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The Noble Search

by The Firstborn

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Poesy Rider
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Poesy Rider Comme sur l'opus qui le précède, incluant de plus en plus de death, de black, de sludge, etc. The Firstborn garde sa démarche innovante. Cela dit, les instruments orientaux sont moins présents. Merde, et la spiritualité bordel ! Favorite track: In Praise of Reality.
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1.
Let there be homage, Homage to the Virtuous One. Conqueror of what must be conquered, Resplendent with knowledge. Beyond the eightfold Narakas… Where one dies a thousand deaths, Constantly consumed by flame, The fire-torment of Great Roruva. There lies Pain, without Intermission. Beyond the cesspool of Milhaküpa, The embers of Kukkula, The trees of the Asipattavana And the Nadï River There lie Those Having Swords for Nails. Beyond the Animal realm, Where men are driven into By passion and delusion, By anger and arrogance. There lie nägas of great iddhi-power. Beyond the realm of ghosts and demigods, The petas and katapütanas. Where the wicked are reborn As deformed kumbhandas… There lie those reborn as Yama’s rakkhasas. Suffering is the fruit of evil, Comfort of meritorious action. A mixture of a mixture… One should know that every fruit corresponds to the deeds. Such is the doctrine of karma. Such is the way of Man, Towards the realms of the devas, And Passion’s release.
2.
Enter the stream, Embrace true Sight… Within the nature of “reality”, Towards realities within. Hark, stream-enterer! Destroy the seeds for future birth In the three lower realms. Now, your mind is made of clear light… Towards non-return. Transformed – through mudrä [gesture] Transformed – through mantra [speech] Transformed – through samadhi [concentration] United with the dharmakaya. Aware of body, aware of feelings… Aware of mind, aware of dharmas… Thus is the being purified, Surmounting sorrow and lamentation. Pain and grief having disappeared, Thus is the being transformed… Transformed – through mudrä [gesture] Transformed – through mantra [speech] Transformed – through samadhi [concentration] United with the dharmakaya. Towards non-return.
3.
Contemplate the body As a body. Ardent, fully aware and mindful… Having put away all grief for the world. Aware… Of breath, and of posture. Aware… Internally, externally. Not clinging to anything in this world, As this body too shall become… Flesh to the Crows. Aware… Of death and its nature. Aware… Internally and externally. Contemplate the body As a body. Ardent, fully aware and mindful… Having put away all grief for the world. Aware… Of the body’s arising factors. Aware… Of the body’s vanishing factors. Aware… Of the body’s arising and vanishing factors. Impermanent, in sati. Suffering, in sati. Independent, in sati. Not clinging to anything in this world, As this body too shall become… Flesh to the Crows.
4.
You who seek, Reach for the Perfection of Wisdom. Emptiness is itself empty, Yet actions are fruitious. You who seek, Accept the non-self, tolerantly. Firmly convinced of emptiness, Yet compassionate towards all beings. Bodhisattva, Between permanence And impermanence. Bodhisattva, Between self And non-self. Such is the way of Śūnyatā: Emptiness is itself empty. Empty. In the past. In the present. In the future. Empty. Bodhisattva, Between wisdom And compassion. Bodhisattva, Between existence And non-existence. Such is the way of Śūnyatā: Emptiness is not nothingness. You who seek, Fear not the void. For emptiness is itself empty, And pure.
5.
You, of little dust in your eyes… Go for refuge to the Buddha. Go for refuge to the dharma. Go for refuge to the sangha. Thus, open the doors to the Deathless, To ascend the palace of the dharma. And by craving’s ceasing freed, Become all transcended… a knower of all. Search, Above this human breed, engulfed in sorrow. Search, Above this word that has become blind. Search. Thus, beat the drum of the Deathless, To set in motion the wheel of the dharma. And with fires quenched and extinguished, Become all vanquisher… renouncing all. Go for refuge to the Buddha. Go for refuge to the dharma. Go for refuge to the sangha. Search, Between perception and non-perception. Search, Between Gaya and Enlightenment. Search. Go for refuge to the Buddha. Go for refuge to the dharma. Go for refuge to the sangha. You, who seek the Truth… Search.
6.
Shatter the failing husk of flesh With the diamond of samadhi. Cleanse the cause of samsara, Unveil the purity of the dharmadhatu. For it is not produced, It never ceases. It is stainless, In the beginning, middle and end. With stainless jewels, Blazing in the sun of the Buddha’s hand. He bestows consecration to his foremost children. From his body, rays of light Spontaneously appear… And open the doors of those who abide in dark obscuration. A mind of clear light, Purified by the fires of Wisdom. Free from all conceptions, Praising the purity of the dharmadhatu. For it is not produced, It never ceases. It is virtuous, In the beginning, middle and end. And it is not far, It is not near. It neither comes nor goes, Encaged in afflictions, it is seen or not seen. Through knowing reality, there is liberation. Always abide in oneself.
7.
Bliss 04:25
Where neither mind nor wind roam, Where neither sun nor moon enter… There, bring your mind to rest. Know your mind exactly as it is: It is like water mixed with water. Where the sense faculties dissolve, Where the innate self nature is shattered… There, is the body of the innate. In this supreme great bliss there is no self or other. When bound it runs in all directions, When released, it stays still. That which shackles the ignorant... liberates the wise. When one has purified his mind, When one is free from karma… Then, one enters the city of the conquerors. Know your body exactly as it is: It is compassion, and emptiness its consort. In this supreme great bliss there is no being or non-being. Now, shattered are the (solid) pillars of the word. Cut off (are) the many bonds of samsara… At peace, you entered the (lotus) bed of the innate. Know the nature of the innate exactly as it is: In it there is no beginning, no middle, no end. In this supreme great bliss there is neither existence nor non-existence. Take the three refuges as a ship, Cross the ocean of existence. In it, you perceive no waves, As your mind goes to great bliss… Words cannot grasp its true nature.
8.
As a ship, Upon a vast Ocean of Light... Pure Light, Joyful Light, The Light of Wisdom. The multitudes of beings all receive such radiance. As a ship, With the vow of Great Compassion... The Light of Compassion, It grasps, it illumines, It protects us... always. We, an Ocean of beings, in this evil age of five defilements. We, who were like streams... We became at one with the Ocean. We, who were like streams... We became as one in the Ocean. As a ship, Softly carried by the winds of Perfect Virtue... So that the troubled waves, The waves of our Evil, Undergo transformation. (The darkness of our Ignorance is quickly broken through.) We, who were like streams... We became at one with the Ocean. We, who were like streams... We became as one in the Ocean. The ice of self-afflicting blind Passion melts, And becomes the water of Virtues. Though the light of the Sun is veiled by clouds and mists, Beneath there is not dark, but brightness. Likened to the pure Lotus, The darkness of our Ignorance is already broken through.

