The Bobby Rock Newsletter #87 (12-3-22) - We Are Golden!
The Bobby Rock Newsletter #87 (12-3-22) - We Are Golden!
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What’s the Word, Everybody?
So great to be with you all again for another week in it. I appreciate you guys taking a bit of time to drop in and get the latest. Let’s jump!
In This Issue:
- On the Road: Lita Ford shows in December
- We Are Golden: Tracking the unlikely journey of one of the world’s most coveted Buddha statues… and what valuable lessons we can “glean” from the story.
- Dragon Dirt Turns Two!: We pre-launched the “Dirt” in December of 2020, and we are still gratefully thriving. Here’s a bit of reflection on our travels thus far...
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Lita Ford Tour Dates
Pic by Charlie Berch
Here are our December dates. Hope to see some of you in the trenches over the next couple weeks. (As always, check the site for updates.)
Dec 9 - St. Charles, IL - Arcada Theatre
Dec 10 - Pittsburgh, KS - Kansas Crossing Casino
Dec 15 - Binghamton, NY - Touch of Texas
Dec 16 - Lorain, OH - Lorain Palace Theater
Dec 17 - Waterloo, NY - Del Lago Casino Resort
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We Are Golden:
Transcending the Great Cover-Up!
There is a nine-foot Buddha statue in Thailand that weighs 5 1/2 tons. It was constructed way back in the 13th century with little regard for practicality in transport and, at least by the mid-eighteenth century, was not exactly the most beautiful statue you’ve ever seen, with its coarse, stucco finish. Nonetheless, it eventually wound up at Wat Chotanaram in Bangkok in 1801, then in 1935, it was moved to a temple there called Wat Traimit. But again, it was so huge and unsightly, the monks simply didn’t know what the hell to do with this monstrosity. Yes, it was a centuries-old statue of deity that commanded a certain amount of sentiment and adulation. But still. A bulky-ass stucco Buddha? It spent the next 20 years outdoors, with only a scant tin roof to protect it from the elements.
And then, when the Wat Traimit monastics were finally able to be rid of the damn thing and prepared it for relocation to a new building in Bangkok, the big Buddha took an earth-rumbling plop to the ground as they attempted to pulley-lift it from its pedestal. Some of its stucco finish chipped away. And there, as a bit of daylight crept into the newly-exposed patch of statue, they glimpsed something completely unexpected: a shimmering gleam of gold. What the hell?
Realizing that this crude finish was merely a cover-up, the monks got busy chipping it all off. And soon, they saw what they had actually been storing under that tin roof for the past 20 years: a stunning, 5 1/2 ton Buddha that was comprised of solid 18k gold. Pure market value? About $250 million. But to many Buddhists, it was immediately deemed priceless… especially since the uncovering of this beast occurred right at the 2,500-year anniversary of the death of the statue's namesake, Gautama Buddha. What are the odds?
But why cover up such unparalleled beauty in the first place? It turned out that, in the mid-1700s, while the statue was displayed in Ayutthaya—a Siamese kingdom in Thailand about 50 miles north of Bangkok—the monks were getting hammered by Burmese invaders regularly. So they slathered their beloved Buddha with this stucco material (along with some colored glass) in an attempt to disguise the statue and dissuade the Burmese from stealing it (since they were notorious for stealing objects of gold and melting them down). Sure enough, it worked. The ugly-ass statue was ultimately left behind in a cloud of mist and dust once the Burmese finally toppled the kingdom, and then later recovered by other monks who would relocate all remaining religious artifacts to the safer haven of Bangkok. But along the way, the truth of what lay beneath its ghastly covering was never made known to subsequent generations of monks for some 200 years—until the accident occurred and they were able to glimpse it. Pretty crazy.
The Golden Buddha today... safe and sound!
For me, there are two primary teaching points to glean from this story:
First, the obvious, metaphorical reference to the idea that, indeed, we are all comprised of so much more at our core than the "covering” we have accumulated through the years. And this covering, much like the big Buddha’s, is constructed over time for our “protection” from any of a number of social or psychological ills: our various insecurities, our fear of loss, failure or rejection, the stinging shame, embarrassment, and deep regrets of the human journey, our myriad of addictions… and the abundance of fire-branded scarring we all receive from the inevitable traumatic events we experience, the physical pain and illnesses we endure, the loss of our loved ones that we survive, and on and on it goes. We accumulate our “stucco” unknowingly, often unconsciously, and it manifests in the most fascinating ways, both physically—in our appearance, demeanor, and physiology—and, of course, mentally/emotionally—in countless examples of our “less-than-golden” behavioral idiosyncrasies. Yes, this densely woven web is all part of the human experience, to be sure. And yet, the truth is still the truth: at our core, sans the covering, we are all shimmering, golden extensions of deity… because we were born that way.
