Sunday, February 14, 2010

Past Life and What the Hell is Heaven?

Okay this is a two-topic post

Topic one: Past Life

Wow! I was watching a new TV show called “Past Life”. Given the measure of programs that are allowed on corporate controlled TV it is a great program. And on Fox of all places.
Replays are available on line for a short while at
Past Life Episode 2

In episode two, “Dead Man Talking”, a woman is distressed by visions of herself dying in strange circumstances and she begins taking drugs to try to stop the pain of her visions. Her younger sister takes her to a past life therapist and she discovers information that relates to the innocence of a man wrongly convicted of murder and on death row facing his impending execution.

"Free at last! Free at last! “

I admit I teared up at the end of both episodes. I'm a sucker for these types of dramatic themes where the person is liberated or finds their true home at the end.

Topic Two: What the Hell is Heaven?

At the climax of episode two of Past Life a song plays that I think expresses a great ecumenical spirit, equally Christ and Buddha. Many of you will have already heard of Brett Dennen, but I had never heard of him until hearing his song in this program.

He seems like such a youngster, but in a YouTugbe interview he says quite maturely that the song is not about a heaven somewhere else but asking why, if we believe in an afterlife like heaven, arn't we trying to create that afterlife here on earth?

I especially like the line “where fact and fiction meet” as a reference to the zero point where the opposites connect in unification.

What a wonderful song!

Listen at Heaven featuring Natalie Merchant


Enjoy,

Gregory



"Heaven" by Brett Dennen

Beyond the rules of religion
The cloth of conviction
Above all the competition
Where fact and fiction meet

There's no color lines, caste, or classes
There's no fooling the masses
Whatever faith you practice
Whatever you believe

Oh, Heaven, Heaven
What the hell is Heaven?
Is there a home for the homeless?
Is there hope for the hopeless?

Throw away your misconceptions
There's no walls around Heaven
There's no codes you gotta know to get in
No minutemen border patrol

You must lose your earthly possession
Leave behind your weapons
You can't buy your salvation
And there is no pot of gold

Mmm Heaven, Heaven
What the hell is Heaven?
Is there a home for the homeless?
Is there hope for the hopeless?

Heaven aint got no prisons
No government, no business
No banks or politicians
No armies and no police

Castles and cathedrals crumble
Pyramids and pipelines tumble
The failure keeps you humble
And leads us closer to peace

Oh, Heaven, Heaven
What the hell is Heaven?
Is there a home for the homeless?
Is there hope for the hopeless?

Is there a home for the homeless?
Is there hope for the hopeless?

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