![]() ![]() ![]() I will continue to refer to them in future lessons, so they won’t be too far.Puffy AmiYumi are a Japanese pop group who have achieved the status of a minor industry in their homeland, where their records have sold over fourteen million units, they've successfully marketed a dizzying variety of merchandise (from the traditional T-shirts and souvenir books to dolls, bow ties, and underwear) and starred in not one but two successful television shows. With that being said, I hope you all had a wonderful experience learning with Puffy. Puffy’s music is meant to be enjoyable, not a textbook on how to live our lives. Even though I endorse the latter interpretation, I believe the reader (and Puffy’s fans) should not overlook the themes of love, peace, happiness, and harmony with the world. I personally think Puffy is aiming for the latter perspective. It’s pointless to try and search for one’s self if one lacks the experience and context to view their self in relation to the world they live in. ![]() Experience all life has to offer and enjoy the limit of your freedom. Basically, forget about meditating and finding one’s true nature and just live life. The other perspective I am referring to is more counter-intuitive but more appropriate for Puffy’s general audience. The elucidation of the Ten Bulls explains the path to enlightenment and freedom in this perspective. Searching for one’s true self is pointless as one needs to transcend their conception of self. One perspective is the Zen / Chan view of Anatta, or selflessness. The singer states to stop searching for one’s self as it is pointless. The last topic I want to discuss is the singer’s last line of advice to the “you” that remains. This reinforces and emphasizes the point I made in previous posts about the value of musical artists who leave lasting impressions on their listeners through their music. While connected with the world, the singer will disappear however, the work and writing they leave behind will remain (especially if it was able to leave an impact on others). It is further important to know that the singer is not detached from the world, but is actively living and experiencing it. With this new found freedom, the singer is able to engage in activities that enrich the world, such as calligraphy and poetry. It is important to note that the singer is confident that they had attained this fruit, likely through observing and understanding their dreams. This is likely why they are saying “good-bye” and “farewell” to their loved ones as they will be journeying further on the path of enlightenment. It appears that singer has attained the fruit of a “ non-returner” in regards to the four stages of enlightenment of a Arhat. The singer loves the world, as well as their friends and family, but they strive for the cessation of their suffering. There is clear evidence that Samsara is taking a toll on the singer and they can no longer tolerate cyclic existence. In specific, they are striving to be liberated from Samsara and reach Nirvana. To return back to the analysis, it appears that the singer in the song is striving for freedom. It’s important to note that if the singer was able to express intense sadness through their tears, they are also like able to be very jovial, which can be expressed through their smile and laughter. After the summer, the singer recovers and again smiles and laughs and enjoys the fall twilight. It’s important to note that the imagery of sobbing is meant to express intense emotions as one does not sob unless they are very distressed. ![]() This can be a reference to the Japanese rainy season, which occurs between the beginning of June to mid July. The next line talks about the transition to summer, and the singer weeping. Waking up in the spring entails that the singer was sleeping over the winter and the warm sun and rain created the necessary conditions for their awakening - sort of like a flower that blossoms in the spring. From the very first line, the spiritual nature of the song is created as the singer has awoken (likely spiritually) and creates a backdrop for the rest of the song. In the beginning of the song, spring came and the singer awoke. The song starts with the classic Japanese theme of nature. ![]()
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