An Instagram post sent a young composer on a pilgrimage, where he met a creative partner. The result: an album born during a Zen retreat.

Rinzai monk Kanho Yakushiji—who once went viral with his rendition of the Heart Sutra—has no problem combining music and monastic life.

On his 85th birthday, His Holiness the Dalai Lama released a record combining music and Buddhist teachings. How did we get here?