that can tell me anything different thats gonna make more sense. Where I want to go is way beyond that alien stuff.(*****)
(*) - Quotes from Entering the Ultra Zone interview with Sirona Knight and Michael Starwyn (**) - Quotes from Vai.com (***) - Quotes from Musical Meditation by Steve Vai (****) - Quotes from www.richardhallebeek.com (*****) - Quotes from Guitar World-magazine All other quotes are from various interviews, seminars and talks from YouTube.

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Epilogue
In the pages ahead, I've tried to explain and gather information from authoritative sources of spirituality and art. I've put it together with Steve Vai's personal statements which resonate the same message all along. I think creative artists such as Steve and others, have an important role in world's spirituality, harmony and wellbeing. Great artists uplift us. Great concerts and shows can be of much more spiritual help compared to a dried up religious service. Great artists show us how far we can go in our own lives and in whatever it is that we pursue. I feel that all the greatest in their respective arts must have gone through similar meditative process to have achieved expertise and great skill in their field. I hope this book helps to illuminate that the learning and growing process in arts can be a conscious pursuit if one is familiar with ones inner elements and the underlying consciousness. As we can enjoy Steve's art, his recorded music and live performances, we can understand that everyone can pursue the same path of art and spirituality towards perfection.

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Author's story
My first contact to Zen art, the traditional art of Japanese meditative expression, took place when I was about 5-6 years old. My family lived close to a library, so I would occasionally go there and search books of martial arts. I had seen films of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and others, and was very impressed, so I wanted to know more of it and learn the moves myself. I remember going to the martial arts section, taking out some big books and become overwhelmed by pictures of samurais, ninja fighters, paintings and calligraphy made with black ink. I didn't, of course, understand what the calligraphies said or meant but I was somehow very impressed by them. They had a special effect on me. Soon, when I started school at 7, I started to practice judo and continued to do that for many years, about 6 times a week. I competed too but was never inclined towards that. I was fortunate to have a judo teacher, sensei, who had interest in natural healing arts and meditation as well. In each judo-session, we meditated silently for a few minutes in the beginning and in the end and did some acupuncture massage, shiatsu, sometimes too. I loved it.
Babananda (the author) and Sunyani in 2012.

At early teenage, I became interested in music. Probably because of my big brother's and older friends influence. I wanted to begin playing the electric guitar. My brother had a nice Kramer-guitar with a Marshall amplifier and Roland multi-effects. He didn't use them anymore because he had taken up the saxophone. My brother had also played me a lot of 80's heavy metal and rock bands which I liked, since I was a kid. When I was 11 or 12 years old, he played me Passion and Warfare by Steve Vai. I didn't know what to make of it. It sounded strange yet appealing. As I got myself a guitar and started playing it, I pretty much dropped martial arts overnight and threw myself into guitar and music. Soon, I applied for entrance into a local music school and was approved. I started receiving weekly lessons in guitar, music theory and solfeggio, as well as joining the music schools jazz-pop band and the junior big band of the local music conservatory. After a few years, I wanted to get more opportunities to play with other musicians and get more in-depth instruction in guitar. I applied to a music high school which was located a long distance of my home, and moved to the capitol area at 16. By that time, I was using a lot of time for practicing the guitar, sometimes 10 hours or more a day. It was a great disappointment when I found out that the level of music teaching at the high school wasn't as high as promised. I had no other choice but to seek a guitar teacher on my own. During high school I took private lessons from several top guitar players in Finland.

