In the 21st century, sneaker- and beat-clad buddhas shout the truth with a microphone. On street corners, in clubs, and deep inside YouTube algorithms. They are not enlightened, but those who seek to enlighten – in other words, “rhymes”. In Buddhism, enlightenment is a process. It is a journey from ignorance to awakening, a journey to cast off the illusion of the ego through practice, observation, and introspection. But where is “practice” in the modern world? What if it’s on stage? What if it’s buried in rhymes? Hip-hop may be the “Buddhist act” of our time.
Freestyle = Improvisational Enlightenment
“If you think about it, it won’t come out. Just wait for it to come to you.” These are the words of a veteran MC. In Buddhism, “emptiness” is the teaching that everything is dependent and has no substance. When a rapper takes to the stage, he lets go of his ego and logic for a moment and bets everything on “this moment.” There is a realm that opens up only in that moment. It is a state called “flow.” In Buddhism, it is “samadhi” – complete immersion. The words no longer belong to you, but simply flow with the beat. What is there is contemplation rather than thought, surrender rather than will, and a sense of “emptiness” rather than the self.
"Karma" and "Birth"
In Buddhism, it is said that words contain karma. A single angry word can destroy a relationship, and a single vow can change the future. For an MC, a verse is also karma. The words an MC chooses determine their “path (dharma).” Hip hop is a culture in which a person’s personality and philosophy are reflected in their choice of words. Rhymes are the equivalent of “verbal karma” in Buddhism. Do they incite discrimination or sing of liberation? Do they invite violence or preach peace? Whether or not an MC can take responsibility for their “verbal karma” determines their rank as an MC.
"Self-transcendence" and "lyric purification"
In Buddhism, the existence of the self (atman) is considered an illusion. True enlightenment can be achieved by going beyond the sense of “I am”. In hip-hop, too, the ego is the first weapon and the last barrier.
Self-assertion supports rhymes, but self-centeredness kills flow. Ultimately, the soul cannot be reached unless one transcends the “individual” and reaches the “resonance”. One rapper said, “In the beginning, it was ‘me, me’. But now I write for ‘we’.” This is the “Bodhisattva transformation.” A person who used to rhyme for himself comes to know and share the suffering of others, and tries to build a bridge there.
Street = secular world, Rhyme = training, Listener = sentient beings
In Buddhism, becoming a monk means leaving the secular world, but today’s “hip-hop monks” stand in the midst of the secular world. Discrimination, poverty, violence, loneliness – they turn all of these into beats, dig them up with words, and deliver them to listeners. They are not arrogant enough to think that they will “save their listeners.” They simply “share” the pain and lessons they have overcome. This may be the “mission of sound” in the modern era.
"Buddhism may be a different form of lime."
Hip-hop is not enlightenment itself. But it has a process to get there. From ignorance (mumyo) to awakening (bodhi). From anger to compassion. From ego to emptiness. From separation to resonance. Rhyme is not a rhythm for lyrics, but a form of “question” that leads to enlightenment. And MCs are still holding the microphone today. They are not quiet like Buddha, but they are trying to wake us up with the “beat” of their voices.
