What We're Meant To Do

Saturn

Catch Your Bluff

Beta Tests My Patience

Three voices, one family breaking apart. A mysterious neighbor with an open door and endless tea. A blues-folk story about the three poisons we carry—greed, anger, and numbness—and the unexpected way we learn to set them down. Told through the eyes of a daughter scrolling her pain away, a son burning with rage, and a mother who's forgotten how to feel. Sometimes the person who saves you is just a mirror showing you who you already are.

Inspired by Buddhist parables and modern urban loneliness. Pour yourself some tea and listen.

Lyrics: 
Verse 1 
There's a rooster in my chest, won't let me rest, 
Peckin' all night long, sayin' more, more, more 
There's a snake wrapped 'round my son's young heart, 
Spittin' poison through a bedroom door 
And mama's gone to somewhere we can't reach, 
Like a pig with its eyes rolled back 
We're three people eatin' dinner in silence, 
Each one walkin' a different track

Chorus 
But there's a light on in apartment 4B, 
Door standin' open wide 
Kettle singin' on the stove, 
And an old woman waitin' inside 
She says, "Child, come in from the rain, 
Let me show you somethin' true— 
The one you're lookin' for to save you, 
Baby, that's already you"

Verse 2 
She was ancient as the hills, that Mrs. Chen, 
With a face like a walnut tree 
And she had this way of knowin' 
What was eatin' you and me 
She'd say, "Girl, you tryin' to hold water in your fists? 
Boy, those coals are burnin' your hands. 
Mama, you can't hide from your own heartbeat— 
That ain't livin', that's just sand"

Chorus 
There's a light on in apartment 4B, 
Tea cups on the table set She says, 
"Don't pray to me, just breathe with me, 
Imagine who you haven't met— 
The you that don't need what you ain't got, 
The you that don't need to fight, 
The you that ain't afraid to feel— 
Baby, that's your birthright"

Verse 3 
She told my girl, "When the wantin' starts to claw, 
Picture someone satisfied 
Not 'cause they got everything, 
But 'cause they got nothin' to hide" 
She told my boy, "When the hatred starts to burn, 
Try to see through their eyes— 
Hurt people hurt people, son, 
That ain't judgment, that's just life"

Bridge 
And she sat with me, Lord, she sat with me, 
While I cried for the first time in a year 
She said, "You think you're separate from your pain, 
But that's the lie, my dear 
When you numb yourself from sufferin', 
You numb yourself from joy— 
The door's been locked from the inside, 
And you're the one with the key, boy"

Verse 4 
Six months passed like morning rain, 
Somethin' shifted in our home 
My daughter put her phone down smilin', 
My son stopped throwin' stones 
I picked up a paintbrush, my hands rememberin', 
What it felt like to be whole 
We'd sit in 4B every Tuesday, 
Drinkin' tea and feedin' our souls

Chorus 
Yeah, there's a light on in apartment 4B, 
We're laughin' like we're free 
She says, "See? The jewel was in the lotus, 
You just couldn't see 
The mud don't hide your nature, 
It's where the lotus grows— 
Your greed, your rage, your blindness, 
That's the only path home"

Verse 5 
Then one Tuesday the door was empty, 
Just a kettle and a note It said, 
"The door was always yours, my loves, 
I just held it while you learned to float 
Keep it open, keep it brewin', 
Someone else will need a light— 
I wasn't up there savin' you, 
I was just your mirror shinin' bright"

Breakdown/Spoken Word over soft guitar 
And we understood then, 
Sittin' in that empty room, 
She was never someone else— 
She was just what we could become 
When we stopped pretendin' 
We were separate from the pain, 
Separate from each other, 
Separate from the rain

Final Verse 
Now we live in 4B, keepin' that door wide, 
Kettle singin' all day long 
When the angry boy walks past, my son says, "Hey, I know that song" 
When the woman with the vacant eyes comes by, 
I hand her a brush and say, "Paint" 
When the girl can't stop scrollin', my daughter smiles, 
Says, "I used to be you, ain't that quaint?"


The Woman in 4B

"The Ballad of Elias Stone" is a bluesy folk tale that explores two paths to the same truth.

