Buddhism, long regarded as a solemn and weighty religion, is emerging as "hip" content. Permeating every genre from dramas and variety shows to short-form videos, the so-called "hip Buddhism" trend is spreading. Analysts say Buddhist content emphasizing comfort, healing, and mindfulness, rather than competition and stimulation, is establishing itself as a new cultural code in tune with an era of growing fatigue.
A case that demonstrated the potential of variety content is Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars: Cooking Class War" Season 2. Venerable Seonjae, known as a master of temple cuisine, left a strong impression on viewers by introducing temple food infused with the philosophy of spiritual practice. Rather than fierce competition, Venerable Seonjae conveyed messages such as a practitioner's attitude, "food that empties," and "a table that controls the mind," leaving a deep resonance, observers said. Wavve's "Chefs of the Temple Kitchen," released afterward, also drew empathy by reinterpreting the act of "eating" as an act of spiritual practice and healing. Amid this trend, "Beopnyun Road: The Monk and the Guests" is set to air on terrestrial television. A road trip program in which Venerable Pomnyun and five guests travel to India together, it is already drawing an enthusiastic response with subject matter and structure that break from existing flashy travel variety shows. The concept of an instant question-and-answer "road trip" with Venerable Pomnyun, a "national mentor" who has soothed many hearts, is drawing attention. An industry official analyzed, "The more an era is flooded with fast and stimulating content, the more the values of slowness and emptying are instead being consumed as fresh, 'hip' sentiments."
In dramas, Buddhist messages have already permeated widely. In numerous works such as "My Dearest Nemesis," "Our Blues," and the Netflix original "Doona!," characters wounded by attachment find inner peace, naturally weaving in a Buddhist worldview, observers said.
The recent phenomenon of MZ generation visitors flocking to the Seoul International Buddhism Expo, and the popularity of temple stays, the "108 prostrations challenge," and digital detox vlogs, is interpreted as part of the same flow. Amid an atmosphere of mounting life fatigue from social networking services (SNS), there is a strengthening tendency to embrace Buddhism not so much as a religion but as a lifestyle culture of "rest" and "self-care," analysts say.
