September 2000

A Flute Whose Music Creates World Peace
By Rolf Erickson

Although bamboo flutes are found in cultures around the world, the Vedic tradition of India has used this simple instrument as a tool for creating world peace. In our age, Maharishi has revived the understanding of how the unique frequencies, melodies and rhythms of Vedic music are able to create balance in Nature.

"Gandharva music is the eternal melody of Nature which is ever-lively in Transcendental Consciousness," Maharishi says. "From there it reverberates and constructs different levels of creation. Gandharva Veda is the basis of all order and harmony in Nature, there-fore it has that most harmonizing, most integrating influence."

Whether practicing at home or performing for large concerts and celebrations, Maharishi Gandharva Veda musicians create this influence of harmony for their community, society and the world.

Each Bansuri or bamboo flute is carefully crafted from a single section of bamboo, which must be strong and without joints. The holes for blowing and fingering the instrument are burned through the bamboo at precise intervals along the section.

Although it may appear easy to pick up a flute and make a pleasing sound, becoming a master of the Bansuri is the culmination of a musical lifetime devoted to practice and performance

Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, considered the world’s greatest Bansuri master, combines brilliant technique and a powerful style to stir and uplift audiences around the world.

Pandit Chaurasia begins each Raga, or traditional composition, with a soft and delicate introduction to its musical scale and melody. He is a master of the Alap—the slow sequence of long notes that develops the recurring theme of the composition. As the speed and volume of the Raga builds, Chaurasia plays sophisticated and complex improvisations in a seemingly effortless way.

For the Western listener interested in learning more about Maharishi Gandharva Veda music, Pandit Chaurasia’s recordings provide a delightful introduction to an ancient music that sounds amazingly familiar from the very first listening.

The simple and universal bamboo flute can transport listeners to a beautiful world where the senses are thrilled with bliss. Listening to the melodies of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music performed on the Bansuri, there is an unmistakable sense of having arrived home.

Renée Erickson is a member of the Enlightenment magazine Editorial Board. Call 1-888-437-0855 to order Maharishi Gandharva products, including recordings of the Bansuri.