The Flute Sound That Transcends Self-Attachment ▎ Grammy-Nominated Tibetan Musician
Photo by Matthieu Ricard
Above thunderclouds, beyond wildflowers
When notes accompanied
Before the evening mist evaporates
The goats in the mountains heard
His flute sound
They stopped chewing
Turned their heads to listen
To the miraculous melody
That amazed them
And made them want to dance
—Joan Baez
Photo by Matthieu Ricard
Spirituality
I was born into
a Tibetan nomadic family
In my childhood, I first encountered
the ancient Tibetan bamboo flute
It was a gift to me
from the heavens
Tibetan flute
Image source: Internet
The flute, as an instrument,
holds the closest connection to the soul,
because it is played through human breath,
and breath is most deeply connected to the heart.
Photo by Matthieu Ricard
My musical inspiration primarily comes from
the heart and the higher power in the universe,
that is, spirituality.
Without spirituality,
my music cannot be called music.
Photo by Olivier Follmi
The Welfare of Altruism
Before performing music for the audience,
I need to be in a higher state of mind.
Sometimes my music is very energetic,
like "The Last Stand of the Wild Yak."
This is a very wild piece of music,
with drums and horns, an explosive release of energy.
When performing such music,
I need to harness that energy.
And when playing quiet, meditative flute music,
I become completely calm and relaxed.
Photo by Olivier Follmi
Each time before performing or composing,
I also make it a habit to meditate,
to clear my thoughts and mind.
In this state of clarity, calm, and focus,
I offer a prayer for blessings:
"May I play music that benefits others."
I perform not for money or fame,
but for the welfare of others.
I hope my music
can help bring others peace and happiness.
This is also my original intention.
Photo by Olivier Follmi
Meditation
Whether in daily life
or on the path of music,
I have always persisted in reading, studying, and meditating.
Meditation is the most important way to nourish the heart.
Therefore, in everyday life,
whether walking or falling asleep,
I constantly strive to immerse myself in meditation.
Photo by Olivier Follmi
During the Tibetan New Year in 2007,
I was in a car with my son and niece,
on our way to my father's house to celebrate the New Year.
Suddenly, we collided head-on with a truck.
The accident took my niece's life.
I was left unconscious,
while my son was barely injured.
He immediately found a medical worker,
who took me for surgery.
Due to the brain injury,
the hospital could not give me painkillers.
At that time, my meditation practice saved me.
Photo by Olivier Follmi
I was in the midst of suffering,
lying on the hospital bed, groaning
(I don’t remember this—it was described by my wife).
After a while, I asked her to bring me a pillow.
I sat up, placed the pillow behind my back,
and began to meditate.
They say I meditated for about forty minutes.
During that time, I imagined gathering the suffering
of all beings into myself, then releasing
all the suffering outward.
I became another person,
sitting there quietly,
without pain.
Photo by Olivier Follmi
Milk and butter
As Einstein said,
humans use only about
five to ten percent of their brain capacity.
Similarly, the potential of love and compassion
also remains at just five to ten percent.
The heart of the "small self"
is a narrow box.
By gradually expanding this box
until we can love all sentient beings,
we find a skillful means
to liberate ourselves from suffering.
Photo by Olivier Follmi
Love and compassion
are the greatest gifts I have received from the Dharma.
Whether human or animal,
all simply desire happiness and not suffering.
That alone is reason enough
for us to practice.
Photo by Michael Yamashita
It is like the relationship between milk and butter.
Butter exists inherently in milk,
but we need to churn it to extract it.
Similarly, love and compassion already exist
within our hearts, but we need to
continuously churn them through practice
to bring them to light.
Photo by Eric Valli
Tibetan Meditation Music
Drawing on Tibet's rich tradition of meditation,
the musician has created an extraordinarily relaxing album
entirely focused on inner tranquility.
In this album,
a unique approach is employed—
minimizing rhythm or melody, while utilizing vocals, bells,
percussion, and Western classical instruments
to enhance the serenity of his meditative flute and chanting.
