Tracks arising from Roerich Paintings. (with sound-bites)

for HIMALAYAN STUDIES Number 2

All images courtesy of the Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York. 

To view more Roerich paintings @ their site click HERE

 

MAITREYA. TIBET.   (Volume 2)

Courtesy of the Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York

To listen click HERE

A statue of Maitreya set in the wilds of Tibet. Maitreya will be the next Buddha after Shakyamuni Buddha – the current Buddha. This time the background is less dramatic and there is something of a simplicity and peaceful blessing of this Coming One – a quiet acceptance. The landscape is gentle and soft, if somewhat inhospitable, yet there is this bold statement concerning the spiritual beliefs of these simple people.

The music endeavours to portray the simple spiritual beauty and gentle peace of this painting. It features a set of Noah Bells from India. These were recorded as two tracks with no reference to each other and then played together. Whilst playing my consciousness intentionally shifted between different states of awareness and intention behind the improvisation (recorded in 1990). The result is something of a Zen-like atmosphere on beautiful and mystical-sounding bells. The improvisation upon these Noah bells floats above a drone of several Heart Chakra bowls including the Maitreya Bowl and a Heart Chakra Spirit bowl.

 

 

 

  TIBET - OM IN THE MOUNTAINS (?)  (Volume 2)

Courtesy of the Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York

To listen please click HERE

I do not know the title to this painting. Many of Roerich’s paintings are simply titled Himalayan Landscape, or Himalaya, or Himalayan Studies, etc. For the purpose of this application, I have rendered the above title - and I take full responsibility if it is incorrect. 

In this painting we have in the foreground a dark rock with a Tibetan OM inscribed in a golden colour upon it. In the background are light blue mountains. So this OM is most stunningly portrayed. OM is the sacred sound, or vibration, or word. Just as it takes many blows with the chisel to carve the OM into the rock so, too, it takes many, many repetitions of this sacred mantra before it's vibration is established firmly in one's being. Within Tibetan Buddhist practise the OM is said to represent enlightened body alongside the spiritual concept of purity in deed (body). From time to time one can come across such rock or stone carvings whilst passing through the Himalayas. There are also ancient petroglyphs and Roerich depicted these in other of his paintings. Another manner of interpreting this title resides in the vision that the people of Tibet, in their following of the spiritual path, have sounded this sacred word for centuries within these high mountains and then out into the world. Let us trust that the political situation will allow them to fully resume that valuable contribution in the years to come.

In a certain sense one could state that all Singing Bowls sound the OM. However, there are certain ones that sound this sacred vibration upon the inner planes of spiritual reality - even as there are certain individuals who are able to sound their true note from deep within the celestial orchestra of Life. The piece begins with an OM sounded upon an appropriate Tibetan Singing Bowl and then sets it against a sequence of higher pitched Yin bowls representative of the backdrop of these soft mountains.

 

 

 

  BADA THE PREACHER   (Volume 2)

Courtesy of the Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York

To listen please click HERE

There is a beautiful story to this painting. The painting itself is also most interesting. 

The painting has been made after the poem by Pollensky (1809 - 1898) Bada the Prophet/Preacher. The poem speaks about the young man who served the blind Bada. When he was tired of leading Bada, he decided to deceive him. He said that they were surrounded by a multitude of people and everyone was waiting for the old man - Preacher. But in reality, only the stones were lying around. With great inspiration Bada began to speak and his deceiver, after a good rest, told him that he could now be silent because everybody had gone away. And then the old man sadly became silent, he bowed down his head but as soon as he became silent the stones answered him with AMEN!

The piece is an attempt to portray this story through sound. The central section is to represent the preacher's sermon, which in essence is to strive to raise the level of the congregation into at-one-ment with realms of harmony and light - the music of the spheres. There is then a silence as he awaits the response from his listener's. Then the whole of Nature resounds to his inspired Message.

 

For more details regarding Volume 2 and a complete listing of all of the tracks - please click HERE

 

 

 

 

(C) Copyright by Frank Perry 1996. All rights reserved.

 

© Frank Perry, 1996. All of these articles are copyright. They may individually be copied and shared with others in a spirit of knowledge-sharing and fair play, but they may not be sold, printed or reproduced in quantity or changed in form without the permission of the copyright holder. None of this material may be reproduced in workshops or lectures of any kind unless quotes are credited or properly attributed.  

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