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One whose lessons I enjoyed and appreciated the most was Raoul Bjrkenheim. Raoul is very well known in Finland as well as around the world, for his collaboration with the producer-bass player Bill Laswell, among other projects. Crazy-Raoul as I used to call him, used to do 30 push-ups and play weird beats on the drums before we took up guitars. Then we started playing anything from African rhythms, modern-classical cello pieces to rhythm'n'blues and free atonal jazz. He also adviced me to play in dark room and using Arabian newspaper as notes for intuitive playing. That was great! After many years of intensive practicing, and gigging with various bands, I sort of came to a conclusion with the guitar. My motivation to play was to bring upliftment and something very meaningful, a purpose of life, to myself and to my audience but I realized that I'd never get there with the guitar, so I stopped altogether. I had listened a lot of Steve Vai and I intuitively knew that I would never get as far as he, just by the guitar. For a couple of years I studied and worked in music production. I studied music production in polytechnic school and later in Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. I learned to use different computer-based devices for making music. It was great but after some time, I faced the same problem as with the guitar. It wasn't my thing and I did not want to compromise, so I completely left music and sold my studio. I was to seek another meaning for my life. Some time later, I started reading books by the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh and others. I had participated in various spiritual gatherings and meditation meetings since high school. After some time meditating on my own, I saw an add on the newspaper of Introduction to Zen-meditation. I called the organizer at the local Zen center, if I could join in. I remember the very first moment when I stepped in the Zen center. I opened the door and BAM!, I was swept over by a strong wave of spiritual energy. It was the energy which had generated because many people had meditated in that room. At that exact moment I knew for sure that I had found the path and method I had been looking for my life which would give me all the answers I needed. I knew that through applying Zen I would get my hands on something meaningful which I could share with others too. Since, that first day I began to sit in zazen, zen-meditation, for hours every day. I got enough money for living, giving shiatsu-massage treatments to clients an hour or two everyday, so I had much time to sit and meditate. Soon after becoming a member of the Zen-group I received keys to the zendo (jap. zen hall). I spent hours and hours everyday there, sometimes nights as well. I sat and sat, counting my breaths from 1 to 10, again and again. I joined a couple of 7-day intensive zen-retreats in Sweden and kept sitting by myself. I was inspired by a certain Japanese master of meditation, budo and calligraphy ( zen, ken and sho) called Yamaoka Tesshu Sensei who had lived in the 19 th century. Tesshu's nickname was Demon Tesshu and I wanted to do my training in a similar spirit. The only problem was that I didn't know who could teach me kendo (swordmanship) and calligraphy as well. The local teachers in my country weren't familiar with meditation. This was in 2004. In a book about Tesshu's life, it was told of a group of Tesshu's followers who gather each year on the 19th of July, at Tesshu's home temple in Tokyo to honor him. In the book I also saw a picture of a Zen master called Omori Roshi who had been the founder and teacher of the Tesshu Society in Japan, until his death in 1994. I felt a lot of attraction to all of this. I had dreamed of living in Japan since being a kid. 35

With the help of friends and a swedish Zen-teacher, I was able to get a cultural visa and necessary recommendations in order to join a Zen monastery which was lead by a Zen master who was a dharma nephew of the mentioned Omori Roshi. His name was Harada Shodo Roshi (1940- ). I planned to travel to Japan and spend as long as it would require for me to grasp whatever I could learn. I wanted to become fully enlightened too. I was extremely naive and had many romantic ideas about the whole thing. Before I travelled to Japan, I had found a book Zen Brushwork - Focusing the Mind with Calligraphy and Painting from a local bookstore, written by a master called Tanchu Terayama who was said to be a student and Buddhist dharma heir to Omori Sogen Roshi. The book also told that Terayama Sensei was an adept in zen budo, martial arts which emphasize empty, original mind. That was precisely who I was looking for!
The author and Terayama Sensei in 2005. In the background you can see Yamaoka Tesshu's Dragon which is one the most well-known Zen Calligraphy works.

When I got to Japan, at first I couldn't find any information how I could get in touch with the Tesshu Society, all the internet sources were in Japanese. It was on the very morning of Yamaoka Tesshu Sensei's memorial day, 19 th of July in 2004, that I decided to do one more web search, to find out if I could find an adress or a telephone number to the temple the memorial service would be conducted in. It was a miracle! On the same day, some calligraphy gallery in Tokyo had announced a show of Zensho-an temple's calligraphies and paintings and it included the adress and a phone number. I called there at once. On the other end spoke a Japanese monk who couldn't speak much English but he understood when I said who I was and that I wanted to come and join the festivities. He said OK and I rushed to the Tokyo subway. The temple was located on the other side of the vast 13 million people metropolis. When I arrived at the temple, the yard was filled with people dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos and suits. I was wearing loose pants, an antique haori-kimono jacket and Japanese straw sandals. Sensing a delicate atmosphere and etiquette, I walked straight to the temple's doorway where people were going in. No one could speak good English but I managed to tell the serving monks, that I had called earlier and was granted a permission to join. As they scratched their heads what to do about me I was keenly watching the walls where many calligraphies of Tesshu Sensei were hung up. An elder monk came by and went to ask the temple's head priest what to do with me. He came back in a moment, guided me back outside and told me to wait and went back in. In a minute or two, he was on the other side of the temple, over a staircase and showed me to climb the stairs to him. The monks set a chair and a loudspeaker for me on the veranda so that I could hear the talks and see the demonstrations from behind the glass.

