Alaya Youtube
Alaya Youtube
an abstract background with lines and colors
an abstract background with lines and colors

Frequently Asked Questions

About Alaya Sounds

What is Alaya Sounds?

Alaya Sounds is a digital lab where Buddhist teachings are set to music through cutting-edge technology. We create everything from traditional prayers with beautiful visuals to lo-fi Dharma.

Why does Alaya Sounds exist?

Our mission is to make profound Buddhist wisdom accessible through contemporary music. We believe that sacred teachings shouldn't be locked behind language barriers, academic papers, or limited to ancient musical tradition. Different people connect with dharma differently—some through traditional study, others through music, art, and modern media.

Who creates this music?

Alaya was founded by a dharma practitioner and trained dharma translator, digital designer, former underground party producer, and music production student who directs every creative decision—from genre and emotional tone to final curation. I use AI tools for music and video production, but the vision, scholarship, and artistic direction are entirely human.

About the Creative Process

How do you actually make this music?

The process typically involves:

  1. Translation & Study: I carefully select reliable existing translations of teachings or work with teachings that were originally given in English, or I translate texts from Tibetan, studying commentaries and context. Most translations were already done in the last few years, in a process that always take many months. Most of them were done with the guidance of a traditional scholar, a Khenpo or a Khenmo, and all of them are reviewed by a senior Tibetan translator.

  2. Craft into lyrics: I transform these translations into lyrical form—a second translation, this time from raw text into musical language. This involves finding the melodic rhythm within the teaching, balancing meaning with singability, and deciding what to emphasize or repeat for emotional impact, thus creating the chorus. It's the bridge between scholarship and artistic expression.

  3. Genre Selection: I chose a musical style that matches the teaching's energy and tone

  4. Creative Direction: I guide the AI with specific instructions about mood, instrumentation, vocal style, and pacing, sometimes, I create the melody and use as a basis; other times, I use samples that were created by real musicians as the basis

  5. Iteration: I generate multiple versions, refining and adjusting until it matches my vision

  6. Curation: I try to select only the pieces that genuinely serve the teaching and meet quality standards

  7. Visual Creation: I create or direct AI-generated visuals that honor the teaching without falling into stereotypes

  8. Final Review: I ensure accuracy, appropriateness, and devotional quality

What looks like "pressing a button" is actually days or weeks of work per piece.

Why these specific genres?

  • Each genre choice is intentional:

    • Lo-fi.Dharma (modern and classical teachings on specific topics like the origin of suffering, the illusory nature of samsara, the nature of mind, etc.) — Lo-fi means "low-fidelity," a genre that embraces imperfections, static, and rawness. This itself makes it a perfect match for dharma's view of reality—accepting things as they are, recognizing perfection under what seems imperfect. Beyond that, lo-fi's gentle rhythms, spacious atmosphere, and contemplative elements create the ideal sonic environment for teachings to settle and resonate.

    • Sweet Drops (crucial teaching summaries) get accessible, melodic treatment to make them memorable

    • Modern master teachings mostly in jazz/bossa nova reflect the sophisticated, nuanced quality of contemporary dharma commentary

    • Supplication and Long Life prayers are adapted to modern devotional styles with a cinematic vibe

    • Full albums experiment with genres that I feel match the teaching's essence—Mahamudra's vastness inspires psychedelic rock; Milarepa's spontaneity inspires samba, etc.

The diversity is deliberate: different people connect with different musical languages. Someone unmoved by traditional Indian chanting might be touched by the same teaching in jazz. Both can be valid paths to the Dharma.


About Production

Is this music actually made by AI?

Yes, most of them, but always with significant human direction. I translate the teachings or find a good quality translation (with proper copyright attribution), select the musical genre and style that I feel can be a good match for the chosen teaching, direct the creative vision, and carefully curate every element. The AI handles the technical production, but every creative decision is human-guided.

Isn't AI music just pressing a button? Isn't that lazy?

From translation or curation to final video, each track is a months-long journey. Sometimes I translate teachings directly from Tibetan or English sources; other times I carefully select and curate from existing translations or teachings already given in English. Then I develop the musical concept and sometimes compose melodies, before working with an AI tool to produce the complete sound, and finally create visuals. It's a human-AI collaboration that takes time and effort to get right.

