Buddhist, DJ, comedian and rising star. It’s quite the job description for one man — but Yoon Seong-ho, a 47-year-old South Korean, is juggling all those roles, according to NPR.
Under the stage name NewJeansNim, Yoon holds funny, faithful concerts aimed at connecting younger people with Buddhism, the article said.
In the past year, he has lit up stages in South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan, according to The Korea Herald. Though reactions to his performance have been mixed, one thing is clear: His young concertgoers are getting good vibes from his shows ... and from the faith he promotes during them.
What are Yoon Seong-ho’s shows like?
Yoon wears monk’s robes for his shows, during which he promotes the Buddha’s teachings, according to NPR.
“He works passages from Buddhist sutras and puns on Buddhist terms into his sets. He sympathizes with the worldly tribulations of his young audience members and tells them to look forward to future rebirths,” the article said.
Yoon doesn’t try to convert his listeners, per NPR. Instead, his shows combine electronic dance music with Buddhist teachings, comedic lines and empathetic lectures. The shows are designed to make his listeners aware that faith is relevant and real to their life — and that Buddha can help them.
“Buddhism is a free religion. It doesn’t force people to join or to leave,” Yoon said. “I want people to just understand Buddhism. I’m not telling them to become followers.”
Younger generations frequently find Buddhism “inaccessible and stuffy,” he told NPR. He said he tries to interest his listeners in Buddhism, but that “the rest is up to the great learned monks, whose role is to relay the teachings of Buddha.”
“Put your hands up,” he called out to concertgoers in Taiwan while jumping in time with the music and making a praying gesture, according to Time magazine. “If you overcome suffering, you will live in paradise,” he told audiences in Seoul.
While some Buddhist communities have objected to Yoon’s performances — even going so far as to cancel them — many are grateful for his work.
A Buddhist monk named Namjeon has endorsed Yoon’s approach, per NPR, saying that his concerts “break through these prejudices about Buddhism and (improve) its image.”
How some Buddhists are updating their image
In 2015, Pew Research Center projected that Buddhism would grow from 2010 to 2030.
But the religion has not been growing in South Korea. A Gallup poll found that 22% of South Koreans identified themselves as Buddhist in 2015, while only 17% did so in 2021. Furthermore, Buddhists tend to come from the older half of the population, according to Time magazine.
In an effort to revitalize the faith, some Buddhist leaders are attempting to update their image.
Last year, a young “flower monk” named Beomjeong went viral on Instagram and sold out tickets to his temple, “thanks to his good looks,” per Time magazine.
“I don’t know what it means to be an influencer, but if I can get many people to see and hear what I say, I want to be an influencer,” Beomjeong said, according to The Associated Press. “It would be very good for me to spread the Dharma and help many people remove some prejudices about Buddhism through me. Then I think I’ve done my job.”
For devotees like Yoon and Beomjeong, it is worth enduring criticism from others of their faith in order to educate younger generations on Buddhist beliefs.
“Do you find Buddhism fun?” Yoon has asked his crowds before, according to NPR. Their cheering, flashing phone cameras and jumps in time with the beat seemed to say yes.