Sweet Lotus

Music

Shastro shares on video the first track of his newly released album ‘Satsang’.

Watch on YouTube

In this video you can get a glimpse of the recording process of ‘Sweet Lotus’, the first track of my new album Satsang. I gave it this title because during my bansuri practice I very often played the Indian raga Madhuvanti, a romantic raga based on the foundation, eternity and colours of love. This track was inspired by that raga. ‘Madhu’ in Hindi literally means ‘honey’ and indeed it is a very sweet raga with a feeling of deep longing.

I like the symbol of the ‘lotus’ because it represents qualities such as eternity, purity and divinity. In India it is widely used also to describe the qualities of divine feminine beauty. Furthermore, in the Buddhist tradition the blooming lotus signifies different levels of enlightenment relative to how open the lotus is.

You might wonder why I called the CD Satsang. Over the last few years I have enjoyed participating in satsang gatherings, in which we share meditative music interspersed with long periods of silence. These precious experiences inspired me to create a new album.

In the East, ‘satsang’ means coming together to be in the presence of truth. It can take the form of sitting in the energy field of a spiritual master or also just a gathering of seekers. It is a communion that happens in a space of openness and loving presence. It is a transmission beyond words.

While preparing the album it occurred to me that ‘satsang’ is also the meaning of my name and that making music is my way of communicating – without words. When Osho initiated me into neo-sannyas – 35 years ago – he gave me the name Veet Shastro. ‘Veet’ meaning beyond while ‘shastra’ are the holy scriptures, the spiritual teachings translated into words. Osho told me then that the meaning of my new name was “communication beyond words.”

In making this track, and all the other five tracks, I kept the arrangements simple and the pace slow in order to facilitate a meditative mood in the listener, a space where one can connect with the quiet place within.

Available from malimba.com/buy-satsangamazon.comamazon.co.ukamazon.de

Read Chinmaya’s review of the album ‘Satsang

Shastro took sannyas in 1981. Trained in Italy as a fashion photographer, he had the opportunity to photograph Osho on various occasions in Pune. His creativity soon expanded to music and, together with Sirus, he composed the music for the No Dimensions Meditation. He later founded Malimba Records that, as of today, features 14 of his albums as well as those of 12 other sannyasin musicians. Shastro lives between USA, India and Italy. www.shastro.comwww.malimba.com – link to articles by this author on Osho News


Comments are closed.