As a former electronic music party producer, I heard this exact criticism about techno and electronic music for years: "It's not real music because it's made by computers—you just press a button!" This couldn't be further from the truth, and the same applies to AI music. It really can be done in that way, but then the result of music created by just pressing a button will be very generic.

Rick Rubin—the legendary music producer behind everyone from Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys to Johnny Cash, Metallica, and Adele, named by MTV as "the most important producer of the last 20 years"— has a perspective on AI that cuts through this confusion perfectly: "The reason we go to certain artists, writers, or filmmakers is because of their point of view. AI doesn't have a point of view. AI gives you the ability to take your ideas, put them into this machine, and receive different iterations that would normally take much longer. It's more of a shaping process." In Alaya's case, the point of view comes directly from the wisdom of the genuine masters, and the point of view of creativity comes from a human co-producing the music.

Rubin compares AI to how punk rock democratized music in the 1970s. Before punk, you needed conservatory training and years of technical mastery to make music. Punk said: if you have something to say, learn three chords and say it. AI does the same for production: if you have a vision worth expressing, the technology can help you shape it faster. But just as punk bands still needed something to say, AI users still need that irreplaceable human element—perspective, intention, creative direction.

It's the difference between someone randomly photographing with an expensive camera versus a skilled photographer using an iPhone. The tool doesn't determine the outcome—the human intention, vision, and skill do. AI doesn't replace the artist; it accelerates the creative producer's ability to explore and refine their vision.

But is AI-produced music really "music"?

Let's play this out. AI-produced music isn't music? Well, in the 1950s, purists said electric guitars weren't 'real music.' In the 1980s, synths were dismissed as soulless. In the 1990s, techno 'wasn't music at all.' Every generation draws an arbitrary line and declares: this far, no further.

Rubin himself champions what he calls "vibe coding"—directing AI through natural language rather than programming expertise—as "the punk rock of coding." He sees the parallel clearly: "In the past, for music, you had to go to the conservatory and study for years and years. Then someday, you could play in a symphony. And then, when punk rock came along, you could maybe learn three chords in a day—and there were all these bands. That made it for everybody... And vibe coding is the same thing—it's the punk rock of coding."

Every technological leap in music history faced identical resistance: 'This lacks soul.' 'This isn't authentic.' 'This isn't real.' The electric guitar. The synthesizer. The drum machine. The sampler. Each one was supposed to be the death of 'real music.' Each one became the sound of its generation.

Rubin's career itself demolishes the "authenticity" argument. He's produced everyone from Run-DMC to Johnny Cash to Metallica to Adele—radically different sounds, all created with whatever technology served the artist's vision best. His legendary minimalist approach wasn't about rejecting technology; it was about stripping away anything that obscured the artist's essential point of view.

We're watching the same movie again. In 2025, insisting that music died with the last technology your generation accepted isn't wisdom—it's just revealing when you stopped paying attention.

Music is organized sound that moves people, communicates emotion, and creates meaning. The tools we use to create it have always evolved—from natural materials to crafted instruments to electronics to digital production to AI. What matters, as Rubin consistently demonstrates, is the artistic intention behind it, the quality of execution, and whether it serves its purpose.

The question, especially for Dharma music, isn't whether the tool is "legitimate"—it's whether the human directing that tool has something worth saying, whether the motivation serves beings, and whether the result honors the dharma. AI doesn't have a point of view. But when a trained translator and curator with deep understanding of the teachings uses AI to shape sound that carries wisdom into contemporary ears—that's not laziness. That's using every available tool to fulfill bodhicitta.

Doesn't AI training on copyrighted music mean this is built on theft?

This is a legitimate ethical concern that I take seriously. Current AI music tools do train on existing music, often without explicit artist consent. I can't fully resolve this contradiction. What I can say:

  • I'm not trying to replace or compete with human musicians

  • I actively support human Buddhist musicians

  • I couldn't create all this music through traditional means (budget, skills, training time)

  • My choice is between AI-assisted dharma music or no music at all

  • As AI ethics evolve, I'm committed to using the most ethical tools available

I understand if this doesn't fully satisfy your concerns—it doesn't fully satisfy mine either. I'm navigating a rapidly evolving technological landscape while trying to remain as ethical as possible.

