39 The Verve, Al Qabid (The Withholder)

Pre-VEVO play count: 22,581,204 Music video by The Verve performing Bitter Sweet Symphony.

My whole life I always thought there was only one way to be. Often if I wasn't in the the place or state I wanted to be in I would be brutal to myself. I never realised the impact of my inner-voice on me in these moments. Its amazing to reach a place where I am consistent. My inner-voice is consistent with love and compassion no matter what I do. You have to really train yourself to hear, feel and know the bitter sweet symphony of life - the song below is amazing in expressing this.

According to my source the 20th name Al Qabid is the only source of all contraction and the only one who actually contracts. At the physical level, continual contraction and expansion are seen throughout nature. It is in the natural physical rhythm of the heart and lungs. Contraction and expansion are also aspects of the greater sphere of heart. Transient states, call ahwal, constantly are experienced in the wider sphere of heart, which could be called the depth of feeling.

Al Qabid has a sober quality. Its opposite Al Basit, expansion, has the quality of ecstasy, Ya Qabid, Ya Basit, when recited as a pair provide a necessary balance for those who stubbornly cling to the pleasurable spiritual states that they have come attached to by their desire. Equanimity comes from realising that god is operating through both these poles of experience

This song immediately came to mind. Im sure there are others .... please share. x

Lyrics

Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life
Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
but I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

Well I never pray,
But tonight I'm on my knees, yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now

No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
But I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life
Trying to make ends meet, trying to find some money then you die
You know I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
But I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

Songwriters: Keith Richards / Mick Jagger / Richard Ashcroft