Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra

“Embark on a mystical journey with ‘The Lantern and the Crystal.’ This folk ballad draws inspiration from a timeless parable. It explores themes of perception, reality, and the search for truth. This song weaves haunting melodies and poetic lyrics to explore the interplay of light, shadow, and inner awakening. Let the story of the traveler and the crystal show you how to quiet the mind. Discover the boundless clarity within. A contemplative tale set to rich acoustic instrumentation and soulful vocals, perfect for moments of reflection and wonder.”

Verse 1

On a hill, there stood a tower, bathed in starry light,

Where whispers spoke of crystal truth, clear as the endless night.

A traveler came with a lantern bright, to seek the fabled gleam,

But mirrors danced and shadows swayed—what’s real, and what’s a dream?

Chorus

Oh, the lantern guides, but the mirrors lie,

And the crystal hides where the silence cries.

Let the light fade low, let the mind grow still,

And the truth will shine from the quiet hill.

Verse 2

The Keeper smiled and handed her the glow to light her way,

“Take this flame to guide your steps, but know its truth will sway.

For what you see is shaped by you, the mirrors and the flame,

To glimpse the pure and boundless truth, first quiet what you claim.”

Chorus

Oh, the lantern guides, but the mirrors lie,

And the crystal hides where the silence cries.

Let the light fade low, let the mind grow still,

And the truth will shine from the quiet hill.

Bridge

So she climbed the stairs and reached the heart,

The crystal’s glow seemed worlds apart.

She cried, “This is not what I came to find,

Just reflections bent by my restless mind!”

Verse 3

She stilled the flame, let darkness fall, and turned within her soul,

The mirrors stopped their shadow dance, the crystal became whole.

A universe within its depths, her lantern now at rest,

The Keeper smiled, for she had found the truth beyond the quest.

Chorus

Oh, the lantern guides, but the mirrors lie,

And the crystal hides where the silence cries.

Let the light fade low, let the mind grow still,

And the truth will shine from the quiet hill.

Outro

Now she walks with the quiet flame, her path is true and clear,

A guiding voice for those who seek the truth that draws them near.

For every heart holds a crystal bright, and every soul must climb,

To find the hill, to still the light, and glimpse the truth divine.