“After I learned about meditation,
I think meditation allows us to know
that, “You and I are one”. The love from
within fulfills us and makes us united.
There is no “You” nor “I” but a “We”
where we have each other. I believe that
meditation will bring the ultimate world
peace that everyone has been searching for.”
My name is Howard McCrary and I am a
jazz, hip hop, and gospel singer. I developed a
single album called, “So Good”, composed of
religious songs. I have sung with, and compiled
songs for many famous singers such as Michael
Jackson and Chaka Kahn. Dubbing cartoons
such as the California Raisins, I also chorused
and appeared in a song in the Hollywood
blockbuster, Lady Killers movie,
and Mighty Joe Young movie.
When I was three years old, I began playing
the piano without having had any prior lessons.
At seven, a mysterious thing happened to me;
I heard a voice whisper to me, “You’ll be the
instrument for World Peace.” I doubted it and
have been waiting for an answer for so long. I
prayed for World Peace, but felt deeply inside
that, “World Peace cannot arise until inner peace
is found.” Then I discovered inner peace during a
meditation class at Wat Phra Dhammakaya. This
has made me more confident and has given me a
better understanding.
My first experience in meditation was what
I never thought would be possible. Usually, it is
dark when you close your eyes, isn’t it? But I saw
a light when I closed my eyes. The bright light
inside filled me with happiness, peace, confidence,
delight, and love, as if I received a magnificent
power. I now feel kindness and compassion in my
perceptions of people. I want to change my life so
that it can change others as well.
I wish that everyone in the entire world
would practice meditation because it is “the only
thing that is truly useful”.
I like what Luang Phaw
Dhammajayo once said, “Meditation is free”, and
it is so wonderful. Usually, what I have seen is that
we have to pay for everything in this world, but
we don’t have to pay for meditation. It needs only
time, attention, love, and the intention to make it
happen. Each time while meditating, I see a light
that becomes brighter and more concentrated like
sunlight. It is the size of a small basketball. Then
I see a bright and clear crystal ball at the center of
my body. I feel a happiness that
I never felt before in my life.
I believe meditation is not much different
from playing the piano. When I first began playing
the piano, I was not that good. I attentively and
consistently practiced it every day. Now I am a
professional composer, lead singer, chorus singer,
and musician (piano and keyboard), and many
people now say my skills are “legendary”.
I have a dream of using my musical skills to
create World Peace because songs are a universal
language bringing people of different nationalities
or religions into harmony. It is also easy to
understand. I composed one song for the 1992
Winter Olympics, held in Germany recorded
by Chaka Kahn & The Yellow Jackets, entitled,
“You and I are one”, to represent the unity and
harmony of all countries. However, after I learned
about meditation, I think meditation allows us
to know that, “You and I are one”.
The love from within fulfills us and makes us united.
There is no “You” nor “I” but a “We” where we have
each other. I believe that meditation will bring
the ultimate world peace that everyone has been
searching for. I agree that if everyone learns to
practice meditation, World Peace will happen. It
is the day of celebration. I have dreamt of seeing
World Peace since I was seven years old. I believe
that the time is coming closer. We can see World
Peace during our lifetime.
I won’t stop meditating. I have never been
happy and fulfilled like this before in my life.
Now I can barely wait to meditate. I recently had
a new inner experience when I began meditation
by crossing my right leg over my left leg, thinking
of the point where the breath ends, relaxing my
body, and adjusting my mind so that it doesn’t feel
distressed, doubtful, greedy, expectant, hungry,
angry, afraid, or covetous. All negative feelings
before my closed eyes totally disappeared; only
love and kindness remained. When I closed my
eyes, unwavering for a moment, I saw the bright
light of a crystal ball at the center of my body.
I had never been happy like that before in my life.
When I looked through the center of the crystal
ball, I saw someone sitting in my abdomen.
I saw only hands and shoulders at first. Observing him
gently and with a still mind, I felt more familiar
with him. It was getting slowly clearer that the
person inside me was not a stranger. It was I, who
was very bright like gold. My own astral body
inside looked more handsome, more magnificent
and younger than I. He was filled with peace and
comfort. I felt like the passing of time had stopped
from within. I very much wanted to stop time.
It felt like I was meditating for just 10 minutes.
But once I opened my eyes and looked at the
clock, an hour had already passed!
But I couldn’t stop meditating.
What is important now is that my body
and mind are so clean and clear because of
abstaining from alcohol. I stopped drinking
alcohol completely. I may work in a place that
has consumers of alcoholic beverages, customers
who enjoy buying me a drink because they like
my music. Although I would not refuse it before,
I now say, “No”. They wonder and ask me why I
won’t drink. I tell them, “I can no longer drink
because I am meditating. I cannot see inside with
drunken eyes.” They ask me with interest, “What
is meditation”? I then say to them, “Would
you like to know? I will tell you.” I introduce
meditation to them and tell them that no matter
what their religion is, they can meditate.
“Even though you are Christian, meditation will allow
your Christian pathway to be more complete,
wonderful and more beautiful. Disturbances will
disappear. The more you meditate, the more your
life will be continuously beautiful.”
Meditation also improves my musical skills.
When I play music, I have more alternative
ways of playing. Now when I sing,
I sing from my heart, from the source of light. I find myself
gentler and have more goodwill towards people around me.
I would like to tell everyone that
there is a hope of World Peace. The important key
is meditation, so anger and suffering can end. We
have experienced war for so long. That is not an
answer. Is it wrong to experience the meditation
that Luang Phaw Dhammajayo teaches? One day
I tried meditating, and meditation has changed
my whole life, indeed. I think that once we all
try meditating together, there will be one light
and one peace. That day will be the day of World
Peace without killing, greed, hostility, and war.
We Are One With Meditation
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