Hand in Hand for Love: A Night of Light and Blessings

Let us,

with the ancient songs of mountains and seas,

with stillness and gentle laughter,

with love and unwavering support,

offer our blessings to this world.

United in Love, Hand in Hand

She was a woman immersed in the whirlpool of success, a business leader who had long labored under the weight of the world. Her body and spirit bore wounds both silent and deep. In 2010, teetering on the edge of collapse, she encountered the sacred practice of Sudarshan Kriya, taught by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, through The Art of Living Foundation. It was a turning point—a breath of divine grace. From the brink of despair, she was reborn, her soul soothed in the embrace of love.

Grateful for this transformation, she envisioned a way to extend that light to others—those whose bodies were weary, whose hearts were broken. But how? How could she introduce this awakened path to the world?

From that question emerged a luminous offering: United in Love – A Blessing Gathering to Light the Inner Flame. An outdoor celebration open to all, freely given, inviting the masses to receive the blessings of an awakened master, to learn about the Art of Living’s teachings, and most importantly—to offer prayers for Taiwan.

This grand evening wove together Taiwan’s natural beauty, its diverse cultures, and the sacred breath of creation into a living tapestry—a Formosan Epic told through music, dance, and light. Rooted in compassion and ecological awareness, the event was both tribute and invocation, a love letter to Taiwan and a song for all who silently serve.

Taiwan is a blessed island. Her ecology teems with biodiversity. Her history is rich with multicultural harmony. And yet, like the rest of the world, Taiwan faces mounting pressures—external calamities and internal unrest. The human spirit is strained, attention scattered, and the stillness of reflection forgotten.

This is a time to return to balance. A time to breathe, to reconnect with the heart, to restore harmony between body, mind, and soul. A time for shared blessings.

Though we may seem separate, we are in truth one body, one heart. United in Love was created in this spirit of unity—to channel collective compassion and shine healing light not just on Taiwan, but across the globe. May our inner lights kindle each other. May our prayers ripple outward into a shared, luminous future.

Harmony in Diversity

Island Taiwan, born of the sea’s vast embrace,

welcomes diversity with the rhythm of the waves.

Its beauty lies in difference,

its richness in the convergence of many paths.

Tonight, voices from many cultures gather,

each offering a unique memory,

weaving together a shared story—

the living memory of Taiwan.

In the Beginning: Heaven and Earth Awaken, Life Emerges

In the stillness before time, Pangu rose and split the chaos, his body shaping the contours of sky and earth, his breath stirring wind, his bones forming mountains. From the divine clay, Nüwa molded humanity—her hands giving form, her heart infusing soul.

And now, through the primal pulse of song and movement, we summon that sacred beginning—an ode to the birth of all life, a celebration of earth’s awakening.

Directed by Taiwan’s first Cirque du Soleil performer, Yi-Jun Chang, this grand creation gathers soprano diva Jing-Zhun Hsu, Golden Melody Puyuma singer Sangpuy of the eastern coasts, and the internationally acclaimed Lanyang Dance Troupe, weaving together a mythic tapestry of genesis and grace.

Blessings from the Forested Mountains

Hu De-Fu, hailed as the “Father of Taiwanese Folk Music,” is more than a singer—he is a bard of the land. His voice, weathered yet powerful, carries the weight of ancestral memory, stirring both longing and reverence. With every note, he resurrected a movement, awakening Taiwan’s folk spirit in songs that echo through generations.

Adorned with numerous accolades—Golden Melody Awards for Best Song, Best Album, Best Lyricist, and more—he remains a singular presence: the first non-classical musician to grace the National Concert Hall in Taipei with a solo performance.

And yet, titles fade before his truest devotion: a profound love for nature and homeland. At this evening’s blessing concert, Hu’s voice rises as a prayer—an ode to the heavens, to earth, to every living being. His music becomes a sacred offering, a benediction from the forest to Taiwan.

Songs of Our Plural Era

In this era of multiplicity, we need songs that embrace all voices.

VOX Vocal Band is no ordinary choir. They are artisans of the a cappella art—crafting intricate harmonies from nothing but the human voice. With their genre-defying style that dances between classical and pop, they breathe new life into tradition.

On this evening, they offered a suite of songs as homage—honoring the voices of Minnan and Hakka, the nostalgic and the modern, the elders and the youth. Their music becomes a bridge, connecting generations and cultures, singing the shared identity of Taiwan in vibrant harmony.

These are not merely performances. They are songs of unity in diversity—melodies that celebrate who we are, together.

Soul Nourishment: Satsang

Satsang, in Sanskrit, means “being in the presence of truth.”

It is both a feast for the soul and a temple of silence and sound. Through sacred chanting that nourishes the right brain and illuminating discourse that feeds the left, Satsang brings inner balance and mental stillness—uniting intellect and intuition, logic and love.

Baritone Yeh Wei-Ta, who once graced the stages of Hong Kong Opera with Turandot, Carmen, and other classics, brings forth songs of spiritual and romantic beauty, weaving piano, strings, and voice into a transcendent experience. With sacred Sanskrit intonations, the power of ancient mantra enters the space—penetrating deep into the soul’s quiet chambers, awakening something eternal within.

