Song – No i

By Jamyang Puntsog on February 11, 2026 • ( Leave a comment )

Bodhi-Bowl returns with a powerful and introspective anthem of un-becoming, “No i.” This track is a raw excavation of the self, moving from the suffocation of inherited identities to the liberating truth of emptiness. Over a “wrathful” brooding, atmospheric production, the lyrics chronicle the painful yet necessary act of stripping away “borrowed names” and “secondhand truths” to question the very foundation of our constructed life.

The journey crescendos not into a declaration of a new self, but into a profound release. The chorus is a vow of emancipation—from masks, illusions, and “borrowed skin.” This catharsis finds its ultimate expression in the echoing incantation of the Heart Sutra mantra in Japanese, transforming the philosophical heart of “form is emptiness” into a visceral, triumphant battle cry. “No i” isn’t about finding a new identity; it’s about the fearless freedom found in standing, finally, in the open air of what remains when all else is let go.

Lyrics

(Verse 1)

Learning how to know myself

By stripping borrowed names

Every label on my skin

Every scripted little frame

I believed what I was handed down

Like it was written in my bones

Built a life from secondhand truths

Called it “mine,” called it “home”

(Pre-Chorus)

I was told who I would be,

before I learned how to breathe

Carved in stone, sealed tight

No room left to question me….

(Chorus)

So I’m letting go, I’m breaking through

All the masks I never choose

If I lose- what, I thought, I was

Maybe I’ll find what’s real below

I’m done defending the illusion

I’m done wearing borrowed skin

Tonight I stand in open air

And I finally let myself in

(Mantra Hook-twice) [echoes]

ぎゃてい　ぎゃてい　はらぎゃてい

はらそうぎゃてい

ぼじそわか

((Gya-tay, Gya-tay, Hah-rah-gya-tay, Hah-rah-soh-gya-tay Boh-jee, Soh-wah-kah)) Ha! Ha! Ha!

(Verse 2)

I was taught to harden up

Taught to hate before I heal

Taught to guard the fragile lie

That says the pain is real

I learned to fight my shadow

Learned to hide my doubt

Protected every costume

Till the fire burned me out

(Pre-Chorus 2)

I wore colors over scars

Till I couldn’t tell apart

What was armor, what was fear

What was me, what was art

(Chorus)

Now I’m letting go, I’m breaking through

All the masks I never chose

If I lose-what, I thought, I was

I’m letting go, I’m breaking through

All the masks I never chose

If I lose-what, I thought, I was

Maybe I’ll find what’s real below

I’m done defending the illusion

I’m done wearing borrowed skin

Tonight I stand in open air

And I finally let myself in

(Mantra Hook twice)

ぎゃてい　ぎゃてい　はらぎゃてい

はらそうぎゃてい

ぼじそわか

(Gya-tay, Gya-tay, Hah-rah-gya-tay, Hah-rah-soh-gya-tay Boh-jee, Soh-wah-kah)

(Bridge)

I was burning up inside

Trying to be someone else

Every layer peeled away

Feels like coming back to myself

No more shame, no more disguise

No more fear of what I’ll see

If there’s nothing left to prove

There’s nothing left to be

(Break / Drop)

Strip it down

Strip it bare

All that’s left is honest air

(Final Chorus)

I’m letting go, I’m breaking through

All the masks I never chose

I don’t need what shaped me then

To decide the way I grow

I’m free from every definition

Free from what you said I’d be

Standing naked in the truth

And it finally feels like me

(Outro )[Mantra Fade]

ぎゃてい　ぎゃてい　はらぎゃてい

はらそうぎゃてい

ぼじそわか (Gya-tay, Gya-tay, Hah-rah-gya-tay, Hah-rah-soh-gya-tay Boh-jee, Soh-wah-kah)

You can find my music on most streaming platforms under the artist name Bodhi-Bowl. My goal is to offer music that makes Buddhist insights feel relevant and gentle for today’s world. You’re also welcome to download the MP3 directly here.

If the song resonates with you, sharing it is the greatest compliment. For those who’d like to offer tangible support, purchasing it on iTunes or other music stores is a wonderful way to contribute—like sharing a virtual cup of coffee. Thank you for listening.”