The music ensemble Arthada & Friends regularly gives spiritual concerts, i.e. concerts for meditation, in Vienna’s Lotus-Seminarzentrum. Since 20 April 1992, the ensemble has been performing at least seven times a year at home and abroad. Needless to say, the line-up has changed over these many years and to date comprises 7 male members living in Austria (Vienna) and the Netherlands (Den Haag) and Norway (Oslo). They have toured 23 European countries, performed in various countries in Asia, South America, the Carribbean, the former Soviet Union and had countless performances in the U.S alone. Their music has been aired by various European radio stations. Recording and mixing of the newest CD (CD 10) is in process at the moment.https://www.facebook.com/Arthada-Friends-Spiritual-music-100216365603177https://www.meditieren.at/index.php/de/arthada-friendshttps://www.srichinmoy.tv/https://www.radiosrichinmoy.org/https://us.srichinmoycentre.org/#ArthadaAndFriends #SpiritualMusic #Meditation The musicians play on eastern (sarangi, sitar, harmonium, bansuri ...) and western instruments and exclusively perform spiritual songs or mantras that were composed in a state of mystical vision or meditative trance and thus put a “receptive” listener into a meditative or higher consciousness. The music of Arthada & Friends is well suited for edification or meditation.Sri Chinmoy, the composer of these wonderful and, above all, touching songs uses his native Bengali for most of his lyrics, as this language with its mantric and poetic beauty lends itself to spiritual music.Sri Chinmoy describes the relationship between spirituality and music thus:“When we listen to soulful music, or when we ourselves play soulfulmusic, immediately our inner existence climbs up high, higher, highest.It climbs up and enters into something beyond.This beyond is constantly trying to help us, guide us, mould us and shape us intoour true transcendental image, our true divinity. When we hear soulfulmusic, or when we play a piece of soulful music, we feel a kind ofinner thrill in our entire existence, from the soles of our feet to thecrown of our head. A river is flowing through us, a river ofconsciousness, and this consciousness is all the time illumined.” “If wecan feel that it is not our voice, not our fingers, but some realitydeep inside our heart which is expressing itself, then we will know thatit is the soul’s music.”"There is some music that is really destructive to our inner being. This music comes from the gross physical or lower vital. The spiritual person will immediately be affected by this music. But soulful and spiritual music really helps us; it feeds our inner life. Music has tremendous power. With fire we can burn ourselves, or we can cook and do many other good things. So it is with music. The divine music immediately elevates our consciousness. Undivine music immediately lowers our consciousness, and it tries to destroy our sincere inner cry for a better spiritual life. Undivine music tries to awaken our lower vital consciousness and throw us into a world of excitement." - Sri Chinmoy"Start to think of a new life.Your sincere mindWill teach you how to start.Your pure heartWill continue for you.Just start to think of a new life." - Sri Chinmoy"Music is entertainment.Music is enlightenment.Music is the animal barkOf man.Music is the God-SongAnd God-Dance for man." - Sri Chinmoy"The mind-music is earth-ful.The heart-music is soulful.The soul-music is Godful.The life-music is painful." - Sri Chinmoy"My Lord, my Lord,Give me a doubt-free mind!My Lord, my Lord,Give me a fear-free heart!My Lord, my Lord,Give me a worry-free life!" - Sri Chinmoy"I am happy becauseMy body is obedience.I am happy becauseMy vital is confidence.I am happy becauseMy mind is concentration.I am happy becauseMy heart is dedication.I am happy becauseMy soul is satisfaction." - Sri Chinmoy