Interview with Rama Buisson
Rama is a musician, actor and devotee from New Zealand. In this interview I ask him a bunch of questions about his new album and his trip to India.
▶︎ And As My Plans Dissolve Completely | Rama Sun (bandcamp.com)
SOULS ON FIRE: What was your inspiration for the album?
Rama Buisson: These songs were chosen from my backlog of writings, because they feel of a similar accord. The feelings I wanted to portray with the album as a whole are as follows… This modern life I find myself in, with all its distractions and bewildering misunderstandings, is really quite a vacant experience to me, for the most part. There are moments of euphoria and fellowship here and there, but largely I’m left with a strange taste, or lack of taste. And this creates an undying longing inside me. Essentially I wanted to reveal to others a deeper layer than they might get from me in person. A layer where I’m really just a desperate soul, desperate for a resolution to the dissonance.
You’re visiting India right now. How is it?
India is actually quite how I imagined it would be. Full of the noise, rubbish and chaos that I’d heard so much about. Yet it has a very serene calmness to it once you get beyond that. It often feels like some kind of dreamscape unfolding before me, like my mind is slow to register that this is reality here.
What drew you to go to India?
India to me is like the crest jewel of the world. It’s the place where Lord Krsna displayed his eternal pastimes. It’s like an old portal sight to the spiritual world. Like some old tomb with riches still inside. But no good tomb doesn’t come with booby traps, and to really see the holy places of India, I would say that there are all sorts of tests of the mind. As well as physical limitations, and social political complications. These things are what they are, and they can cover the pure nature of the places, but all the while the riches remain. Transcendental riches. So I consider it like a challenge, a test of spiritual endurance. A chance to go deeper in the face of adversity. Not to say this inner transformation can’t take place anywhere in the world but being in India makes it more palpable for me.
What do you suggest for someone wanting to start practicing bhakti?
Based on my own experience I would suggest finding devotees that inspire you and spending time with them. This will give you spiritual strength and faith in the process.
What’s your favorite thing relaxation
There have been some small in-house gatherings at different peoples homes. Somehow I managed to get invited to a few and they have been a very relaxing way to finish the day. With some mellow, relaxing kirtan.
What’s the best thing you've bought in India?
I haven’t bought much yet, mostly just clothes as I didn’t bring much with me. I did buy some nice quality Tulsi mala neck beads, that have ‘Radhe’ carved into each bead. Those are quite special.
What’s the weirdest thing thing you've seen there?
Something that keeps surprising me is how fearless the animals are with incoming traffic. Cows, dogs and goats are constantly crossing or lying down in the middle of the road. As people drive by they are tooting their horns and yelling but these animals don’t give a shit. Especially the goats, they will just hold their ground and people have to slow down and drive around them.
Now that I’m here in India, and I’m seeing how the local people often live very simple lives, and can live in such austere conditions and still be happy, and not be so phased by the chaos around them. It’s got me thinking how I can adopt this mentality in my own life. Because I find that I’m often confronted by the living conditions here, and the mess and the noise. And I long for the comforts that I’m used to. But why? These are things I once had and took for granted when I had them, and now that they’re gone I think they’re so important. But then when I get back they’ll soon just be ordinary again. So in this way it’s like a trick of the mind. A cycle that never allows me to just be at peace with what I have. So I’m interested in finding the deeper reason why some of the locals are very content with what seems like a hard life to me.
What’s opening up out of your pilgrimage?
I’ve visited so many temples already, and have experienced a whole spectrum of variety in the way people behave and perform worship to their deities. From beautiful and peaceful, to loud and bewildering (for me). Sometimes I leave a holy place totally confused, other times totally inspired. Sometimes I don’t like the way people are doing things, but then feel terrible that I’m casting judgment upon them. Sometimes I’m so spaced out or in my mind that I barely pay attention to the experience and feel like I’m messing it up, and that I should have worked more on myself before making this trip. That I’m doing it wrong.
But through all these ups and downs, and with all the overthinking going on. Im beginning to feel that, perhaps it’s not necessary for me to try figure it all out. Maybe I’m just going in circles with it. Krsna knows me better than I know myself, and if I just trust in him completely than he’ll sort me out, in whatever way I need, lovingly or through chastisement. It’s all good. I’m just a foreigner passing through, witnessing this place and it’s people, and though the mind is chattering away, I’ll be okay if I just keep bringing it back to Krsna.