It tells the story of Elias, a legendary musician who achieves greatness through twenty years of grueling sacrifice, embodying the belief that enlightenment is earned only through immense struggle. His path is challenged when the conservatory's Founder makes a radical promise: that the same ultimate prize can be won through a single, fleeting moment of joy.  

This song is a modern parable inspired by a core teaching in the ancient Buddhist text, the Lotus Sutra. It's a story about the power of sincere faith, the different "skillful means" we use to find our way , and the idea that the seed of greatness, or "Buddha-Nature," already exists within all of us, waiting for a moment of joy to awaken it.  

Set to a sparse, soulful arrangement of acoustic guitar, harmonica, and a steady foot stomp, this is a story-song for anyone who has ever wondered about the true nature of sacrifice, faith, and the simple, transformative power of joy.


(Song Lyrics)
(Acoustic guitar intro, simple and melancholic)

(Verse 1)
At the Grand Conservatory, up on Harmony Hill
The only road to glory was an iron-clad will
They'd tell you 'bout Elias, a man of grit and bone
Practiced twenty years, son, and slept on cold, hard stone
He played until his fingers bled a symphony of pain 
Just to earn the Maestro's title, again and again.

(Chorus)
But the Founder came a-callin', with a whisper soft and low
"Just one moment of joy, son, is all you need to know.
Hear a single sweet phrase from my 'Unfolding Heart'
And I'll guarantee your soul, right from the very start."

(Verse 2)
The students and the masters, they gathered in the hall
Elias stood among 'em, the man who'd gave his all
The Founder looked right at him, the man who'd paid the cost
And spoke about a new path, for all the tired and lost
The crowd began to grumble, "What about the price we paid?"
Was twenty years of sufferin' a foolish choice he made?

(Chorus)
'Cause the Founder came a-callin', with a whisper soft and low
"Just one moment of joy, son, is all you need to know.
Hear a single sweet phrase from my 'Unfolding Heart'
And I'll guarantee your soul, right from the very start."

(Instrumental Break - Harmonica takes a short, soulful solo over the acoustic guitar)

(Bridge)
She said, "Your house is burnin', but you're too lost in your games 
So I call you out with promises, I whisper all your names
The struggle was a toy cart, boys, to get you to the door
But the prize was always bigger than what you were fightin' for
'Cause the music ain't somethin' you build with sweat and tears
It's a seed inside your own heart, been sleepin' there for years." 

(Verse 3)
And Elias, he stood listenin', the legend carved from strife
Heard about the music that was waitin' all his life
And a slow smile spread across his face, a crack in weathered ground
He finally understood the truth in that sweet and simple sound
The climb ain't the reason, it's always been the view
And the path of joy was standin' there, shiny, fresh, and new.

(Chorus)
Yeah, the Founder came a-callin', with a whisper soft and low
"Just one moment of joy, son, is all you need to know.
Hear a single sweet phrase from my 'Unfolding Heart'
And I'll guarantee your soul, right from the very start."

(Outro)
Yeah, guarantee your soul...
Just one moment...
(Acoustic guitar fingerpicks a final, resolving chord, and a single, long harmonica note fades to silence.)

The Ballad of Elias Stone

This song weaves an ancient Buddhist paradox into American roots music tradition. It's the story of Strong-Heart, who gave everything—even setting himself ablaze for centuries—trying to reach enlightenment on a distant mountain. And it's about an ordinary kid who heard the same teaching and just... smiled.
When the teacher tells Strong-Heart that both journeys are equally valid, everything changes. The mountain you're climbing? It's already inside you. The light you're searching for? You've been carrying it all along.
Fingerpicked guitar, mournful harmonica, and a walking bass line carry this tale from the darkness of extreme sacrifice into the revelation that we already have what we're looking for. We just forgot.

VERSE 1
Well, there’s a mountain that glows in the eastern sky
Strong-Heart said, “I’ll climb that peak or else I’ll die”
He gave away his silver, gave away his gold,
Set himself on fire — burned for ages untold.

