Introduction

The name of this album is Paramita: American Buddhist Folk Songs. Paramita means “crossing over.” When we move from here to there, from suffering to suffering’s end, from confusion to awakening, it is “paramita”-- we cross over. One of the primary means of crossing over in the Buddhist world, from the earliest times, was music. Buddhist music surrounds our ears in Asia: in Thailand we hear monks’ voices chanting scriptures; in Chinese monasteries the sound of “wooden fish” drums send praises of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha into the air; in Tibet, lamas intone deep mantra sounds while turning mala beads and prayer wheels and sounding brass horns. And in every Buddhist culture, since the Buddha’s time 2500 years ago, Buddhist songs have brought peace and insight to people’s hearts.

Left to Right: Brian Godchaux, Josh Michaell, Rev. Heng Sure,
Paul Hostetter, Robin Petrie, Alan Senauke, Henry Kaiser