Attendees entered a darkened room to encounter a circle of cushions surrounded by a
ring of electric candles. As they lay supine in the silent hall,
the reverberation of the meditation bell signaled the beginning of
the journey. Then, a dramatic narration began, accompanied by musical
selections chosen to inspire the listener to imagine each stage of
the process.
The narrative told the story of a
person transitioning from living mundane everyday life, unmindful of death,
through sudden diagnosis of serious illness, struggle with disease,
gradual acceptance of death, passing away of the body, the migration
of the spirit, wandering in the bardo, liberation from the wheel of
samsara, and the attainment of the Bodhisattva ideal.
The conclusion of the program was met with applause.
Life, Dying, Bardo...
Next... A Meditative Journey
Concept by Bob Davey
Music selected by Bob
Davey
Creative development by
Bob Davey, V. Myong-Ahn Sunim
Writers: Bob Davey and V. Myong-Ahn Sunim
Narration performed by V. Myong-Ahn Sunim
Audio engineering,
editing: V. Myong-Ahn Sunim
Performance space design: V. Myong-Ahn Sunim
Music
I Still Haven't Found What
I'm Looking For – U2 (The Joshua Tree)
Catacombae – Modeste
Mussorgsky (from Pictures at an Exhibition)
Mars, the God of War –
Gustave Holst (from The Planets)
Gymnopedia No. 1 – Erik
Satie
Ascent – Brian Eno
(Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks)
Hymn – Joseph Zawinul
(Faces and Places)
Crystal – Miroslav
Vitous (I Sing the Body Electric – Weather Report)
Venus, the Bringer of
Peace – Gustave Holst (from The Planets)
Bodhisattva – Steely Dan
(Countdown to Ecstasy)