Why not just hire human musicians?

I would love to collaborate with human musicians, and I'm open to future partnerships. However, the scope of this project (multiple genres, multiple languages, experimental fusions) would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce traditionally. A single song could take a full year to be ready.

The question becomes: should these teachings only be set to music if I personally can afford to pay musicians?
Or is it okay to use available tools with the pure motivation to serve the Dharma?

This isn't about avoiding the effort or cost—it's about using different skills (scholarship, translation, curation) to create something that wouldn't exist otherwise.

If you are reading this and would like to help hiring professional musicians, please write to me write away at alaya@ayasounds.art

About the Teachings

Are the translations accurate?

Translation accuracy is my highest priority. I work from authoritative sources, cross-reference multiple translations, and when uncertain, consult with qualified traditional Tibetan scholars. I'm not claiming perfection, but I approach this work with humility, rigor, and deep respect for the teachings.

When possible, I use existing consolidated translations by respected translators rather than creating entirely new translations.

I'm always open to corrections and continuously improving translation quality. If you notice an error, please let me know.

What are your qualifications to translate Buddhist texts?

Two years of intensive training, a decade translating dharma from English, five years working as an interpreter for Dharma teachings, and four years working with Tibetan texts under qualified supervision.

Here's what I consider my real qualification: I'm acutely aware of my limitations. I know when a passage requires deeper consultation. I understand that Tibetan Buddhist texts contain layers and I'm still learning to access. That awareness combined with solid training and years of study and practice—ensures these teachings are handled with appropriate care.

Why set sacred teachings to pop music genres like jazz, samba or psychedelic rock? Isn't that disrespectful?

I understand this might feel jarring to some. Here's my thinking, getting the example of Milarepa in Samba: Milarepa was himself a wild, unconventional figure who sang spontaneously in the mountains. Samba's joy, spontaneity, and rhythmic vitality feel aligned with his free-spirited approach to dharma. He wasn't formal or conventional—why should modern readings of his liberation songs be?

General Principle: Different musical genres aren't inherently more or less sacred. Traditional Tibetan ceremonial music is beautiful and powerful, but it's not the only valid form for Dharma transmission. The Buddha taught using the skillful means appropriate to each era and culture. In our time, that includes diverse musical languages.

That said, I'm genuinely interested in your concerns. If specific choices feel unskillful or harmful, I want to hear that feedback and reflect on it seriously.

Won't this water down the teachings or make them into entertainment?

This is a critical concern. My intention is to:

  • Keep teachings accurate and complete, not simplified or distorted

  • Encourage people toward authentic practice, not replace it

  • Use contemporary musical forms while preserving traditional content

  • Serve as a gateway to deeper study, not a destination

If Alaya SoundLab becomes "dharma-flavored entertainment" divorced from actual practice and genuine benefit, I've failed. The measure of success isn't followers or streams—it's whether people genuinely connect with the teachings and are inspired toward practice.

Alaya SoundLab is not trying to replace traditional study, meditation practice, or relationships with qualified teachers. We're offering one more way for teachings to reach people who might not otherwise encounter them.

About Authenticity & Tradition

Is this authentic Dharma transmission?

No, and I'm not claiming it is. Authenti Dharma transmission requires human-to-human connection with qualified and realized teachers within a living lineage. AI cannot transmit dharma in that sense, and Alaya Sounds is not trying to be a teacher or replace your connection with living masters.

Think of Alaya Sounds as Dharma-inspired music that might:

  • Introduce teachings to people who'd never encounter them otherwise

  • Remind practitioners of teachings they've received from their teachers

  • Create beauty that honors and celebrates the dharma

  • Complement (never replace) authentic study and practice

This is similar to dharma books, apps, recorded teachings, or art—supportive tools, not substitutes for real practice and genuine teachers.

About AI Ethics & Impact

Won't AI replace human Buddhist musicians?