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In a short while the festivities began with penetrating shakuhachi-flute and big daikodrum piece. When the big drum was hit, the whole temple shook! After that there were many speeches held in Japanese which I couldn't understand, except for the main message of several honorary speakers who said that it was a real pity that in our times spiritual practice, shugyo in Japanese, wasn't taken as seriously as Tesshu and ancient practitioners did. I agreed. After 2-3 hours of formal program it came to an end. I was still sitting on the veranda when people began to leave the hall. I could see people walking pass me on the other side of the glass, just a meter or two from me. Suddenly, I saw a familiar face coming towards me. It was the master from the Zen calligraphy book that I had been gorging for the last few months. He must have sensed my enthusiasm. As he walked in front of me, I automatically made a gentle bow to him and he answered it by bowing back. I had come a long of way of searching a paths, taking twsist and turns and had travelled to the other side of the globe and now I had met the master, who I had been looking for. I was swept by joy. I was told by one of the monks that the guests were eating inside the temple so I left the temple for a moment to have a cup of coffee and something to eat. After some time, I returned to Zensho-an and just then the guests started to leave. I stood right there on the side of the entrance and waited for Terayama Sensei to appear. I thought it might be impolite to go directly speak with him, so I thought I'd see him at the yard from distance and get in touch with him somehow later. He came out with a few of his students, I bowed to him again and he left. I had read from the book that Terayama Sensei was a professor in one of Tokyo's Universities, so I called there to ask for his telephone number. Perhaps because I was foreigner the person on the telephone gave it to me without questions asked. A few days after I had seen sensei at the temple, I called his house and asked if I could come and interview him for the Finnish Aikido-magazine. He kindly approved and I set the date and time with Mrs. Terayama who could speak better English. I was told that an English lady who was a student of sensei's would meet me at the nearby subway station and would guide me to sensei's residence. I had prepared a series of questions to Terayama Sensei on matters concerning zen and budo for the interview but I never took out the list. It was only after the first meeting with him which included a practice session of Yokiho, a type of chi gong, meditation and Zen calligraphy, lunch and informal discussion, that I came to understand that he knew from the beginning that I wasn't there to make an interview of him but to receive guidance and be taught. That is how I came to meet my master of Zen arts. It had been confirmed that in a week or two, I would join the Zen monastery in Western part of Japan, so Terayama Sensei adviced me to go there and absorb whatever I could. He also knew the abbott, Harada Roshi (roshi means an elder Zen-master) by reputation who was his dharma cousin.

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I went to the monastery and started my Zen training. Days began at 3.40 am and lasted until 9 or 10 pm in the night. The daily schedule included about 8 hours of zazen, sitting meditation, per day as well as 4-5 hours of manual labour in the garden, in the kitchen or some other chores. In the afternoons, when we had a few hours of rest, I waved my wooden sword at the graveyard just between the monastery and a mountain and practiced calligraphy on my own. On sesshins, intensive retreats, each month, we sat from early morning until night. At Sogenji-monastery I also met with the roshi, the master, privately 1-3 times a day. This meeting with the master is called sanzen. In sanzen one receives instructions from the master as well as demonstrates his understanding, his degree of realization to the master. If one comes in front of the zen master with ideas or thoughts about the Path, instead of embodying the Path and ones True Nature, one is dispelled from the sanzen room in an instant. When this takes place every day, it makes you really want it. By it, I mean genuine understanding of life's purpose. I remember that once roshi told me to become empty minded stupid fool. He also told me to become empty of thoughts and ideas like a clear pipe and be like that without conflict.
Harada Shodo Roshi, in 2004. Photo by Joao Rodriquez.

Time at the temple was great. It taught me many things but I became restless and wanted to get training in sword and calligraphy too. I wanted to train with Terayama Sensei in Tokyo. Upon leaving the monastery, the head nun said some encouraging words to me and I felt confident about my path. I took my way to Tokyo where I was to live and train at the legendary Ichikukai Dojo which combined zen and Shintoist misogi-purification practices. At the same time I was to study Terayama Sensei whenever I could. I got many opportunities for that. Terayama Sensei didn't have a temple or a dojo for residential training, so I tried to find some other way to live close to him and do some other form of residential training. Unfortunately, I couldn't find and in the end had no other choice than to leave Japan. When I met Sensei for the last time having dinner together at his home, he told me that in the future I would study with several teachers and masters of various paths and gain much understanding in this way. After having returned to my native Finland that is exactly how it turned to be in the following years. Soon, my spiritual path took a turn from Zen Buddhism to yoga meditation, kriya yoga, and I received an initiation from an Indian master. I also came into contact with few other Indian adepts of spiritual yoga, learned from them intimately and also came into contact with my root tradition in which I had practiced in several previous incarnations. Now, I serve as a teacher of this particular yoga-tradition, upon receiving a permission to work as an acharya, a teacher, from my late gurudevi, Sivakami Om Anandi (1941-2010). Several years of intensely practicing Kriya Yoga and receiving direct blessings from the ascended masters of this lineage, have also contributed to my view and understanding of Zen arts, both in traditional and modern forms.

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I am teacher of particular meditative yoga-teachings called Sundara Kriya Yoga and teach courses and conduct intensive retreats, mostly in Finland. For more info go to Yoga Center Sundara's website at: www.sundarayoga.fi

Contact the author: Acharya Babananda via email: kimkatami@hotmail.com or call +358-(0)44-3045435 (Finland).

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