TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Following a sold-out performance at Legacy Taipei in December 2023, Zen Buddhist monk Yakushiji Kanho is scheduled for another three-date “Enlightenment” tour of Taiwan in late October 2024.

Yakushiji became an internet sensation with his rendition of “Heart Sutra,” complete with synthesizer and electronic drum accompaniment, which has 5.3 million views on YouTube. Other compositions that mix classic sutras with modern music forms, such as hip-hop and acoustic guitar, are equally popular.

Merging music and Zen is something that Yakushiji said he was simply born to do, during a CNA interview. Yakushiji said his music is a means of personal expression and a way to stay true to himself.

His background is unlike many others, as he was the only son of a family that operated a 400-year-old Kaizenji Temple in Imabari, Japan. Typically, the role of a monk overseeing temple operations is an inherited one in Japan, passed down from grandfather to father and then to son. 

While he knew he had to one day take over temple operations, he struggled with why he had to become a monk. It was a series of unexpected events that solidified his religious path. 

The first was the discovery of an old guitar owned by his father and his joy in playing music and singing with friends. He formed his first band in high school, and later, as he became a more accomplished musician, his band (Kissaquo) received a record deal and began touring as he aspired to become a professional musician.

He found music to be an escape from his future, though later he would find the connection between music and Buddhist scriptures.

First, he began enjoying interactions with the audience after each performance, seeing firsthand how music could relax people and allow them to feel more gratitude in their daily lives. He was also forced to take a break from touring as a member of his band fell ill, giving him time to read Zen books and contemplate his fate rather than using music as an escape. He began his Buddhism studies in earnest at 32.

Later, he began to use his music to promote Buddhism and the teachings he learned from his family, spreading the message that all actions are interconnected. Yakushiji is a follower of Japanese Rinzai Zen Buddhism, which emphasizes seeing "one's true nature."

He began to perform Buddhist scriptures such as the "Heart Sutra" and the "Great Compassion Mantra," taking verses from these ancient texts and setting them to guitar chords, piano, and percussion arrangements.

At age 45, Yakushiji said he has learned that everyone experiences Buddhism in different ways. "I believe that music and Buddhism have something in common, and I hope that my music can bring hope and inner peace to the public."

In recent years, Yakushiji has collaborated with Yunlin’s Beigang Wude Temple, releasing two singles that combine traditional Buddhist and Taoist scriptures. Yakushiji hopes his music can soothe minds and hearts and allow people to overcome the ups and downs of life.

Yakushiji’s 2024 “Enlightenment” Asian tour will bring him to Kaohsiung’s Backstage on Oct. 18, Legacy Taichung on Oct. 20, and Zepp New Taipei on Oct. 25.