On the paradoxes of walking the mystical path with practical feet.

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The allegory of life being like a string of pearls came from the original Finnish lyrics by Pekka, but in his translation Harri developed the idea.

Art of Living
Music by Pekka Okkonen
Lyrics by Harri Peltola

What makes your life worth living
When you come to think of it
Depends on how much you are giving
You run into mirror images
That distort your reality
Never mind them, trust the truth instead

The truth caresses your soul
‘cause it’s gentle and loving
The truth violates your mind
‘cause it’s cruel and merciless
It may be a hidden word,
It may be a zen koan
But it watches you wherever you are
And it clutches you wherever you run
You may not believe when I say
True love is a sacrifice
Self must be yielded to gain real life
Come follow the martyrs’ path
To the sphere of eternal glory
Be brave, my love, have no fear

The choice is yours, there’s no hurry
But please don’t hesitate too long
Life is such a brief affair
It is like a string of pearls
If you break your string
The pearls lose their meaning
And they bounce all over the floor
Then you search all over the floor

The world is a paradox, it seems so very real
And demands attention like a baby
For if you thirst for wealth
You just grow thirstier
And chase mirages in the desert

Let’s see beyond illusion
Experience peace of mind
There are ways of transformation
Leave the trivial behind
Ignore distorted images
Cherish pearl necklaces
Divine is the art of living
Divine is the art of loving

Guitar Solo by Pekka Okkonen