Mythic Flowers Herald a New Age
Renowned mezzo-soprano Yang Jiansheng performs “Udambara Flowers Blossom”
Special to NTDTV Spectacular Online
In early 2005, several temples in South Korea found udambara flowers blossoming on the faces of their bronze Buddha statues. According to Buddhist scripture, upon the appearance of the udambara, which blossoms every 3000 years, the legendary figure, the Noble Lord of the Law Wheel, comes to the world to impart a higher teaching.
The song “Udambara Flowers Blossom” was composed to commemorate this legend. In the first two stanzas the song presents a legendary setting:
The last stanza implies that the song is more than just a recitation of an ancient story; it is an appeal to the people of the world:
According to the composer of “Udambara Flowers Blossom,” mezzo-soprano Yang Jiansheng, the blossoming udambara flowers call to all those who search for the truth, and herald the day when the glory of the great Lord shines on all the world.
Ms. Yang feels that over the ages since the udambara flowers last blossomed, people’s hearts have gradually shifted away from a yearning for divinity and have fallen victim to the relentless greed for worldly pleasure and gratification.
“When the sacred flowers blossom again, isn’t it time for we who’ve been lost for so long in this bewildering world to lift our hearts from their worldly fetters and wake up to the true meaning of life,” she asks.
Ms. Yang said that her inspiration for the song came from Falun Dafa, a method of spiritual and physical cultivation that she’s practiced for years. She said that Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) has enlightened her and given her a chance to understand the true meaning of life and the nature of the universe. For a musician, she said, such enlightenment is the best source for inspiration, and has provided her a way to transcend her former limitations
For Ms. Yang, music is not merely notes strung together to make melodies, but worlds she can touch, feel and live in. When she sings she feels like she’s revealing to the audience worlds known only by divine beings, spectacular worlds full of wondrous grandeur. For those with pure hearts and peaceful minds, listening to “Udambara Flowers Blossom” promises to be a wonderful experience. For them it will open a gate to one of the most ancient and fascinating oriental legends.
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