New York music fan: Rock with Tibetan Buddhist culture

　　By Zhang Mingyu

　　BEIJING，July 8 (Xinhuanet) -- A man tried to combine a new element with rock music, thus creating a new word "buddhasbreath" to show his enthusiasm for the Buddhism and music art.

　　Eric Crown, a music fanatic from New York (Photo Source: 51tibettour.com)

　　The man is Eric Crown, a music fanatic from New York, who once made a trip to Tibet's capital of Lhasa in quest of creative inspirations. He exclaimed in delight that in Tibet, he discovered something more important than what he was pursuing- the remarkable hospitality of the Tibetan people.

　　Growing up in the U.S. cosmopolis, the young man thought that everything has been included in this varicolored city except Buddhist traditions. "Maybe that is why I decided to leave New York with my dog and have embarked on a journey to travel around the world since 1999."

　　On that snow-covered plateau, this New Yorker was greatly amazed by Tibetan's kindness and their unsophisticated folk customs.

　　He was given the first favor in that region from a middle-aged Tibetan woman when he was embarrassed for the language barrier on the Potala Palace Square. "I don't remember whether she was tall or short, thin or fat. Anyway, her affability conquered all! I was ‘picked up' to her home and then lived with her family."

　　Photo shows the Tibetan sutra streamers fluttering in the air. (Photo Source: 51tibettour.com)

　　There, he helped the woman's eldest daughter who was preparing for the university entrance exam to improve her English. "She's a clever girl and has a strong English background. She could even use English as freely as she liked without my teaching."

　　In his eyes, this soft "job" was quite a good excuse of making him feel at ease and justified to live in that family, whose members are all Buddhist believers.

　　Eric found he himself had quickly got the feeling he wanted.

　　"We lived opposite the Sara Monastery, so I had much time to appreciate the Tibetan Buddhist culture."

　　Immersed in incenses fragrance and surrounded by devout prayers, the man seemed to be suddenly fired with a steady flow of music inspirations. The rolling worship wheels, ashimmer Buddhist stupas, fluttering Tibetan sutra streamers and peddling vendors in Street Barkhor in downtown Lhasa - all this has displayed a real Tibet.

　　Photo shows a Tibetan woman rolling prayer wheel in the Sera Monastery, Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Photo Source: tibet.cn)

　　It sounds incredible for most people to integrate Buddhism into rock music. But Eric has motivation and ambition to make it.

　　From Hinduism's Shiva (one of the three major gods in the Hindu pantheon) and Shakespeare to superman and Britney Spears, he has been exposed to multi-culture blended with classical and pop styles.

　　Eric said he believes that the melody like human has reincarnation. "In the music world, melody may appear and disappear in one place, but then may emerge again elsewhere in other forms."

　　He exclaimed: "Well, I have started to compose for the first-ever "buddhasbreath" album in history!"

　　(Tibet Tour contributed to the story.)