Search Buddhist Channel

Buddhist death metal band delivers enlightenment with headbanging beats in Taiwan

The Buddhist Channel, 10 Jan 2024

Taipei, Taiwan – In recent times, at several of Taiwan's major music festivals, an unexpected sight has graced the stage – a shaven Buddhist nun introducing a band of five black-clad musicians, their faces painted blood red.

As the initial riffs resonate through the venue, the band's music, though seemingly death metal, exudes a hard yet atmospheric quality. Death metal, an extreme sub-genre of heavy metal originating in the United States in the mid-1980s, is known for its guttural vocals, abrupt tempo, and relentless, discordant guitar riffs.

Contrary to the genre's typical themes, the Canadian singer's beastly growls are not conveying lyrics of sickness but are, in fact, genuine Buddhist mantras, bestowing blessings upon the entire audience.

Since their inception in 2018, Taiwan's Dharma has carved a distinctive niche, blending ancient Buddhist sutras in Sanskrit or Mandarin Chinese with the contemporary sounds of death metal. Standing out amidst thousands of heavy metal bands worldwide, they even feature two Buddhist nuns, Master Song and Master Miao-ben, joining them on stage.

Last month, the band marked a milestone by performing its inaugural overseas show at the International Indie Music Festival in Kerala. With offers of interest pouring in from North America and Europe, Dharma is poised to spread Buddha's message even further.

Jack Tung, Dharma's founding member and drummer, a significant figure in Taipei's underground music scene, shared, "We believe that in the 21st century, both heavy metal and ancient religions need to change."

Spiritual Intensity

Dharma's uniqueness lies in its subversion of the common perception of metal music and its fanbase, challenging the notion of it being an obnoxious and loud genre associated with degeneracy.

Since the 1990s, heavy metal has often been linked with Satanism and delinquency, such as Norwegian Black Metal, Venom and Black Sabbath. These alienated teenage musicians shocked the world with extreme actions such as burning churches and murder, all in the name of "musical authenticity."

In the realm of using death metal to convey Buddhist teachings, it might challenge conventional expectations and stereotypes associated with both death metal and Buddhism. The reaction to this unconventional combination could potentially trigger a form of "moral panic" within certain segments of society.

Stanley Cohen, in his book "Folk Devils and Moral Panics" argued that moral panics involve an exaggerated fear about a specific subcultural group perceived as tarnishing the community's core values.

Three decades later, as heavy metal and its derivatives anchor music scenes across the globe, Dharma envisions transforming the genre's globalized tropes into an effective vehicle for disseminating Buddhist teachings.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team

Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

TOP