Sounds of the Human World 人間音緣
Origins of “Sounds of the Human World” ─ Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Buddhist Songs Performance
Sixty-four years ago Venerable Master Hsing Yun arrived in Ilan to propagate the Dharma. In that conservative, orthodox and traditional community, in order to attract youth to study Buddhism, he used modern songs as a bridge to form a Youth Choir. Because of the young members of the Youth Choir and their fervor in propagating Buddhism, in 1957 under the direction of Venerable Master, they began the first ever Buddhist teachings on radio, and also recorded Taiwan’s first ever Buddhist LP record. This style that broke through tradition, received a very strong response. From this onwards, Fo Guang Shan’s activities all include Buddhist songs that let devotees experience the truth of living a Buddhist life through song.
Starting in 1979, Venerable Master tried using a creative method that embodied both the traditional and modern, a combination of both eastern and western techniques. Taking Buddhist chanting and Dun Huang dance styles, together along with classical Chinese music, the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Choir performed to many audiences in concerts to spread the Dharma. This was the first time that Buddhist chanting had entered national theaters and concert halls to perform and display the beauty of Buddhist music. In 1997 the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Choir toured through Asia, America, Europe and Australia, performing in over 30 countries. They brought Buddhist chanting and music onto the international stage, and let western audiences hear the divine chorus of the east. This was a whole new page in the annals of Buddhist chanting and music history.
Moving with the times, this style of Buddhist musical performance broke through the many centuries of being an exclusive Chinese heritage. From 1957, after the recording of some six Buddhist LPs, the producing of cassettes and videos has continued. Beginning in 1998, when CDs and VCDs were also distributed, Buddhist music took to new heights in it’s modern progress.
This year marked the 60th anniversary of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s creation of such Buddhist music. In order to let this continue to become even more universal and accessible, the Fo Guang Shan Religious Affairs Committee has been organizing the “Sounds from the Human World Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Buddhist Songs Performance”. We hope to let all music lovers worldwide participate and contribute, composing music and performing these lyrics, to create a humanistic Pure Land of joy and happiness.
Beyond Time and Space ─ Crossing Paths Where the Music Notes Meet
“Listen! The truth is calling, shining with glory, the voice of Buddha’s children rejoicing in his light. It echoes to the horizon…,” When these deeply-moving Buddhist hymns echoed inside the modern performance halls, it was almost impossible to see the link between this song and the simple and conservative old Ilan Town that gave birth to it more than half a century ago.
With the objectives of encouraging spiritual exchange through music, and purifying human hearts through Buddhist lyrics, the “Sounds of the Human World” team has been instructed by Ven. Tzu Hui, the chief executive director of the program to compile Master’s teachings on Dharma into lyrics and provide them to composers from around the world. In its third consecutive year, the program has transcended the boundaries of race, skin color, belief and language, and received works from 25 countries in 17 languages.
Music sees no boundaries, and good songs make no one lonely. The diversity of genres and exquisite use of words makes these songs both easy to perform and easy to listen to, and at the same time convey profound messages of life. The competitors come from all over the world and different age groups accompanied by their family, teachers or students, classmates and friends. Each in their own language, they perform their songs in pop, artistic, children’s, folk, indigenous, rap and various other genres to voice the great wisdom and compassion of Buddhism, touching the hearts of many, and letting the audience experience the boundlessness of Buddhist hymns.
Master Hsing Yun once described Humanistic Buddhism as that which was spoken by the Buddha, that which is needed by human beings, that which is pure, and that which is virtuous and beautiful. Not only is singing a way of entertainment, it is also a symbol of art and culture. When the lyrics convey messages of compass ion and wisdom that touch people’s hearts and help improve their lives, Buddhist hymns become a perfect means of spiritual practice for life. What we hop e to achieve is to use Master’s lyrics and popular music to sound the music of purity in to day’s world, bring boundless joy and peace to society, and create a Humanistic Pureland filled with goodness, beauty and happiness.
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