This audio clip is of one of my favorite "songs" by Arthur Russell, though it's actually an excerpt from the 30+ minute medley, "Some Imaginary Far Away Type Things AKA Lost in the Meshes" recorded by the late Phill Niblock ("Terrace of Unintelligibility," 1985). I'd always loved how Arthur abstracted the lyrics into three syllables: "IN - AN - UN."
I wrote about his use of syllables and lyrical abstraction in "Buddhist Bubblegum: Esotericism in the Creative Process of Arthur Russell," relating this back to Indian raga and Shingon/Tibetan mantra. But only today did I learn about two Shingon Bodhisattvas who correspond with the syllables "AN" (Fugen Bosatsu) and "UN" (Ashuku Nyorai). I can't say for certain whether or not Arthur intended this symbolism at all. But I think it's a fascinating possibility and a beautiful resonance in its own right.
The mandalas shown are the Taizokai (Womb Realm Mandala) and the Kongokai (Diamond Realm Mandala). For more information on Shingon Buddhism, read Taiko Yamasaki's book "Shingon: Japanese Esoteric Buddhism," now freely available via Archive.org:
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Photos of Arthur Russell via the Arthur Russell Papers, New York Public Library, as featured in Richard King's "Travels Over Feelings" (Anthology Editions, 2024).
Негізгі бет "IN-AN-UN" [Excerpt] | Mantric language in the music of Arthur Russell | Buddhist Bubblegum
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