Love and Blessing

When people gather in the name of love, united in shared intentions of blessing, a gentle power is awakened—not only soothing individual hearts, but radiating peace across lands and oceans.

At the evening’s climax, renowned host Hsieh Chia-Hsun connected live with India, inviting world-renowned spiritual master Sri Sri Ravi Shankar—nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize and revered as one of the world’s great living sages. Speaking on how to build a stress-free, violence-free society, he said:

“Let us create a wave of happiness across the world.

When your faith is firm, no external force can disturb you.

You ask how to create a society without stress and violence?

This gathering tonight is already the answer.

Taiwan is full of vibrant souls—we can be a beacon to the world.

Every criminal is a victim crying for help.

When you save the victim within, the criminal disappears.

Compassion and service can transform anyone.

In the Art of Living, nothing is dry; all is juicy and sweet…”

Despite the rain, thousands remained seated, quietly listening in their raincoats. He looked upon us with a smile and said:

“I see you—listening in the rain, unmoved.

That is the power of resolve.

Give your worries to me.

Just care for others, serve others.

I will always be with you.

I love you. I love each and every one of you.”

Heavenly Nectar Falls

Originally scheduled for August 23, the blessing concert had to be postponed due to Typhoon Swan. It was rescheduled for the evening of August 29—finally, a sunny day after weeks of rain. Volunteers rejoiced under the clear skies, yet as dusk fell, the heavens opened again. Rain returned—soft at first, then increasingly heavy.

The first performance was led by choreographer Yi-Chun Chang. On the wet stage, several young dancers slipped and fell. Yet each time, they stood up again, resolute and radiant, completing their dance with perseverance that moved every heart.

Seeing the audience seated in the rain, cloaked in ponchos yet unwavering, Chang stepped down from the main stage. He danced alone on the rain-slicked open-air platform—a spontaneous offering, one that merged his breath, body, and spirit with the sky and earth. It was as if the rain itself had become a fellow performer, a rhythm, a blessing.

Alice Wu, the event’s initiator, later expressed profound gratitude for the rain. It had cleansed the space and the spirit alike—and more importantly, reminded her of nature’s greater order. After doing all one could, she realized, the rest must be surrendered. The rain humbled her, dissolving the boundaries of ego. She came to understand: we are not the doers—events simply arise. To witness this truth was a rare gift, a blessing in the storm.

Participation in the 2016 World Culture Festival

At the 2016 World Culture Festival, Taiwan offered a sacred tribute to the Earth through the epic performance The Genesis—a spiritual reimagining of the world’s beginning.

The piece featured indigenous Taiwanese singers Amuyi and Sulu, whose voices, echoing the soul of the mountains and forests, sang ancestral melodies that speak of earth’s breath and sky’s memory. At the center was Yi-Chun Chang, the first Taiwanese dancer to perform with Cirque du Soleil, who choreographed and led the performance alongside his company, RenShan RenHai Art Hall.

Ten professional dancers were joined by forty participants selected from all walks of life, united on stage by a shared reverence for life’s origin. Their garments were custom-crafted by Zheng Hui-Chung Fabric Studio, reflecting the raw textures of nature—wind, grass, mountain, and water.

Together, they wove a powerful epic: a soul-dance, a hymn to creation, and a heartfelt offering from Taiwan to the Mother Earth.

Yi-Chun Chang

From the city of Hsinchu, he dances like the wind—his body its rhythm, his spirit its whisper.

In 2008, Yi-Chun Chang joined the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil, bringing with him a unique blend of Eastern and Western movement. Within Dralion, a production steeped in Oriental aesthetics, he played one of the four elemental lead roles—“Fire” (Yao)—performing over 2,162 shows across the globe. In 2009, during the show's 10th anniversary, Artistic Director Sylvie Galarneau praised him as “The best Yao they've been looking for in the past 10 years.”

Despite his success, something within him remained unquiet. So in 2012, he returned to Taiwan—to begin anew, barefoot on the soil of home, seeking to spark beauty that moves and awakens.

That same year, he founded RenShan RenHai Art Hall—“Ren” (仁), the character mirrored in its lines, embodies harmony. He envisions a space where humanity and nature coexist, and where art is made accessible to all.

In 2015, at the historic fortress of Eternal Golden Castle in Tainan, he served for the first time as producer and director, creating Taiwan’s first open-air epic Ten-Faced Ambush, a spectacular performance fusing ancient music by Chai Found Music Workshop, powerful percussion by U-Theatre, and flame-infused movement by Swirling Flame Company, united under his vision with cutting-edge technology.

The Art of Living Foundation

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar—affectionately known as Gurudev—is a revered humanitarian leader, spiritual guide, and awakened master. With the vision of a world free from stress and violence, he founded the Art of Living Foundation, a non-profit, educational, and humanitarian organization.

Through breathing techniques, meditation, and selfless service, the Foundation brings relief and inner transformation to individuals and communities across the globe. What began as a whisper of ancient wisdom has grown into a global movement for peace, compassion, and conscious living.

Today, the Art of Living’s courses and service projects have reached more than 370 million people in over 150 countries, gently awakening hearts and restoring harmony across nations.