The Leaves of Light (traditional)

All under the leaves and the leaves of light
I met with Virgins Seven
And one of them was Mary Mild
Our Lord's first Mother in Heaven

Oh where are you going you seven pretty maids
All under the leaves of light ?
Oh we are going, Thomas they said
Seeking for a friend of thine

And they went down into yonder town
And sat in the Gallery
And there they saw sweet Jesus Christ
Hanging from a Tree

Oh do not weep for me my Mother
Oh do not for me grieve
For I must suffer this, he said
For Adam and for Eve

Oh how can I my weeping cease
My sorrows to forgo
When I must see my own Son die
And sons I have no more ?

He laid his head on his right shoulder
Death soon drew him nigh
May the Holy Ghost receive my soul
Dear Mother now I die

And oh the rose, the gentle rose
The fennel it grows so strong
Amen, dear Lord, to thy Charity
Is the ending of my song

The Busker

-1-

There's a man with a guitar
singing songs on the pavement

And he wants to be famous
for a night and a day

-

In his arms he holds the charm
of words that came between us

And he whispers in your ear
the words that you can't say


-2-

If I was you I'd walk away
Don't walk on the wild side !

'Cos you've seen his face before
He lives outside the law

-

He smells of fish and chips
and his breath's like
the kiss of death

How many roads
must a man walk down ?


-3-

When the road that leads to Hell
is paved with good intentions

Now he's about to play
knocking on Heaven's door

-

These boots were made for walking
and that's just what they'll do

One of these days these boots
are gonna walk all over you


-4-

Let me take you by the hand
I'll lead you through the
streets of London

I'll show you something
that'll make you change your mind

-

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

(We'll sing ...)
London Bridge is falling down


-5-

(We'll sing ...)
London Bridge is falling down

(We'll sing ...)
London Bridge is falling down

-

Yesterday all my troubles
seemed so far away

Tomorrow tomorrow
I love you tomorrow


-6-

He's the King of the Road
He's one of the Dirty Dozen

'Cos he doesn't have a home
He sleeps in a cardboard box

-

Little boxes little boxes
Little boxes made of ticky tacky

With a can of lager
and a pipe of squidgy black


-7-

Or a bottle of the hard stuff
Or any kind of medicine

Which will feed your addiction
so you don't feel the cold

-

Like Puff the Magic Dragon
who lived by the sea

Pass the Duchy to the left
That means pass it to me


-8-

Can you spare me some change ?
Make it worth my while

Cross my palm with forty
silver coins just for a smile

-

And I'll sing you a song
No I won't tell a lie

I think you know the words by now

Whoopee we're all gonna die !

Summertime

-1-

We left in the morning
It was ever so cold
You lent me a blanket to wear

We headed down south
on the open road
We were going to Glastonbury Fair

Yeah we were going to Glastonbury Fair !

-

Oh, in the summertime
we were feeling so free

Oh, and I'd make you mine
You were my destiny
Is this my memory
or my fantasy ?


-2-

Later that night
as we sat round the fire
You played the guitar and we sang old songs

I passed you a drink
You said you were tired
but we danced till the new day began

Yes we danced till the new day began !

-

Oh, in the summertime
we were feeling so free

Oh, and I'd make you mine
You were my destiny
Is this my memory
or my fantasy ?


-3-

While your friends watched the band
from the back of the tent
we ran off to play with the clowns

From the top of the hill
I could see what you meant
but I couldn't see you come down

No I couldn't see you come down !

-

Oh, in the summertime
we were feeling so free

Oh, and I'd make you mine
You were my destiny
Is this my memory
or my fantasy ?

-

How would it be
if I'd never met you at all ?

Memories sometimes play games with me

You were the love that I never had
I don't even remember your name

I don't even remember your name


-4-

There were hippies and hustlers
and women in drag
chasing the dragons away

Walk round the stone circle
Don't you look back !
Watch how the children play

Yes watch how the children play !

-

Oh, in the summertime
we were feeling so free

Oh, and I'd make you mine
You were my destiny
Is this my memory
or my fantasy ?

-

How would it be
if I'd never met you at all ?

Memories sometimes play games with me

You were the love that I never had
I don't even remember your name

I don't even remember your name
I don't even remember your name

O Happy Summer

Lost gone

Wind blown luck

with twittering of sparrows

O happy summer !

Beautiful peaches

look so fresh

in the market

Soon they go rotten

Ducks on the table

sit and wait

so patiently

What is the future ?

Stone caught in sandal

The path is smooth

but it hurts

Pray for protection

------

I do eat other things you know

besides the fruit of apple trees

that grow in the meadow

------

Lost gone

Wind blown luck

with twittering of sparrows

O happy summer !

