Zen Music: A Buddhist Orchestra in the Mountains | Tencent “Guyu”
Wang He—Tencent
Tiantai Temple, in the mountains of Hubei province, has a history dating back to 622 AD. The old Buddhist temple now has something unconventional: 60 of its monks and nuns play in an orchestra as part of their Buddhist practice. Inspired by Christian church choir music, the Abbot, Wule, who trained as a violinist, founded a string quartet in the temple in 2004, and it grew into an orchestra in 2008. Professional and amateur musicians volunteer to train the monks and nuns. Some people believe that playing music—especially Western classical music—is a form of distraction that should be forbidden for Buddhist monks and nuns. Xiaotong, a 29-year-old nun who plays violin in the orchestra, says, “Zen music is inclusive. It transcends borders and religion. We’re allowed to appreciate it as long as it’s good and beautiful.”
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Tiantai Temple, in the mountains of Hubei province, has a history dating back to 622 AD. The old Buddhist temple now has something unconventional: 60 of its monks and nuns play in an orchestra as part of their Buddhist practice. Inspired by Christian church choir music, the Abbot, Wule, who trained as a violinist, founded a string quartet in the temple in 2004, and it grew into an orchestra in 2008. Professional and amateur musicians volunteer to train the monks and nuns. Some people believe that playing music—especially Western classical music—is a form of distraction that should be forbidden for Buddhist monks and nuns. Xiaotong, a 29-year-old nun who plays violin in the orchestra, says, “Zen music is inclusive. It transcends borders and religion. We’re allowed to appreciate it as long as it’s good and beautiful.”