13th Floor New Song Of The Day: Dalai Lama – Inner World: One of My Favorite Prayers

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And now for something completely different. Our 13th Floor New Song Of The Day is by none other than The Dalai Lama.

Its more a prayer set to music than a song. Interestingly that music was created by a couple of Kiwis…Junelle and Abraham Kunin. Here’s the record company blurb with more details:

One Of My Favorite Prayers’ features a verse written by the eighth-century Indian scholar, Shantideva, ‘For as long as space endures, and for as long as living beings remain, until then may I too abide to dispel the misery of the world’.

The Dalai Lama says he recites this verse ‘daily I think sometimes a hundred times’, providing insight into the deep commitment he has to serve others. This commitment is at the heart of the path of a bodhisattva – someone committed to helping others, with every thought, every word, and every action, no matter how long it takes, working tirelessly from life to life.

The origins of INNER WORLD began in 2015, when one of the project’s co-executive producers and a longtime student of The Dalai Lama, Junelle Kunin, wrote to him requesting his participation, by fervently explaining her feelings that an album by such a compassionate and wise being would help people particularly who struggle with emotional stress.After reading her letter, his response was enthusiastic, saying, “This will benefit many people!”.

Junelle and her husband Abraham Kunin, both from New Zealand, spent the next five years working with a small team to bring the project to life. The Dalai Lama’s recordings have been thread through music produced by Abraham and performed on thirty-plus instruments by himself and a cast of collaborators from around the world. This includes a special guest performance from Anoushka Shankar on ‘Ama La’, which is a track where The Dalai Lama pays homage to Mothers. The composer integrated the live performances with artful programming and production, building a peaceful bedrock for these sacred offerings.

Net proceeds from the sales of INNER WORLD will go to The Gaden Phodrang Foundation of the Dalai Lama (Switzerland) chosen program: Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning (SEE Learning), an international K-12 education program and part of an academic collaboration between Emory University and His Holiness; and Mind and Life Institute, which brings science and contemplative wisdom together to better understand the mind and create positive change in the world.

Marty Duda
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