Posted on 12/08/2006 2:37:30 PM PST by DogByte6RER
Townshend: I was a Muslim mystic
The Who guitarist Pete Townshend claims he was a Muslim mystic in a previous life.
The rocker has studied Islam since meeting spiritual leader Meher Baba in the sixties and has now become convinced that he was a mystical Sufi in a former life.
And he claims the influence of Islam was behind his famous "windmill" guitar-playing technique.
He said: "I went off on a little kind of seeking mission. The teacher who I happened upon was Meher Baba, who said continued use of drugs would lead to madness, death and insanity.
"I was attracted to his interest of the Persian poets, so I went off to Islam and read a lot of Sufi writing and became utterly convinced in some previous life I'd been a Sufi.
"It explained why I do all that turning, which is done in Islamic prayer, on stage, and the windmill thing with my arm."
However, Townshend admits his spiritual beliefs were at odds with his wildman rock star image
"I thought a bit like I was engaged in some kind of sabotage," he added.
"I was inside this macho group that smashed its guitars and had a reputation for being quite rebellious and here I was trying to spread this message of love and peace."
Who Are You?!?!
Oh, yeah...I forgot. You're the 60's Brit guitarist who got caught with kiddie porn.
It must have been that Muslim mystic that you were channeling.
It's OK Pete...Mohammad was into little girls too.
Well that might explain his "studying" of kiddie porn.
Be carefulle Pete, Conversion away from Islam, even in between lives, is grounds for a Fatwa.
" I was a Muslim mystic , and now I'm a KOOK " ...
Although quite a songwriter and musician...Pete has always been an odd duck.
The islam technique of rock guitar. Who would have thunk it.
Well he did almost behead Abbie Hoffman with his guitar at Woodstock.
And who would go to New York parties dressed as a woman.
"The teacher who I happened upon was Meher Baba, who said 'continued use of drugs would lead to madness, death and insanity'"
Damn that guy was profound. If he didn't say use of drugs could lead to death and insanity, I don't know what the rest of us would have done... Guess I can be a mystic too, I'm full of profound-ness.
.....and this is your brain on drugs.
Geez Pete, you mean you don’t remember that interview where you said that you incorporated the “windmill” after seeing Keith Richards do it first?
He apparently missed the fundamentals of Islam. ( subjugate, kill, or convert Infidels)- tom
Pete in some previous life you probably were a sufi, however since sunni's hate sufi's they probably made you their houseboy and bent you over one time too many.
Previous lives are such a drag.
Too much LSD.
He might as well happened upon Mr Mackey, "Drugs are bad. You shouldn't do drugs Mmmm-Kay."
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