The InnerBeing Project sincerely wishes to thank Chandra from the heart to have allowed us to use her wonderful music piece “Sincerity” in our Videos. It accompanies the project since its beginning in January 2024. Gratitude!

From Sincerity to Peace – Bansuri Flute

This project is a tribute of Gratitude to The Mother and Sri Aurobindo and to Auroville – the physical Auroville and the Auroville living in our hearts.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to study the bansuri for three intensive years under the tutelage of the great Master Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. I am extremely touched and honoured that he has agreed to appear on this CD.

The bansuri is a flute that is made out of one piece of bamboo. It is the instrument of Lord Krishna and represents the empty, receptive instrument of the Divine that we aspire to be, so that He may play his melody through us.

In Hindustani Classical Music, a Raga is a living entity. It has a certain melody, rhythm and particular scale or set of predefined notes, but it is so much more than that. It is an entity that one can come into contact with when one loses oneself in the music.

A Raga can be as long as the musician chooses to make it, from a few minutes, to a complete rendering that can last up to many hours.

Each Raga is played at a specific time of the day, and many are imbued with symbolisms and legends. For instance, the early-morning Raga Basant Mukhari (track n.3), created by Pt.

Hariprasad Chaurasia, is half Raga Bhairavi and half Raga Bhairav – representing the union of Parvati and Shiva. The late-night Raga Malkauns (track n. 12) is said to have been used by Parvati as the only way to calm Shiva during his furious dance that would have destroyed the worlds forever.

I play an introduction of each Raga, with a traditional melodic ascent followed by a concluding descent. Each piece has been improvised on the spot, respecting the framework of its Raga.

I felt deeply inspired to find ragas to represent each of the Twelve Qualities of The Mother. I went to meditate in the twelve petals of the Matrimandir to be as receptive as possible, so as to be able to perceive a Raga for each Quality while being in the physical space that represents that Quality.

The Twelve Qualities of The Mother

“The first eight concern the attitude towards the Divine, and the last four towards humanity” (The Mother)

1. Sincerity: Simple Sincerity is the beginning of all progress. A sincere heart is worth all the extraordinary powers in the world.

2. Humility: The true Humility is Humility before the Divine, a precise exact living sense that one is nothing, one can do nothing, understand nothing without the Divine.

3. Gratitude: Gratitude opens all the closed doors and allows the saving Grace to enter.

4. Perseverance: Perseverance is patience in action- the decision to go to the very end.

5. Aspiration: Aspiration is one of the marvellous gifts of Grace given to human nature.

6. Receptivity: Receptivity is the capacity of admitting and retaining the divine workings.

7. Progress: The purpose of earthly life is Progress.

8. Courage: Courage is to be able to face everything in life without the slightest emotion in any part of the being and with a constant awareness of the Divine presence.

9. Goodness: You must be good for the love of Goodness, then you are sure to advance on the way.

10. Generosity: Generosity gives and gives itself without bargaining- gives for the joy of giving.

11. Equanimity: Equal in all circumstances, keeps a perfect mastery of himself and remains peaceful in the presence of whatever happens.

12. Peace: Nowhere will you be able to find Peace unless you have Peace in your heart.

(text: CD raga offerings “From Sincerity to Peace” with Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia)