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Passing a shop today, I saw a book of Leonard Cohen’s poetry for under $3. Yippee! So needless to say, I went and bought it. LC’s had a bit of a bad rap (like myself?) for being miserable. Sometimes he is, but not always. He is also a profoundly spiritual man. I can only think of one other person of the period who is as spiritual as him, and that’s George Harrison. An article on Cohen’s relationship with his ancestral Judaism, and his involvement with Zen Buddhism.
Quote:His speech encapsulated his views on the shift within Judaism from the truly spiritual and religious to the superficial and the material. Cohen expressed his belief that Jewish leaders had become more concerned with the corporeal, “nominal” survival of Jews as a group, rather than with the survival of their role as “witnesses to monotheism.” He regretted the disappearance of the prophet from Judaism, leaving only the priest.
There’s a discussion of “Leonard’s Spiritual Journey and Yours?” here. Quite a short topic, but interesting.
I really like his music. I was listening to him just last week. For me you have to be in the right mood to listen and enjoy it. I have used these lines from Anthem as my signature line before on different forums: Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
Brian Johnston wrote:I have used these lines from Anthem as my signature line before on different forums:
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
I like what it mentioned in the article before quoting that…
“Cohen does, however, find optimism even in imperfection, urging for perseverance and faith, despite the brokenness of everything around us.”
Lately, I’ve struggled with the paradox of everyone being “perfectly imperfect.”
Yet, it makes more sense, as far as being motivated in productive ways, to consider the importance of both perfection & imperfection…
“The glass is always full – 1/2 water & 1/2 air.”
That’s a wonderful quote, Brian, thank you. Yes, I always feel Cohen is written off as a miserabilist. In fact, he’s more complicated than that. I don’t think his voice has the range it did in the Sixties, but he is still an excellent writer, with great spiritual insights. But what would we expect from a Jewish poet/singer, brought up in a rabbinical family, surrounded by devoutly Catholic folk in Quebec, and who has had serious involvement with Zen Buddhism.
With him, I think his spiritual journey is sincere, and not just the latest thing to wear, like some singers…
Quote:Lately, I’ve struggled with the paradox of everyone being “perfectly imperfect.”
I think we all are… but our mistake is to judge where someone is in their spiritual development, since they’re probably nowhere near where we think they are. They’re either much further back, or further forward than we realize, but it’s perhaps not for us to know.
Hi Sam, My dad just told me about this group that sings Hallelujah (written by Leonard Cohen)…
I loved it – maybe you’ll like it too.
Canadian Tenors – Hallelujah
“This is not a cry you can hear at night, It’s not somebody who has seen the light,
It’s a cold and a broken Hallelujah”
Very beautiful and, it seems, a cry out for the “devine”.
I remember Hartman Rector Jr. introducing a song at a stake conference many years ago. He said something to the effect of:
“You’ll feel the spirit in this song because all the good music has already been written on the other side. (All the bad music has too) You don’t think that Mozart surprised the Lord with anything, do ya?”
Hallelujah is such a song IMHO.
This young lady nails it as well:
Hi Bruce, That is a good rendition.
As a pianist, who has a hard time even talking while playing, I admire those who can both sing & play simulataneously, as she did.
Me too. My singing is even worse than my playing so I strive to be courteous and not try with anyone around. Bruce in Montana wrote:Me too. My singing is even worse than my playing so I strive to be courteous and not try with anyone around.
Well, Bruce, I hope you aren’t being too hard on yourself.Maybe there are people who would love to hear you at least play piano.
A friend of mine was really good at piano, but felt like you did and would never play for anybody, which I thought was a waste of good talent.
I think talents are mostly to share with others – to uplift them, which uplifts us.
Of course, it helps if we practice too.
My Dad shared another version of Hallelujah on ukelele of all things…. Played by itself – it sounds pretty good – kind of peaceful and relaxing.
Jake Shimabukuro
Wow that’s cool. I just more or less rediscovered this song and starting getting into Leonard Cohen again. I now have about twenty versions on mp3 on my computer including several by Cohen (live and studio), John Cale, Willie Nelson, Jeff Buckley, et al. A music writer recently wrote a book about the song, The Holy or the Broken. Actually it was this book that got me hooked on the song. 🙂 http://www.amazon.com/The-Holy-Broken-Unlikely-Hallelujah/dp/1451657846 Cohen’s story has gotten me interested in spending some time up at the Mt. Baldy Zen Center, where he lived for a while. Looks like a good location for a retreat from the craziness of the city.
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