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In an effort to reach a younger demographic, several Buddhist monks in Japan are delivering traditional ancient messages to a hip hop beat. Monk, Kansho Tagai, hosts hip hop shows at his temple, drawing young people to a place that is generally filled with the elderly. His methods are so popular that twice as many people now visit the temple.

According to Tagai:

"The ancient religion is in crisis because monks are not reaching the young with a message that brings spiritual relief. The numbers support his fears. Japan is home to 75,000 temples, but those numbers are on the decline. The Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs reports that since 2000, hundreds of temples have closed every year."

Watch Tagai, plus several other monks pursuing similar new methods, in action, below.

Learn more about Buddhism.