Who is Rama becoming?
I’ll probably just be the same dude I was before, to be honest haha
No but I’m sure there’ll be some internal change going on.
A sort of mantra that I set for myself at the start was “Be humble, curious, enthusiastic and in a mood of service”
Not that I’ve followed this very well. But Id like to think that’s what I’m striving for, so hopefully I can bring these qualities out a little more before I get back.
What can we expect from Rama when he comes back?
You can expect me to try and barter at shops inappropriately, drive dangerously overtaking people and tooting constantly, only eating off of leaves with my hands, shaking my head while talking. No but really I’m not sure what I’ll do when I get back, I’m just focused on letting India do what it wants with me.
What’s the best thing you've eaten in India?
Some of the best meals I’ve had have been at the smaller temples. You buy a coupon for like $1.50 and you sit down with you’re leaf plate. Then they bring everything around to you, it’s often all you can eat. Rice, dhal, multiple subji’s, chutney, sweet rice. Sometimes it off the chain good.
Who do you look up to and why?
I look up to devotees who have found a good balance for themselves. For my personal inspiration that’s generally devotees who are more on the chill side, because that’s how I am / want to be. Not chill as in slack with their chanting or following regulations. But chill in the way they conduct themselves. There is one outstanding kirtaniya here in Mayapur who often leads at the main temple. He has a kind of new age vibe, looks a bit unconventional to temple standards, grown out hair, big earrings, lots of tattoos. I got to meet him a few times, and he’s very chill. But when it’s time for kirtan he’s very focused, very grounded, and very enthusiastic. He’s a good example of someone who found a good balance for himself in a similar way that I would like to for myself. Able to follow regulations yet keep his own essence intact. I hope to find that balance for myself. Where I’m stable in Krsna consciousness internally, that wether I’m strict or relaxed with appearance, it makes no difference, and I can move between them if needed, and that I can retain my relaxed nature while having an unshakable stability in Krsna.
Thanks for the great questions Prabhu!
They’ve been a good tool for self reflection on my experience this far.
Hari Haribol! :)
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Bali Mahārāja Surrenders His Life
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) » Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations » CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
ŚB 8.22.25
यदा कदाचिज्जीवात्मा संसरन् निजकर्मभि: ।
नानायोनिष्वनीशोऽयं पौरुषीं गतिमाव्रजेत् ॥ २५ ॥
yadā kadācij jīvātmā
saṁsaran nija-karmabhiḥ
nānā-yoniṣv anīśo ’yaṁ
pauruṣīṁ gatim āvrajet
Synonyms
yadā — when; kadācit — sometimes; jīva-ātmā — the living entity; saṁsaran — rotating in the cycle of birth and death; nija-karmabhiḥ — because of his own fruitive activities; nānā-yoniṣu — in different species of life; anīśaḥ — not independent (completely under the control of material nature); ayam — this living entity; pauruṣīm gatim — the situation of being human; āvrajet — wants to obtain.
Translation
While rotating in the cycle of birth and death again and again in different species because of his own fruitive activities, the dependent living entity, by good fortune, may happen to become a human being. This human birth is very rarely obtained.
Purport
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is fully independent. Thus it is not always a fact that a living being’s loss of all opulence is a sign of the Supreme Lord’s mercy upon him. The Lord can act any way He likes. He may take away one’s opulence, or He may not. There are varieties of forms of life, and the Lord treats them according to the circumstances, as He chooses. Generally it is to be understood that the human form of life is one of great responsibility.
puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi
bhuṅkte prakṛtijān guṇān
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
“The living entity in material nature follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.” (Bg. 13.22) After thus rotating through many, many forms of life in the cycle of birth and death, the living being gets a chance for a human form. Therefore every human being, especially one belonging to a civilized nation or culture, must be extremely responsible in his activities. He should not risk degradation in the next life. Because the body will change (tathā dehāntara-prāptir), we should be extremely careful. To see to the proper use of life is the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The foolish living entity declares freedom from all control, but factually he is not free; he is fully under the control of material nature. He must therefore be most careful and responsible in the activities of his life.