He burned his arms to stumps, seventy-two thousand more 
Till ain't nothing left of Strong-Heart but ash upon the floor 
But the teacher at the mountain top, he just shook his head 
"Son, you've been carrying what you're looking for," he said

CHORUS 1
You got the light, you got the light 
You got the light you already got 
Ain't no mountain you gotta climb 
Ain't no fire you gotta burn 
You got the light, you got the light 
Just waiting on your turn

VERSE 2
Now there's a girl in the valley, she ain't done nothing much 
She heard a story 'bout that mountain, felt something in her gut 
Just one moment, just one smile 
Like sunshine breaking through the clouds of doubt
The teacher turned to Strong-Heart, said "Listen here to me 
That girl who smiled just one time? She gets the same guarantee" 
Strong-Heart said, "Now hold on, that don't seem quite right" 
"I burned for thirteen hundred centuries, she just smiled at the light!"

CHORUS 2
She got the light, she got the light 
She got the light she already got 
Ain't no mountain she gotta climb 
Ain't no fire she gotta burn 
She got the light, she got the light 
Just waiting on her turn

BRIDGE
"Now listen, Strong-Heart,” said the teacher kind,
“Your fire was the smile she found in her mind.
If I’d told her your story, she’d have turned away,
But you, who burned the longest, can hear what I say…”

"See, I told it to YOU, old friend 
'Cause if I told it to the lazy ones 
They'd say it was too easy, just a game to play 
But you, who burned the longest, 
You can understand what I say..."

“The mountain that you're climbing 
Is already in your chest 
And every single step you take 
Whether fire or whether smile 
Is just remembering what you are 
What you been all the while"

VERSE 3
So Strong-Heart, he starts laughing 
Through the tears running down 
"You mean all that burning I was doing 
Was the light I'd already found?"
"That's right," the teacher whispered 
"Your fire and her joy 
Are the same recognition 
Can't be measured by what you destroy"

FINAL CHORUS
LEAD: We got the light!
BACKING: (We got the light we already got!)
Ain’t no fire we gotta burn,
Ain’t no truth we gotta learn,
We got the light, we got the light —
Been shining since we were born.
Every single one of us, waiting on our turn

Yeah, we got the light, (we got the light) 
Whether you burn or whether you smile 
We got the light, (we got the light) 
Been carrying it all the while

OUTRO/SPOKEN WORD
Now some folks gonna burn for a thousand years 
Some folks gonna smile just once 
But the teacher said they're both the same road 
Just different ways of coming home
The question ain't how hard you try 
The question is: do you remember? 
Do you remember what you are? 
Do you remember you're already 
Already... 
Already home?

The Light You Already Got

A song about Virtuous Love and wanting others to be happy instead of wanting them to make us happy. This is the path to freedom from suffering and liberation for the benefit of all living beings.

Aquarius Rising

Lotus Blossom

Firewood and Flame

From the heart of the struggle comes a song of profound hope. "Firewood and Flame" is a raw, bluesy folk anthem for anyone who has ever felt weighed down by their own imperfections. With a sound that feels like it was born on a dusty porch at twilight, this track weaves a timeless story of transformation.
The song's central message is a powerful one: our troubles, our anger, our deepest sorrows—our "firewood"—are not obstacles to be discarded. Instead, they are the very fuel needed to ignite the "flame" of wisdom, compassion, and a resilient spirit. It’s a reminder that we don't have to wait to be perfect to find peace. The journey to enlightenment begins right where we are, in the middle of our messy, beautiful, and complicated lives.  

"Firewood and Flame" is more than just a song; it's a universal Dharma teaching wrapped in soulful melodies and honest lyrics. It speaks to the idea that the "Land of Tranquil Light" isn't a distant paradise, but a reality we can create right here, right now, by transforming our own hearts. This is a track for finding the sacred in the struggle and the light within the darkness.  

Lyrics:
(Verse 1) 
Got a heart full of holes, a head full of doubt 
Tryna be a good soul, but the devil gets out 
Heard you gotta be perfect, gotta wash your hands clean 
To find that sweet heaven, that far-off, peaceful scene 
So I packed up my troubles, tried to leave 'em behind 
But they followed me down every road I could find  

(Chorus) 
But an old master told me, 
"Son, don't you run... 
That firewood of trouble, that's where the light comes from 
Your anger's the kindling, your sorrow's the coal 
Chant a song to that fire, and make your own spirit whole."  

(Verse 2) 
This jealousy's a poison, this fear is a chain 
Every time that they rise up, I just feel the shame 
Been told they're my weakness, a flaw in my soul 
Something to get rid of, to make myself whole 
But what if they're treasures, a compass so true? 
Just pointin' to the places that need a little love from you  

(Chorus) 
And that old master told me, 
"Son, don't you run... 
That firewood of trouble, that's where the light comes from 
Your anger's the kindling, your sorrow's the coal 
Chant a song to that fire, and make your own spirit whole."  