Which leads us to the second point:
For those who are actively on the path toward their highest evolution, it seems that it involves so much learning… so much taking in information from books, lectures, podcasts, therapy, coaching, films, weekend seminars, weekly gatherings, various retreats, and so many other forms of learning… of adding more content, information, and perspectives to our minds. And while any or all of these things can be helpful, no doubt, our growth is almost always about removing some kind of whacked-out bit of stucco that was slathered over our golden core along the way.
Think about it: Something happened in your past and a limiting, unhelpful belief was formed around it. This belief became a liability to your relationships, or your life calling, or your health and wellness, or your money pursuits, or whatever. And then, two or three decades later, you have a bit of an awakening while talking with someone, or reading a book, or hearing a lecture… and boom! You have that revelational moment, and the covering begins to melt away: sometimes immediately, sometimes through a bit more work. So, yeah, the experience of the book, or call, or coaching may have prompted the revelation. However, the real healing took place as the covering is removed to reveal what was there all along. You—in your purest original form.
Just my take, of course, and I’m sure there are other variations of this issue of “coverings.” But, as usual… a little food for thought.
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Wat Traimit temple
By the way, this statue is still around, of course. It is called the Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon, still at Wat Traimit in Bangkok. I believe the first time I heard about it was at a Henry Rollins spoken word show back in ’98, shortly after his return from a trip to Thailand, where he saw the Phra Phuttha. His take? (Paraphrasing) He found it interesting that Eastern culture would take such glee in essentially covering a statue of gold with a finish of mud, thus downplaying its true value… while Western culture would be inclined to do the opposite: cover a statue of mud with a finish of gold, thus attempting to bolster its perceived value. I suppose there’s some truth to that, as well!
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Dragon Dirt Turns Two!
This week marks two years since our official pre-launch of Dragon Dirt, my custom blend all-in-one superfood powder. We'll do a bit more about this on the official two-year anniversary in January, but I just wanted to take a moment to reflect, and to say thank you. I really appreciate all the active support from our “Dirt Drinkers,” and I’m always thrilled to hear about the great results you guys are experiencing. That was, and still is, the whole idea.
Truly, it’s been a hell of a ride. When we started this venture, I mainly just wanted to make available to "friends, family, and fans," the actual superfood powder that I had been blending for myself since 2015. I had been continually frustrated with what I felt were consistently inferior products out there in the meal-replacement realm, so I just tweaked my own be-all/end-all recipe over time, assembled the best available ingredients for my own personal use, and created what I nicknamed “Dragon Dirt,” due to the powder's all-natural, earthy appearance. (And yes, the name obviously stuck!)
Honestly, I had little expectation for whether or not folks would take to it, since it’s so hardcore: no added sweeteners or flavorings, and basically just an insanely-potent blend of 18 of the world’s most powerful superfoods. But to my pleasant surprise, people were “digging the Dirt” right out of the gate. Hell, I believe we sold out of our first two pre-order blends of the Dirt within 36 hours of pre-launching, and we were off and running.
Turns out, by the way, that the Dirt has a pretty neutral taste about it, so it essentially takes on the flavor of whatever you blend with it. Beyond that, though, it seems that folks can really feel the difference. No surprise there, honestly. Most people are just not going to find anywhere near this kind of all-out blast of nutrition from any meal they might normally consume, so… yes: such is the joy of real nutrient-density, and giving the body plenty of what it’s looking for!
Anyway, I just ran across this “thank you” video I shot in commemoration of last year’s pre-launch anniversary, and it still feels relevant, in terms of how this whole thing came to be, how we continue to do things, etc. Scope it HERE at the News Feed.
2021 video still:
I still personally sign the bottom of every bag!
And finally, here’s a bit more general info on The Dirt, if you’re curious:
Dragon Dirt contains a full meal’s worth of macronutrients (plant-based protein, high-fiber carbs, and healthy fats) and essentially a full day's worth of micronutrients—from various super greens and veggies, high-antioxidant fruits, and mushroom and herb adaptogens—for maximum energy, immunity, mind/body wellness, and sports performance.
It’s also one of the few (if not the only) complete meal products in the world that features FULL SERVING SIZES of each of its 18 ingredients… as opposed to the “fairy dust” amounts you’ll find in products that feature 50, 60, 70 or more ingredients. And it’s all vegan with no added sugar, flavorings, or emulsifiers—just the 18 superfoods and nothing else.
Just add 2 scoops of Dragon Dirt to a blender concoction (like a simple fruit smoothie) and that shake becomes the healthiest, most nutrient-dense meal of the day—period. From there, you are on your way to a significant, yet sustainable, lifestyle shift, one meal at a time.
To try a bag, set up a monthly subscription (with Free Shipping), or to find out more about the Dirt, click HERE.
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Thanks again, everybody. Connect next week!
Until then,
BR
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