10,000,000 views! 10 Million! The video clip for the mantra Sarvesham Svastir Bhavatu reached this incredible number earlier this month. An incredible figure and the proof that TINA has become an incredible ‘shamanic force’ by bringing millions of people across the world around her mantras and buddhist teachings. With the release later this year of the fourth Beyond album ‘Awakening Beyond’, let’s have a look back at the birth of the project with a radio interview recorded in 2009 with Deepak Chopra and an article published in Science of Mind back in March 2011.
In the worst of times, Tina, a deeply spiritual woman who was raised Baptist, sought solace in reciting “The Lord’s Prayer” and, later, an ancient and mystical Buddhist chant to connect to a higher power beyond her human understanding. She began chanting “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo” over and over. “I found something changed inside of me, the load of the pressure of my life started to lift . I started to become happy, and then, slowly, the thoughts came to me of what to do to change my life.”
The power of prayer
Tina Turner believes in it with all her heart, so much so that in 2009, she joined creative forces with two renowned musicians based in Switzerland, one of Christian background and the other a Tibetan Buddhist, to go beyond religion, beyond theology, to go “beyond the beyond,” as Su Poet Rumi wrote, to meet together in a eld of pure potentiality. The result is a remarkable music CD entitled Beyond: Buddhist and Christian Prayers.
The meaning of the Lotus Sutra is ‘I devote my life to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra’.
It is the royal sutra of Nichiren Buddhism in Japan (1253). Coming from India to China and then to Japan, the prayer was translated from the Sanskrit word ‘Saddharma-pundarikasutra’ first into classical Chinese as ‘Miao-fa Lien-hua Ching’ and then into an ancient form of Japanese as ‘Myoho Renge Kyo’.
The word ‘Nam’ derives from the Sanskrit ‘names’ and means ‘devotion’. It is placed before the name of all deities when worshipping them.
‘Myo’ is the name given to the mystic nature of life and ‘Ho’ to its manifestation.
‘Renge’ means lotus flower. The beautiful and undefiled Lotus blooms in a muddy swamp with all the obstacles against it. It symbolizes the emergence of our Buddha nature from the everyday problems and desires of ordinary life. ‘Renge’ stands also for the simultaneity of cause and effect, because the lotus puts forth its flower and seedpod at the same time.
‘Kyo’ literally means sutra, the voice and teaching of the Buddha.
It also means sound rhythm or vibration and therefore it might be interpreted to indicate the practice of chanting. Since everything in the universe is connected through sound waves, ‘Kyo » refer to the life activity of universal phenomena and indicates that everything is a manifestation of the Mystic Law.
‘Myoho-Renge-Kyo’ is the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra. An explanation can help you understand, but the Sutra can only be fully appreciated through chanting it.
TINA:
‘However you must do it, to truly understand. When you say ‘Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo’ it will slowly remove all of the bad decisions you have ever made. The more you repeat the words the more you make your life clearer. The more you chant it the closer you get to your true nature. Your true nature is the right way of thinking and the right way of acting. The longer you go on this path, the more you avoid making wrong decisions. The Lotus Sutra helps me in my daily life. It is indeed mystical! And my life has proven this!’
Later this month, Miss Tina Turner will turn 77! Throughout her life and career, she showed the world that despite life’s turmoil and challenges, you and only yourself are in control of your fate. And if you are smart enough to clearly understand the rules of the Universe, you can be in full control and like Tina live a happy and healthy life.
So today, here’s 5 tips that we learned from Tina to improve your being. And trust us, There Is No Alternative…
1 – STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS
If the Gypsy, the Acid Queen herself tells you that a life free of drugs is essential to develop your well being you better trust her. Having a clear mind in every circumstances is a ‘sine qua non’ condition to enlighten your being. And you can spend the money you don’t use on drugs on things you like, like clothes!
