Brazilian Folk-Psych Trio's '70s Karma: How It Inspired Me
Jazzing Up Consciousness
"Karma" (1972) by the Brazilian folk-psych trio Karma
I found the album "Karma" (1972) by the Brazilian folk-psych trio Karma in Adrian Younge's Facebook stories. Adrian Younge is an American musician, record producer, and composer. I didn't know this album would hit me so hard. I can't get the rare vinyl or pricey CD, so I play it on Spotify. It links music and big ideas in ways I never thought of.
The title track's mix of guitars and drums struck me at once. It made me think of life's cycles and karma, which I'd read about in Vedanta. I began to mull over how my daily acts shape my path.
Cosmic Unity
"Do Zero Adiante": This song is about letting go of the past. The lyrics "Do zero adiante eu quero ver acontecer" (From zero onwards I want to see what happens) made me think about fresh starts and not fretting too much about what's to come.
"Blusa De Linho": The words tell of a heart full of mixed feels, hidden under a linen top. It made me ponder how to let go and live in the now, free from old hurts.
"Você Pode Ir Além": This track urges us to push past our limits. It sparked thoughts about cosmic unity and how the self we think we are isn't real.
"Epílogo": The song talks of grasping and facing life's tests. The words "Pode pensar, compreender, pode assumir, enfrentar" (You can think, understand, assume, face) made me think about how to meet tough times with grit.
"Tributo Ao Sorriso": This tune sings of joy in life. It nudged me to value small things and be thankful, thus changing how I see the world.
"O Jogo": The song uses games as a way to think about life, with its twists and turns. It made me muse on how to face each day with a light heart and see life as a divine game.
"Omissão": This track muses on being there and not there, and how we're all linked. It made me think of how things don't last and why we should be in the now.
"Venha Pisar Na Grama": The song asks us to walk on grass and bond with nature. It brought to mind how key it is to find calm times in our busy days.
"Transe Uma": This tune with no words made me think of how complex our minds are. Its twists and turns are like how our thoughts weave and make a web of what we know and feel.
"Cara & Coroa": The song speaks of two sides of a coin, showing life's dual nature. It made me mull over how each thing we live through has good and bad sides, and why we need to take both.
Karma Yoga
As I heard the album more and more, I found new depths in each song. The tunes wove with the big ideas I was into, making links I didn't see coming. Karma Yoga began to feel not just like a far-off idea, but a way to live that these songs brought to life.
The notion of acting with no ties to what comes next came alive through the music. I started to value the act of making more, both in art and life, without being hung up on the result.
The Vedantic idea of Brahman (Ultimate Truth), the one big mind, took on new life as I heard the songs. I began to sense this core unity not just in my head, but in my heart, through the waves of sound.
"Karma" became a kind of sound guide in my quest to grow. Each time I hear it, I feel I get a bit closer to knowing my true self. It helps me bit by bit to see through the false idea that we're split from all else.
Looking back, I see how odd it is that a Brazilian folk-psych album from 1972 could link to such deep ideas. Yet this link has been so rich, giving me new ways to learn and grow.
And…so?
Each time I play this album on Spotify, I set off on a new inner trip. The songs I know well greet me like old friends, but I keep finding new bits and shades of meaning in them.
In our often crazy world, "Karma" has become a sound haven where I can link back to deep thoughts and spark new zeal for Vedanta and Karma Yoga. It's shown me how music can be a strong tool for thinking deeply and growing as a person.
Through this album, I've grown in how I grasp what music can be and do. It's changed not just how I hear, but how I live. It prods me to stay in the now, act with care, and seek deeper bonds with the world around me.
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