Tag: Americana
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“One Word of Praise”
What if everything you’ve been told about spiritual progress is backwards? This song came from reading an ancient Buddhist text—the Lotus Sutra—that completely flips our understanding of how transformation happens. We’re taught that meaningful change requires years of effort, countless hours of practice, immense sacrifice. Grind long enough and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get somewhere.…
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The Quiet Gap Blues
The Quiet Gap Blues is a slow-burning, porch-born folk-blues meditation on patience, presence, and the subtle work of transformation. Over finger-picked guitar and a harmonica’s gentle cry, William sings of that moment between impulse and wisdom—the breath before the word, the silence before the song. It’s a hymn to building one’s inner tower stone by…
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Walk On Easy
Walk On Easy is a warm, blues-folk song about traveling light in a world that’s all connected. Inspired by the Lotus Sūtra’s teaching of peaceful conduct, it tells a simple story: no gate to guard, no crown to wear—just one wide river of life where everyone belongs. With finger-picked guitar, gentle harmonica, and a slow…
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The Buddha’s Eyes Blues
Buddha’s Eyes Blues is a slow-rolling, rootsy folk-blues meditation on the heart of Chapter Ten of the Lotus Sūtra. With warm finger-picked guitar, mournful slide, and harmonica sighs, it honors the sutra’s call to make offerings of devotion and daily action. Each verse carries the listener down a dusty road of incense smoke and open…
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Relational Rhythm
A contemplative folk‑blues piece that turns cosmic physics into a back‑porch hymn. Relational Rhythm (Gravity’s Song) is a cosmic folk‑blues single by The William Altig Choir, blending finger‑picked acoustic guitar, slide‑guitar “spacetime bends,” and warm, soulful vocals. Inspired by Einstein’s curved spacetime and Buddhist insights into inter‑being, the track turns gravity into a groove that binds every heartbeat,…
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The Debt of Peace
“The Debt of Peace” is a raw, slow-burning Delta blues song that captures the emotional weight of everyday suffering and the quiet hope for human connection. With trembling finger-picked guitar, a sparse upright bass, and a weeping harmonica, this track tells the truth gently but unflinchingly. The lyrics explore the burden we all carry—the debt…
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Better Every Day (In Every Way)
“Better Every Day (In Every Way)” is a soulful folk-blues anthem of personal growth, quiet resilience, and sacred encouragement. Rooted in the journey through hardship, self-reflection, and healing, the song honors the effort it takes to keep moving — step by step — toward a more compassionate, awakened life. With gentle acoustic guitar, intimate vocals,…
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Same Sun, Same Sky
“Same Sun, Same Sky” is a heartfelt blues-folk ballad inspired by the timeless teachings of the Lotus Sutra. With gravelly vocals, acoustic textures, and soul-deep lyrics, this song explores the universal light that shines on all people, regardless of their path, pain, or past. It’s a gentle reminder that we are all walking under the…
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Clinging to the Flame
“Clinging to the Flame” is a soulful blues-folk journey through darkness and resilience, illuminated by the enduring power of passion and hope. With raw, heartfelt vocals and fingerpicked guitar, this song explores the trials of a long journey, both physical and spiritual, and the unwavering commitment to one’s creative fire. Inspired by the imagery of…
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Back to the Start
As time passes, freshness of spirit often fades. Apathy and inertia can set in. When that happens, new growth and development cease. The way to overcome apathy is to return to one’s starting point. —Daisaku Ikeda [The New Human Revolution, Vol. 23, “The Future” chapter] One key teaching in the Lotus Sutra is the idea…
Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra 