The origins of 'Gangnam Style' is Buddhist inspired!

[Aurore]

The origins of the South Korean viral YouTube hit "Gangnam Style" has been revealed in Psy's blog and ... it's Buddhist influenced!

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On Oct 21, Psy tweeted a photo with the caption, "#AncientOriginOfHorseDance -1000 years ago in KOREA lololol."
In the photo, you can see carvings which are from a Buddhist Temple named Seokbulsa Temple in Busan in South Korea. You can see a man who looks like he is riding a horse, which looks similar to the 'horse riding' dance of "Gangnam Style." (http://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/16131/20121022/the-origin-of-gangnam-style.htm)

Some say the carvings is a depiction of the ancient story of Joo Rim Hoon, a hero of a Korean folklore who crushed the demon of ignorance beneath his calloused feet.

Now, there are millions of people who have now watched the Gangnam style video. It's been said the song mocks the Gangnam lifestyle which is the excessive pursuit of image, good looks, success and affluence.

I wonder if Psy's dance is a symbolism of crushing the ignorance of humans chasing after material pursuits. What do you guys think?

[Q]

Interesting! I didn't know that the dance was Buddhist inspired until I read this post!

Now that Gangnam Style is an international sensation and has gone viral, I wonder how many people came to know about Buddhism for the first time especially if they read PSY blog on the origin of the dance.

LOL! I can't help thinking that some 'extremist' will prevent their children from dancing Gangnam style now that they know the origin and may view it as Pagan dance hahahaha...

[fruven]

The motivation of the song itself can be considered virtuous because it brings people to the attention of pursuing material in life and living materialistic lifestyle without any spiritual growth in ourselves. Psy is using a skillful way from music and dancing to crush people's own self ignorance by the fans doing the dancing themselves. He is very ingenious. Regardless his main intention of the song is good thus if the act itself will clear up people view taking life too seriously and be more light hearted than it has achieved its goal.

[yontenjamyang]

Wow. This is great. What better way to seed Dharma in the mindset of humanity. Just wish this is true.i think the most important thing is the intention of the Gangnam Style proponent ie Mr Psy. If it is with intention then it is really great.

I do not  know if he was joking when he tweeted the photos. Could be either way. Anyhow the carvings is really similar to the "horse dance" of Gangnam Style. Perhaps Psy is a Boddhisattva emanation. If true, then it is supreme skillful means. Anyone who dances the Gangnam Style will have their ignorance purify somewhat.

Cheers!

[bambi]

The gangnam style song is killing me slowly everytime I hear it! 

Well, the dance does look like the carvings. Whether he was joking when he tweeted it or not, we wouldn't know until he admits that his dance moves were indeed from the carvings. What purpose does it bring anyway?

Dancing is movements of the body, particularly the feet, meant to express happiness and usually done to the accompaniment of music. At the time of the Buddha, dance had not yet developed into an art and was most often associated with marriage, harvest festivals, drunkenness, sexual license or war. In the southern districts of the Middle Land there were religious ceremonies that included a great deal of singing, dancing, music and feasting. The Buddha disapproved of such dancing, saying that from the point of view of the monastic discipline it was a type of stupidity. One of the eight Precepts that devout Buddhists will try to observe at least four times a month is abstention from dancing.

1. I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures.
2. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.
3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual activity.
4. I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech.
5. I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness.
6. I undertake the precept to refrain from eating at the forbidden time (i.e., after noon).
7. I undertake the precept to refrain from dancing, singing, music, going to see entertainments, wearing garlands, using perfumes, and beautifying the body with cosmetics.
8. I undertake the precept to refrain from lying on a high or luxurious sleeping place.

[RedLantern]

The song took off on virtually all Korean billboard charts.The mass appeal of the music video has been attributes to it's signature dance move known as "the horse riding dance"
Probably depiction of the ancient story of Joo Rim Hoon,a hero of the Korean folklore who crushed the demons of ignorance.(the thing that looks like a baby)beneath his calloused feet feet (it was to be poisonous to the touch,the skin on his feet  was too tough

[brian]

I have seen the video of this so called Gangnam style dance but I was least inspired by it and I thought part of the reason why this video and song ever became so popular was because of the weirdness of this horse riding dance. It does not look to me as if it is an act of carving or arised from anything related to Buddhism. Thanks for sharing this but I beg to differ because I just can't see the benefit of such video act that can actually bring people into Buddhism.

