It might have been enough to order a gong, hand made – truly, spirit made – by Martin Blase,
inspired and gifted silversmith/gong maker, and to have it carry something of his essence,
something of the spiritual wisdom and love that he embodies and infuses into his sound devices,
and further to then sound one (now four!) of his gongs, radiating his spiritual essence – and lineage – forward into the universe…
yet it has also been a very great gift during the ordering process to “meet” the man as well through email exchanges.
Brief as these needed to have been, both in the insightfully composed lines as written as well
as gleaming between the lines have been glimpses of the profound inspiration
and spiritual message that have made it possible for Martin to give birth to such living treasures as his gongs truly are, messages including teachings from Johannes Heinz Loeffler.

It has long been my hope that there would be a way – and time – for Martin to share more directly and fully from his inner wisdom,
including something of the mystery of “how” he infuses so much of his subtle self into metal objects which thereby come alive.
Through text, photos, and links to revealing videos, Butterfly Wings describes and depicts some of the physical process that embodies the metaphysics, the spirituality, that gives life to Martin’s gongs.
The beautifully and transparently written book makes clear the depth of skill and the enormity of personal dedication to craft as well as to spiritual practice that brings his gongs alive.
How one transposes spiritual wisdom, spiritual essence into a metal object is at the crux of the mystery of Martin’s craftsmanship.
It is said that “work is worship”, and indeed it can become a pathway toward inner realization to the degree that one’s whole sense of being and purpose is surrendered into the creative process.
Thus, nearly miraculously, hammer stoke by hammer stroke, Martin again and again gives birth to stellarly beautiful gongs and other sound devices that ring out with overtones of the Music of the Spheres.
Listen with FULL attention, and you will know this for yourself.

In the text, Martin speaks of his concern for the ongoingness of the level of his silversmithing mastery, and he describes that there are apprenticeships through which this is possible.
There is yet another avenue through which Martin’s legacy will continue long after he may set his hammers aside,
and that surely is through the continuation of the playing of his gongs and many sound devices all around the world, far into the future, rippling onwards into the multi-dimensional universe beyond time and space.
Where fire burns oxygen comes to its support, unasked. In the smithy of Martin’s heart and soul, there has been forged a pathway toward Truth and Love through sacred Sound, and that is inextinguishable.

Who is this Martin Blase, I initially asked myself. Cosmic sonic tour guide? Healer? Inspired craftsman? Seer? Teacher? All of the above, and more…