Buddha Sakya had its first public show last month where they performed rock and roll style Buddhist music at Mako Livehouse. Photo: Courtesy of Gu Peiwen

As the soft sound of the flute and the sanxian, a Chinese three-stringed plucked instrument filled Mako Livehouse, the lead singer of Buddha Sakya began to chant incantations from Buddhist scriptures. It seemed like a typical meditation session, but there was one thing that was different. The soothing lyrics were accompanied by the guitar, drums, and bass guitar.

Last month, Buddha Sakya, a seven-member band that creates and performs traditional Buddhist music with a rock and roll twist, had their first public show, which attracted around 500 people. The show lasted for two hours and the band performed 11 Buddhist rock songs from their new album, The Pass Life.

There are mixed reactions to the musical innovation of Buddha Sakya and similar bands in China like HAYA.

Some see it as a way to popularize Buddhist music, while others feel the tunes are strange compared with traditionally quiet Buddhist music.

Xu Ming, 43, a Buddhist layman from Shanghai who listened to Buddha Sakya's songs online, is a loyal fan. He said the core of Buddhist music should give the listener wisdom and have the power to reach them on a deeper level, and adding a rock music element can provide another layer of this power.

"You can hear Buddhist incantation and scripture chanting as well as the strong beats of rock and folk musical instruments. It is incredible," Xu said. "It is not like traditional Buddhist music where performers gently chant. They are very passionate, and you can feel their energy."

Liu Peixin, the band's keyboardist said Buddha Sakya serves both Buddhists and those who do not yet understand Buddhism, but are curious. The modern rock aspect gives people a way in, he said.

"We use modern instruments to create the sound of the typical musical instruments in Buddhist meditation music, and we also use harmonics to create a harmonious rhythm and broad voice. The lyrics are still the traditional incantations,"  Liu said.

Liu said there are difficulties behind the integration of the two genres. First, not many other bands are doing something similar, which has resulted in a lot of trial and error. Second, they have to deal with audiences who simply don't like or understand what they are doing, he said.

Net users against bands like Buddha Sakya said that traditional Buddhist meditation music is soft and gentle for a reason - it keeps the listener's mind peaceful and soul pure. Mixing Buddhist music with rock does not work because rock music is noisy and promotes rebellion, they said.

"Their performance was not good. I feel that they are neither Buddhist nor rock and roll musicians. After I left the show, I forgot their songs," said an audience member at Buddha Sakya's Mako Livehouse concert who refused to disclose his name.

"They still have a long way to go and need to gain a better understanding of Buddhist doctrine and music in general," he added.

Master Yinneng, who has performed traditional Buddhist chants in seven countries, told Metropolitan that blending Buddhist music with rock music might be a good way to promote Buddhist doctrine, but the key to doing that is to keep it within a suitable degree. If audiences and performers forget the principles of Buddhism while listening to it, it defeats the purpose, he said.

"The effect largely depends on whether the performers have a good understanding of Buddhism and whether they have a good sense of how far to take the experimentation," he said. "As we know, rock music is a genre that lets people release their emotions and gives them power."

If the music allows people to release their emotions and still has the power to remind them of the purity of mind and keep away the chaos in their hearts, it can help listeners rise to a new level in practice, he said.

"If it causes them to release more negative emotions than positive ones, it can have a bad influence on people's understanding of Buddhism," Yinneng said.