(Bridge) 
This ground that I'm standin', ain't no cursed land 
It's the Land of Tranquil Light, right here where 
I stand And the pain that I'm feelin', I see it in your eyes 
We're all in this together, beneath these same skies 
To suffer with another... that's what compassion means 
It's the wellspring of courage, the river of our dreams.  

(Chorus) 
Yeah, that old master told me, 
"Friend, don't you run... 
That firewood of trouble, that's where the light comes from 
Your anger's the kindling, your sorrow's the coal 
Chant a song to that fire, and make your own spirit whole."  

(Outro) 
Yeah, make your spirit whole... 
Just start where you are... got to start right where you are... 
Got this rusty old key... to a palace of stars...  

Firewood and Flame

“The Sky of Merit” is a grounded folk-blues meditation on wisdom, merit, and the Eightfold Path. Inspired by Chapter 17 of the Lotus Sutra, this song strips away superstition to reveal the true heart of practice: seeing clearly and walking rightly in a world that’s both muddy and luminous.

With fingerpicked guitar, upright bass, and a dust-road harmonica, the song feels like a conversation with the Dharma at dusk—honest, soulful, and unvarnished. It reminds us that merit isn’t something earned by ritual, but awakened through right view, right thought, right word, and right action.

Like the lotus rising through mud, it’s a hymn for those who stumble but keep walking, who find their clarity not in temples or incense, but in the way they live and love each day.
 This is blues for seekers—a truth song for anyone learning to see through the haze and find freedom right where they stand.

Lyrics: 
[Verse 1]
I laid down my offerings, a flower and a flame,
Thought I’d buy a piece of heaven, but it don’t work that way.
The Sutra said, “Child, don’t count your prayers in gold—
Merit’s in the seeing, in a mind grown whole.”

[Chorus]
It ain’t in the incense, it ain’t in the song,
It’s in the seeing clear what’s right and what’s wrong.
Right view, right word, right deed, and right way—
That’s how you walk the night into the bright of day.

[Verse 2]
I copied down the verses, ink dark as the sea,
Every word a mirror holdin’ truth back to me.
The letters start to shimmer, the self fades away—
One breath, one thought, one step in the Way.

[Chorus]
It ain’t in the temple, it ain’t in the name,
It’s the mind that’s steady in the heart of the flame.
Right thought, right work, right rest, right play—
That’s how you live the Dharma every day.

[Bridge]
Now some chase heaven, and some chase fame,
But I found wisdom in the dirt and the rain.
The lotus blooms muddy, but the light shines through—
The merit’s not above you, it’s the truth in you.

[Final Chorus]
It ain’t in the riches, it ain’t in the praise,
It’s the still small truth that clears the haze.
Right view, right love, right peace, right way—
That’s how you find the sky of merit today

The Sky of Merit

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Welcome to the musical world of The William Altig Choir, where ancient wisdom meets contemporary sound.

Inspired by the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and infused with deep spiritual themes, my music blends the rich traditions of blues and folk with modern elements, creating a unique fusion that resonates with both the heart and soul.

I've been captivated by the Lotus Sutra's messages of compassion, wisdom, and transformation since my youth. It's a journey of self-discovery that has found its voice in my music. Each song is a reflection of my own spiritual awakening and a celebration of universal truths.

My style is characterized by emotive storytelling, powerful lyrics, and a commitment to exploring the depths of human experience. Featuring contemplative blues, acoustic slide guitar, saxophone melodies, and the harmonies of a gospel choir, my music reflects a quest for enlightenment and a better understanding of the self.

Join me on this musical journey. Together, we can explore the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, finding solace, hope, and a deeper connection to the world around us.

#SpiritualMusic  #LotusSutraMusic  #ContemplativeBlues  #BuddhistGospel #AcousticSlideGuitar  #GospelChoir  #Self-Discovery  #SpiritualAwakening  #Hope  #The_William_Altig_Choir

Young High3$t Plateau want it all
https://youtube.com/@highestplateau

Virtuous Love burns in us all, all we have to do is answer the call.

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