Tibetan meditation music possesses a timeless quality,
evoking the sensation of truly sitting in the Himalayas,
gazing into infinite space.
It serves as the perfect accompaniment for meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, healing,
and deep relaxation.
Photo by Michael Yamashita
Music As Medicine
Ancient teachings state
that merely seeing the image of the Medicine Buddha
or hearing his name can bring healing.
In this album, accompanied by the soothing tones of Tibetan flutes,
long horns, Native American flutes, drums, as well as
calm chanting and recitations, the musician joins
with Native American artist R. Carlos Nakai
to evoke prayers to the Medicine Buddha,
channeling his healing energy
into the heart of every listener.
*The Three Medicine Buddhas* (detail), 14th century, Private Collection
Dream Journey
Inspired by dream yoga,
the musician composed 11 inspiring
original solo flute pieces—
an album perfect for deep relaxation,
expressing timeless spiritual values such as love, kindness,
and compassion through the serenity of the music.
Photo by Matthieu Ricard
Winds of Devotion
Two ancient musical traditions
from opposite ends of the world meet
in a beautiful album.
The musician collaborates with renowned Native American
flutist R. Carlos Nakai to create
four serene and uplifting musical pieces—
an ocean-crossing prayer for
compassion, wisdom, healing, and universal love.
Photo by Da Dao
Two Grammy-nominated artists
share a common love for meditative music.
The ancient indigenous sounds resonate deeply in their flutes,
stirring profound memories in the hearts of modern listeners.
This album blends chanting, prayers, and
the timeless beauty of wooden flutes,
suitable for meditation, massage, physical exercise,
Tai Chi, and yoga.
Photo by Liu Wei
Universal Love
A profound musical pilgrimage
experiencing compassion.
Nine original pieces blend
ancient ritual music from the homeland
with traditional tunes from around the world,
together evoking the great love within our hearts.
Photo by Olivier Föllmi
A deeply moving prayer for the ears and soul
offered through Tibetan bamboo flutes, didgeridoo,
and bells.
Experience profound inner peace
and awaken the awareness of love.
Every phrase and note of *The Sound of Serenity*
evokes an extraordinary tranquility
(it has been used by a hospital to soothe women during childbirth).
Across ten tracks,
we gradually transform into
wind, clouds, mountains, and rivers—
ultimately becoming peace itself.
Photo by Ravikumar
Rhythms of Peace
An album consisting of ten tracks
explores inner peace with bamboo flutes, didgeridoo, gongs, bells, drums,
soothing melodies, and mystical rhythms.
Each evocative meditative piece
can conjure the vast Himalayan landscape and its sacred serenity
in the musician's heart.
*The New York Times* review: "It is rare to create
such soothing and serene original music."
Photo by Ravikumar
The Dance of InnocentsMusic for Healing
The ancient tones of the Tibetan flute may seem
far from the melodies of the contemporary piano,
as distant as the Himalayas from Hollywood.
Yet, when the musician and pianist Peter Kater
first played together, they discovered
a delightful harmony between these two unique instruments.
It is the perfect fusion of Eastern meditative flute
and Western piano artistry,
guiding listeners on a soothing, serene, and unforgettable
journey of the beautiful soul.
Photo by Eric Valli
Quiet Mind
As a member of the Tibetan nomadic generation,
the musician formed a bond with the ancient Tibetan bamboo flute from childhood,
eventually leading it to the world stage.
Accompanied by the resonant sounds of the Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo,
the Inca Pan flute, and the ocarina,
it bestows tranquility and peace
upon all who hear it.
Photo by Liu Wei
Nawang Khechog
The first Tibetan flutist to receive a Grammy nomination, one of the world music and spiritual music composers. Independently produced over eight albums, the collaborative album "In a Distant Place" earned a Grammy nomination and several international awards. He advocates using music to inspire non-violence, compassion, and spirituality.