O happy summer !

Beautiful peaches

look so fresh

in the market

Soon they go rotten

Soon they go rotten

Ducks on the table

sit and wait

so patiently

What is the future ?

What is the future ?

Stone caught in sandal

The path is smooth

but it hurts

Pray for protection

Pray for protection

Pray for protection

------

Pray for protection

What is the future ?

Soon they go rotten

O happy summer !

------

I do eat other things you know

besides the fruit of apple trees

that grow in the meadow

Teacher's Advice

Realising this
emptiness and bliss

Tell me now then
what have you got to say ?

-

How can I help you ?

And you say ...

I can help you on the path
of accumulation

-

Ok this is what we'll do

But you must make an effort

-

When the mind becomes distracted

by sleep
excitement
or wandering

-

Tighten don't squeeze

-

Free will and power
is conferred on you

by virtue of your understanding
that no one can be free

and nothing is immutable

-

Other people are more
important than me

-

You thought you didn't dream
but you were mistaken

-

Why can't you
remember your dreams ?

When did you forget them ?

Who was dreaming anyway ?

-

If you feel disappointed
it might be just as well

to ask yourself
what did you expect

-

That's nice
just relax here
and take some rest

-

If you're always like this
then everyone will love you

practise daily
don't give up

-

This is a great opportunity

-

You are what you are
not what you take
yourself to be

-

Don't change your name
on new years day

it's up to you
why not ?

-

You are bound to be successful

-

You must see this before you go
it meant a lot to me

-

After a while you will be able
to help others in the same way

or perhaps you think
you won't be able to ?

then take stock
and count your blessings

-

You and everybody else
have the seed planted
deep within

and you have committed
yourself to practise many
many times in the past

and invited your past selves
many times in the future
to join you in this practice

and each time
has left its imprints

so take courage
and go on

-

Strengthen yourself
in preliminary training
by stressing the importance
of holding pure intention

-

Pay particular attention
to holding pure intention

take courage
and go on

Come Unto Me

HUM

out of clear blue sky

luminous divine

in a rainbow of five colours

come unto me

lovely jewelled messengers

in countless numbers

iridescent

also infinitely small

even dull and unseen

I invite you wisdom beings

to arrive

with perfect timing

blessing my three places

each in turn

and simultaneously

to make me pure

and drink from the nectar

in my heart

I am therefore I think

I am therefore I think

I think therefore I am not

------

All things are ...

conditioned impermanent and made of many parts

Where each part is in itself ...

conditioned impermanent and made of many parts

------

So where do I fit in  ... to all of this then ?

And what should I do ?

------

According to a saying
attributed to Laozi (Old Master)

If you are depressed you are living in the past
If you are anxious you are living in the future
If you are at peace you are living in the present

But I say this ...

Be anxious for the past
depressed about the future
and in the present
make eternal war
against the enemy
and strengthen
always in your heart
the will to keep fighting

------

See now what I become

How I have shamed myself

My craven selfishness is now become
an object of blame in this world

The foremost object of blame
and the subject of endless
remorseless regret

No one else
do I take to be
more to blame than myself

For this horrible existence

In which I lurch uncontrollably
from relish to despair

In one vile act after another

Without a moment's thought

For the harmful effect
my actions have on those around me

And the consequences
which will inevitably arise
in my own mental continuum

As a result
of what I do now

Causing me
great suffering
in the three times
past present and future

Wherever I may find myself to be
in all the ten directions

May I never lose sight of this sense
of abject failure and culpability

And may I never more become a slave
to the daughters of Mara appearing
in the aspect of the Rudra

------

What other dreadful
things do you
think you'll
find buried
long ago
which will
one day
come back
to haunt you ?

Can you remember
everything you did once
upon a time and could
you then or can you
even now know
for certain
what the
consequence
will be ?

Who can say ?

Who will be the judge
to make the final statement
and pronounce the verdict
and sentence on
the actions of
your past ?

------

Where shall we place the silver bowls ?

Seven set in line upon the altar
consecrated to your memory

They should be used to catch and collect
the tears of grieving mothers

Hungry ghosts and orphaned children
and offered to the spirits

Who would otherwise be shrieking and
torment us in the night

By rights expecting recompense
demanding payment for the
sins we have committed
and rejoiced in

Harming others and ourselves
every moment an atrocity

Perpetrated willfully
against our better nature

From our birth until our death

And on into the bardo
where peace cannot be found

We alone
must take the blame

And expect one day
to be judged by what we do