I genuinely hope not, and here's why I don't think it will:

  • Live human performance has irreplaceable value—the energy, presence, and transmission that happens in person cannot be replicated

  • Human musicians bring embodied wisdom and authentic practice to their music in ways AI cannot

  • Different offerings serve different purposes and audiences

I see this as expanding the ecosystem of dharma music, not competing with human artists. I actively promote and support human Buddhist musicians, and I'm open to collaborations.

If I genuinely believed this project was harming human musicians or their livelihoods, I would seriously reconsider it.

Doesn't AI increase suffering and distraction? Isn't that against the dharma?

Profound question. Technology can indeed increase suffering, attachment, and distraction. But I believe tools are neutral—what matters is intention and skillful use.

The printing press was technology that spread dharma widely. Recording technology allows teachings to reach people who could never meet teachers in person. The internet connects practitioners globally.

The question isn't whether to use technology, but how to use it skillfully. Can wisdom traditions engage with contemporary tools without being corrupted by them? I'm trying to explore that question carefully.

Is AI music soulless? Can it really be devotional without consciousness?

The AI itself has no consciousness, devotion, or understanding—you're absolutely right. But consider:

  • The devotional intention is human (mine)

  • I dedicate merit, make offerings, and hold the teachings in mind while creating

  • The AI is a tool, like a recording device, printing press, or camera

  • A digitally recorded teaching from a master is still blessed by their intention, even though the recording device has no consciousness

The sacredness comes from: accurate teachings + sincere intention + genuine benefit to beings. The AI is the medium of expression, like paint is to a thangka painter or ink is to a calligrapher.

That said, if the music feels soulless or fails to move people toward the dharma, then it's not serving its purpose—regardless of the technology used.

Practical Questions

Where can I listen to Alaya Sounds music?

[Add your actual platforms: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, SoundCloud, etc.]

All music is freely available at [links].

Can I use this music for meditation or dharma events?

Yes! This music is offered for the benefit of all beings. You're welcome to use it for:

  • Personal practice - But please consult your own teacher for this!

  • Dharma center events

  • Yoga or meditation classes

  • Nonprofit dharma activities

For commercial use, please contact me at alaya@alayasounds.art

Can I support this project?

The best support is:

  • Sharing music with people who might benefit

  • Providing feedback on translations or creative choices

  • Connecting me with qualified scholars for consultation

  • Sending us your translation to be turned into music

  • Send us your own Dharma music

Most importantly, if this music helps you connect with the dharma, please take that connection into genuine practice. That's the real point.

I found an error in translation or have concerns about accuracy. How do I tell you?

Please! I genuinely want to know. Contact me at [email] with:

  • Specific concern or error

  • Reference to authoritative sources if possible

  • Suggestions for improvement

I take accuracy seriously and will correct errors promptly and gratefully.

Final Thoughts

What if I still have concerns about this project?

That's completely valid. This project involves navigating complex territory—tradition and innovation, technology and spirituality, accessibility and authenticity. Not everyone needs to support Alaya Sounds. Some will find it helpful; others won't resonate with the approach. Both responses are fine.

What I ask is:

  • Engage with genuine concerns thoughtfully

  • Assume good intentions even when you disagree with methods

  • Offer constructive criticism that helps improve the project

  • Remember that different approaches can coexist—Alaya Sounds doesn't replace traditional offerings

If this approach doesn't speak to you, there are many wonderful traditional Buddhist musicians, teachers, and resources available. The Dharma is vast enough for many different expressions.

white and black abstract painting
white and black abstract painting

Scientific Sources on Music and Memory

Here are the key findings and links:

1. Music activates multiple brain systems simultaneously:

2. Music increases brain connectivity:

3. Emotional arousal from music enhances memory:

4. Music memory persists even in Alzheimer's:

  • Source: Music & Memory research compilation

  • Link: https://musicandmemory.org/resources/

  • Key finding: Musical memory often remains intact in advanced Alzheimer's patients who've lost most other memories; music facilitates attention, reward and motivation

Archaeological Studies on Paleolithic Musical Instruments:

Hohle Fels Cave Flute:

On Music and Ritual in Ancient Societies:

Ritual Music Across Different Cultures:

Encyclopedic Sources:

Contact

alaya@alayasounds.art

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