credits

released December 11, 2008

Bruno Fernandes: Vocals, Chanting, Tibetan Horn
Paulo Vieira: Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Nuno Gervásio: Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Hélder Malícia: Bass
Rolando Barros: Drum-set

Vorskaath: Percussion / www.myspace.com/zemial
Luís Simões: Sitar / www.saturniamusic.com
Hugo Santos: Vocals / www.processofguilt.com
Proscriptor McGovern: Vocals / www.absu.us

“The Noble Search” was recorded at Foel Studio by Chris Fielding, The Firstborn and Vorskaath. Drum production assistance by Vorskaath.
Percussion and additional drum-set arrangements by Vorskaath. Additional recordings took place at MadDog Studios, the Absu Dungeon and assorted home studios. Mixed at Foel Studio by Chris Fielding and Bruno Fernandes. Mastered at Chicago Mastering Service by Bob Weston. All lyrics by Bruno Fernandes. All music by Bruno Fernandes and The Firstborn, except songs 1 and 3
by Paulo Vieira, Bruno Fernandes and The Firstborn.

Artwork, Illustration and Photography by Phobos Anomaly Design.

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The Firstborn Lisboa, Portugal

Like lions among men, THE FIRSTBORN come forth as a true force of nature within a movement where mindless, continuous repetition of the same old formulas is often mistaken for talent. The new album «Lions Among Men» is now out and it represents the ultimate stride forward in the path treaded since the band’s inception in the mid-nineties, following 2008’s critically acclaimed «The Noble Search». ... more

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