Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download MP3
Finally today imagine you’re a Buddhist monk and you’re trying to find new ways to connect with young people. Well, Buddhist monk Kansho Tagai in Tokyo thinks music is the key.

That’s Tagai rapping about Buddha at a 400-year-old temple in central Tokyo. When he raps, Tagai goes by the name “MC Happiness.” He got the idea after listening to some rap music in English.

He couldn’t understand a word. Then Tagai realized that the same can be said for traditional Buddhist sutras. Most people can’t understand them either — because they’re written in an ancient language.

And he figured listening to rap music makes young people feel good — even if the lyrics take a while to sink in.

Tagai now hosts youth events at his Tokyo temple. He leads the crowd of kids wearing baggy shirts and jeans — while waving his hands and bobbing his head to the lyrics.

Tagai or MC Happiness – hopes this new musical approach gets the younger generation interested in Buddhism.

And he says he’s considering spreading the word about his religion through other kinds of music, too.