[icy]

Traditionally Koreans are Buddhists, hence I am not the least surprised that Gangnam Style is buddhist inspired.

[Jessie Fong]

A dance involves movement of the body, whether in whole or partial.  Thus any dancing style can be choreographed.  But by saying that Gangnam Style is Buddhist inspired is not something that I would believe.  It is just coincidence that the carvings and the dance style may be similar.




Could it not be inspired by this dance called kuda kepang from Indonesia?

[buddhalovely]

Seokbulsa Temple in Busan, South Korea, SkeletonKeys found this bas-relief sculpture that looks uncannily like some of the now infamous moves from the Gangnam Style dance! The 2 people in the picture mimic the posture of the statues and it is easy to see the resemblance between the bas-relief and the dance moves.

Another Redditor Farmerj0hn commented on the post with a slightly more feasible explanation of what the structure was intended to represent stating that it was more than likely a depiction of the ancient story of Jim Rim Hoon – a Korean folklore hero. Apparently Hoon crushed the demon of ignorance (the thing that looks like a baby) by stamping on it with his calloused feet. The demon of ignorance was alleged to be poisonous to touch, however Hoon’s feet were so tough that he was able to destroy the demon.

[ratanasutra]

This is very interesting, how nice to know about it.

But i do not think people will care about it, they just want to follow the 'style' which is popular now that it.

For me weather it inspired by buddhist or not, its not the importance but how the dance influence people in religion way as the result that is important??

[Tammy]

Interesting findings!

But I do not think the most viewed YouTube was inspired by the stone carved statues in the pictures. It is most likely just a coincident.. However I find the stone carved statues very cute. They look cheerful on horseback..

[Tenzin Malgyur]

I find this article very amusing although I think the video and the song is rather irritating. But I reckon different individuals have their own ways of expressing their feelings and religious thoughts. My hope is that they express themselves without hurting or offending other people and their beliefs.

[thor]

Wow. This is great. What better way to seed Dharma in the mindset of humanity. Just wish this is true.i think the most important thing is the intention of the Gangnam Style proponent ie Mr Psy. If it is with intention then it is really great.

I do not  know if he was joking when he tweeted the photos. Could be either way. Anyhow the carvings is really similar to the "horse dance" of Gangnam Style. Perhaps Psy is a Boddhisattva emanation. If true, then it is supreme skillful means. Anyone who dances the Gangnam Style will have their ignorance purify somewhat.

Cheers!

Psy a Bodhisattva? Maybe. I wouldnt know.

As for whether Gangnam style will bring more people to learn about Buddhism, I certainly hope so but I have my doubts. Its a rather long deduction unless Psy starts to talk about the inspiration behind the Gangnam dance.

There are others who use pop culture to effectively bring awareness of Buddhism to the general public. Some of the more famous ones are:

Singa Rinpoche
Rap and hip hop artist

Singa ??- Reincarnation ?? (Vajrasattva Mantra)	Small | Large

Gomo Rinpoche
Recording artist
Hip hop, R&B, Pop Songwriter and rapper

Gomo Tulku - Photograph

Kalu Rinpoche
Shocked the world with confessions of sexual abuse.

Confessions of Kalu Rinpoche

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
Spoken word artist

Mipham - What About Me

Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo
Hair and nails??
http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j16/jetsunma.asp
Methods
http://www.american-buddha.com/baly.spa.htm

[rossoneri]

I am not a fan of this song but who has never heard it before. Whether the dance move are Buddhist inspire or not it does not matter. What i think is the content of the song which is very relevant to the society today which very much into self-pleasured activities. And if it is true that Psy's intention is to spread a little bit of Dharma thru his fame, i wish him all the best and hopefully he'll get his message delivered across strongly to the society today, especially the youth.