SlyWay

In 2004, I started focusing on songwriting and recording with the intention of creating music that was as honest and interesting as I could produce. The CD Cowboy Zen is my debut effort, and was made a reality through the help of many others. Since my meditation practice-- (informerly referred to as "the way of the sly man") --has been a very useful tool for me to deal with all of life's ups and downs, and has influenced my songwriting quite a bit, I have provided a description of this practice in the event it may prove useful to others. As a student of spiritual practice, I have been fortunate to learn from the teachers at Tayu Meditation Center, who continue the practice of the "sly way".

--yours in truth, Patrick

...the way of the sly man is the steepest but the shortest path to enlightenment.

The band name "SlyWay" comes from an esoteric spiritual tradition that was brought to the west in the early 20th Century by George Gurdjieff. The practice is often referred to as "the 4th way" or less commonly "the way of the sly man". It is a spiritual practice taught today in various forms, and has commonalities with Zen Buddhism, Vipassana, Hatha Yoga and other spiritual traditions and practices.

The "sly way" is named thus, because it is a spiritual practice that is done in the midst of ordinary life, and is therefore not obvious to other people. It is a method of spiritual practice that uses the 'fuel' of ordinary life experiences to wake oneself up from unconscious identification with thoughts and emotions. This practice takes conscious effort, moment to moment, whenever we can remember to pay attention.

As we become more aware of our unconscious mental and emotional activity, it is possible to become more open and appreciative of life, because we realize that most of our unhappiness is due to our identification with thoughts and emotions from the past, or worries about the future. These identifications often can keep us from focusing on what is important in the present moment. Seeing these identifications clearly is helpful in returning our attention to the present, so that we may spend more time enjoying life. As the 4th Way teacher Robert Ennis once said, "Enlightenment is paid for with the coin of attention."