Here you have the opportunity to find out about music by musicians from the 20th and 21st centuries who were inspired by Buddhism.
For some of the musicians in this collection, Buddhism had a relatively short influence on their lives and music. However, a clear influence or inspiration from Buddhism can be recognized in a certain selection of their music, be it in terms of composition or lyrics.
For some musicians, Buddhism not only inspired them for their music, but also influenced their way of life.
David Bowie
David Bowie was already interested in Buddhist philosophy, practice and meditation before his big musical breakthrough. During this time, he is said to have considered becoming a Buddhist monk. His Buddhist teachers at the time saw his destiny, his path, rather beyond the monastery.[1]
Buddha Of Suburbia
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette is meditating almost every morning.[2] She performed during the opening of a speech with the spiritual leader of Tibet in exile, the Dalai Lama, at the Ottawa Civic Center on April 24, 2004 in Ottawa, Canada.[3]
Joining You
The song Joining You by Alanis Morissette is about a dialog between two adults and has as its Buddhist theme the identification of people with their body and mind. The teenage girlfriend wants to make it clear to her friend that our identification with our body or mind is a misinterpretation and often leads to suffering sooner or later. Because both are subject to constant change and are not permanent.
k.d. lang
The Canadian singer-songwriter k.d. lang has considered herself to be a Buddhist from a very early age.[3]
Constant Craving
In her great international success from 1992, the song Constant Craving, k.d. lang takes up an important concept in Buddhism: craving (in Pali language: taṇhā). Taṇhā appears in The Four Noble Truths and is one of the key origins of suffering (dukkha) in Buddhism.[4]
Leonard Cohen
It needed three decades of zen teaching and the maturation of age, to put the musician in a neutral, monk-like state of mind.[5] In a 2001 interview with the British daily newspaper THe Guardian, Leonard Cohen revealed: "When you stop thinking about yourself all the time, a certain sense of repose overtakes you. It happened to me by imperceptible degrees and I could not really believe it;".[6]
Happens to the Heart
Tina Turner
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey (The Oprah Magazine: May 2005 issue), Tina Turner revealed how she came to Buddhism. The initial spark, so to speak, came from the remark "Buddhism will save your life", which someone said to her.[7] The Buddhist faith gave Tina Turner the strength to separate from her husband Ike Turner in 1976, which she herself mentioned several times.[8]
Calling by Tina
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle stated in her autobiography from 2010 that she had been practicing Nichiren Buddhism since 2002.[2]
Leave A Light On
Philip Glass
Metamorphosis: One
References
[1] Pitchfork. (2016, January 12). Thurston Moore reflects on David Bowie. Pitchfork. https://pitchfork.com/news/62878-thurston-moore-reflects-on-david-bowie/
[2] Staff Author (2020, December 3). Step Inside Alanis Morissette's Home Meditation Room: 'It's Where I Go to Tune In to Emotions'. Peoplemag. https://people.com/food/alanis-morissette-home-mediation-room/
[3] Lucas, D. (n.d.). 7 Fotos und hochauflösende Bilder - Getty Images. https://www.gettyimages.de/editorial-images/entertainment/event/alanis-morissette-joins-dalai-lama-for-a-talk-in-ottawa/3461500
[4] McLeod, M. (2009, January 9). k.d. lang’s “Watershed” interview | Lion’s Roar. https://www.lionsroar.com/kd-langs-watershed/
[5] An Introduction to Buddhism. (n.d.). Google Books. https://books.google.de/books?id=u0sg9LV_rEgC
[6] Livni, E. (2016, November 12). Leonard Cohen’s tortured love affair with Zen Buddhism. Quartz. https://qz.com/835253/leonard-cohens-tortured-love-affair-with-zen-buddhism
[7] Walsh, N. P. (2001, October 14). “I never discuss my mistresses or my tailors.” The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2001/oct/14/features.magazine37
[8] Oprah’s Interview with Tina Turner. (2005, May 15). Oprah.com. https://www.oprah.com/omagazine/oprahs-interview-with-tina-turner/4
[9] Lips unsealed. (n.d.). Lips unsealed: A Memoir - Belinda Carlisle - Google Books. https://books.google.de/books?id=-pZgArXfLqUC
[9] Valdez, J. (2023, May 24). How Tina Turner’s Buddhist faith helped her leave Ike Turner - Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-05-24/tina-turner-buddhism-ike-turner-nichiren