Nan Tien Temple Choir Performs at Sydney Opera House, Sharing Compassion Through Humanistic Buddhist Songs

Fo Guang Shan Nan Tien Temple

The Dharma is shared through song; and meaningful connections are formed through music. The Nan Tien Temple North Sydney Choir was invited to perform at the “2026 Parsons Music Rising Stars Festival”, taking the stage at the world-renowned Sydney Opera House on 17 October to sing the song from Sounds of the Human World - “Give”, a song composed by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, Founding Master of Fo Guang Shan, as part of the musical affinities of Humanistic Buddhism collection. Through the harmonious and melodious voices of nearly 50 Fo Guang Shan members, the choir conveyed the spirit of generosity, care and blessing, demonstrating how Humanistic Buddhism uses culture and the arts to share the Dharma.

The invitation grew out of the longstanding friendship between Nan Tien Buddhist Temple Chatswood and the nearby Parsons Music store. Each year, the temple shares Laba congee with the community to celebrate the joy of the Buddha's enlightenment, while Parsons Music actively participates in community events organised by the temple, including Mother's Day and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. Through years of interaction, the two organisations have developed a close and meaningful relationship. The opportunity to perform on the Opera House stage not only provided the choir with a valuable performance experience but also brought musical affinities of Humanistic Buddhism into a mainstream arts venue, integrating Buddhist culture into community life.

With encouragement from Venerable Chueh Guan, former supervisor of Nan Tien Buddhist Temple Chatswood, and Venerable Ming Yuan, its current venerable in  charge, support from the BLIA North-1 sub chapter, and dedicated guidance from music teacher Fang Yuan, nearly 50 choir members undertook intensive practices and rehearsals. They worked meticulously on pitch, rhythm, emotional expression and stage movements, striving to convey the sincerity and goodwill embodied in “Give” through a unified and harmonious performance.

To meet the needs of the children's vocal section, young singer Irene Li enthusiastically joined the choir. She attended every practice and rehearsal punctually and approached each session with dedication, earning the admiration and affection of both her teacher and fellow choir members. Her grandmother also participated, and the two generations experienced immense Dharma joy as they discovered musical affinities of Humanistic Buddhism, rehearsed together and ultimately performed on stage. Their shared experience across generations demonstrated the power of these songs to connect families and pass on kindness and positive values.

Venerable Ming Yuan said that Venerable Master Hsing Yun devoted his life to practising the compassionate spirit of “Giving”. He encouraged everyone not merely to sing the songs but also to put their underlying principles into practice by caring for others through concrete actions. Many senior monastics and long-serving Fo Guang Shan members first formed a Dharma connection with Fo Guang Shan through musical affinities of Humanistic Buddhism, eventually willing to promote Humanistic Buddhism. The performance at the Sydney Opera House was therefore an opportunity to share the Dharma and spread goodwill to a much wider audience.

Choir members said that performing at the Sydney Opera House was both an honour and a profound learning experience in sharing the Dharma. From encouraging one another during rehearsals to working together to deliver the final performance, they not only enhanced their musical abilities but also gained a deeper appreciation of teamwork, responsibility and selfless contribution. They expressed their willingness to participate enthusiastically in future musical affinities of Humanistic Buddhism performances, should the opportunity arise, so that more people could become acquainted with Venerable Master Hsing Yun's ideals through music.

The performance deepened the choir members' understanding of the importance of forming positive affinities and put into practice Venerable Master Hsing Yun's aspiration to propagate the Dharma through culture. Transcending religious and cultural boundaries, musical affinities of Humanistic Buddhism brings compassion, gratitude and generosity into the wider community. In this way, the Dharma resonates not only through song but also inspires care, kindness and meaningful action in everyday life.