Subsistence by Max Hopkins

Subsistence: the quality of having timeless or abstract existence. This song is a meditative chant based on the concept of ānāpānasati, meaning mindfulness of breathing. The text is borrowed from a book titled 'You Are Here' by Thich Nhat Hanh. It comes from the second chapter, 'The Heart of Practice', and a sub-section regarding stopping and deep looking. The text reads:

I have arrived, I am home,
In the here and in the now,
I am solid, I am free,
In the ultimate I dwell.

Arriving at home in the present moment and realizing that by returning, you have stopped running from yourself and from life. In returning, you will notice that the past and future can no longer grab you and pull you away from life. As a result, you are much more yourself; more sovereign; more free. This solidarity brings us back to the ultimate dimension, or reality, in which notions do not exist. You are one with all and all is one with you; there are no individual forces in the universe, merely different iterations of the same one.*

If any of the above information intrigues you, I suggest reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s 'You Are Here', and listening to Alan Watts’ lectures on philosophy: 'Still the Mind: An Introduction to Meditation' and 'You’re It!: on Hiding, Seeking, and Being Found.'

Max Hopkins – writer, engineer, mixer, performer (acoustic guitar, bass and vocals)
Joel Gray – engineer and performer (electric guitar)
Additional mix suggestions by Matt Wiebe and Cecil Mortensen
Mastered by Jesse Northey

(*Information paraphrased from 'You are Here' by Thich Nhat Hahn)

Intricacy and intimacy realized in versatile arrangements featuring thoughtful nature-driven lyrics and an affinity for engaging listeners through passionate delivery.

maxhopkins.ca