Teach Us Again Tina! Exciting news for all the Beyond fans out there! A very nice sneak peek video from the recording of the upcoming Beyond album has emerged earlier on Youtube. And guess what! Parts of the music from the album have been recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra at the legendary London’s Abbey Road Studio where Tina recorded her classic hit Let’s Stay Together among others!
What do we know so far? The new Beyond album, ‘Awakening Beyond’ will feature Buddhist nun singing for freedom, Ani Choying Drolma as well as Jewish Sephardic singer Mor Karbasi. The great Regula Curti, the creator of the Beyond albums will once again unite her voice with the mesmerizing Sawani Shende. Tibetan singer Dechen Shak-Dagsay however won’t be featured on the new album, currently promoting her ‘Day Tomorrow’ album.
Also some news on the production side! Kareem Roustom, an Emmy nominated composer who has composed music for film, television, the concert hall and album projects will compose music for the album. Steeped in the musical traditions of the Near East and trained in Western concert music and Jazz, Syrian-born Kareem Roustom is a musically bilingual composer who has collaborated with a wide variety of artists.
This all sound very promising of course and we can’t wait to hear more from the upcoming Beyond IV: Awakening Beyond and let’s not hide it, so we can delight us from the hypnotic voice of Tina once more!
We send Peace & Light to everyone involved in the project!
Beyond IV: Awakening Beyond
Artists: Tina Turner – Regula Curti – Sawani Shende Santhaye – Ani Choying Drolma- Mor Karbasi – Dima Orsho Producer: Erwin Bach Composer: Kareem Roustom Conductor: Arturo Rodriguez Technic: John Weston
The story: Jasper, age 16, a vietnamese- african- american teenager and his family has just moved to a new neighbourhood to be closer to Jasper´s charming and wise zen master like grandfather. At his new school, Jasper is confronted with bullying, anger and stress. Jasper uses the pebble meditation practice that his grandfather taught him to transform his relationships at school and at home.
What does it have to do with Tina Turner? Well first it is a wonderful project, Thich Nath Hanh is a well respected Zen Master, who had a tremendous life and now lives in Plum village in the south of France were people from around the world gather to receive his teachings. And secondly, the songs of the album Children Beyond will be used as a soundtrack for the movie. Tina’s friends and collaborators on the Beyond albums, Regula Curti & Dechen Shak-Dagsay even added their voices to two characters from the movie!
We wish the movie and everybody involved in it the best of luck!
“Sometimes I am exhausted and driven Lord, Sometimes I don’t know where to go My Mother, and Father, don’t own me So I’ll try to too make Heaven My Home”
By Ben – Today marks the anniversary of the release last year, of the third album of the so far Beyond trilogy “Beyond, Love Within“. With Tina’s participation on a few songs, the result was once again excellent and haunting; Bringing back her gospel roots while mixing it with her buddhist faith, a challenge for Turner who add another feather in her cap in World Music thanks to the creativity of good friend Regula Curti and the work of Swiss music producer Roland Frei.
Today, we focus once again on ‘Love Within’ but with a new and special upload! The “Heavenly Home” mix version of “Mother Within’ that was not included in the album. A shorter and bit more up-tempo version of the song to put it in a nutshell!
And for the occasion and for all your delight, a new video for the song created by Ben! Enjoy!
Great news! The second album of the (so far) Beyond trilogy, “Children Beyond” just turned Gold! Congratulations to Regula, Dechen and of course Miss Tina!
From the album, the peace mantra ‘Sarvesham Svastir Bhavatu’ now 2.6 millions views (and growing) on YT! Clip by Ben.
During the past week, you had the chance to win a copy of the new spiritual album Beyond Love Within, featuring Tina Turner and signed by artists Regula Curti, Dechen Shak-Dagsay and Sawani Shende. All you had to do was to answer the question: how did Tina help and inspire you on your life journey? We were overwhelmed by the many entries and all the personal stories you shared with us. Continue reading to find out who won.
