Chapter 24 Section 6 Buddhism and Music

In primitive religious beliefs, the ancestors believed that music was created by the ancestor gods and many natural gods. They played music in various sacrificial activities. Therefore, the music sacrifices before the Qin and Han Dynasties mostly had the nature of primitive witchcraft, and most of them used the form of "community sacrifices" to set up altars within the clan.Later, after Buddhism originated from India and entered the Central Plains through the Western Regions during the Han and Wei Dynasties, in areas where its influence was more infiltrated, the original common music festival activities were gradually replaced by "temple fairs" including music, dance and miscellaneous drama.In the Northern Wei Dynasty, there were many temples in the areas involved in Buddhism. In Luoyang alone, there were hundreds of Buddhist temples.All famous temples hold temple fairs regularly, displaying music and dancing to attract believers.According to the "Luoyang Jialan Ji" by Yang Xuan (xuanxuan) of the later Wei Dynasty, when Jingle Temple held a temple fair, various musical dramas were performed in the temple. The actors dressed as "weird birds and monsters" danced in the temple with music accompaniment In front of it, it has the magical effect of "flying into the air and illusion". When watching male and female believers, everyone has never heard of it or seen it.During the Sui and Tang dynasties, this kind of temple fair activities continued unabated. Many temples set up special theaters for music and acrobatic performances. Every religious festival, a grand temple fair was held. Crowded.The religious ceremonies of temple fairs also require monks to sing religious songs such as "Sanskrit", "Zan" and "Ji [Ji Ji]". It reveals the chanting characteristics of Chinese folk music.

Because Buddhism attaches great importance to the dissemination of music, many monks in temples have been trained to become experts with musical skills. They can sing and play musical instruments, which has played a role in the dissemination and popularization of music. The rich music content in the Dunhuang Grottoes is illustrates this point.Another example is the aforementioned monk Duan Shanben, who was also a pipa master who grew up in the practice of temple music. After the Chang’an Prayer Conference, he was called into the court music institution to become an official musician. teacher.

Many of the music used in court music and dance in the Sui and Tang Dynasties were related to the introduction of Buddhism, and the content also reflected Buddhist religious thoughts. For example, the aforementioned "Faqu" originated from the music used in Buddhist ritual activities during the Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.In the early Tang Dynasty, Faqu received much attention. The purpose of Tang Xuanzong’s establishment of the Liyuan Organization was mainly to rehearse and perform Faqu, and there was a special "Fabu" in it, which was dedicated to auditioning, rehearsing, revising and completing Faqu. creative department.Tang Xuanzong's music creation activities were also mainly reflected in the creation of Faqu.According to records, the Dharma song "Neon Clothes and Feather Clothes Song" he created was based on the Western Regions Buddhist song "Brahman Song" and infiltrated Taoist thought.

Folk Sanyue has a closer relationship with Buddhism, and Sanyue programs with religious meaning in temple fairs are widely spread in the court and among the people.For example, Tang Sanyue "Taipingle", which is listed as miscellaneous music in Cui Lingqin's "Jiaofang Ji", is a piece of music played in conjunction with "Lion Dance".In Buddhist teachings, the lion is a guardian animal that protects the birth of the Lord Buddha. The Buddhist scriptures say: When the Lord Buddha was born, 500 lions came from the snow-capped mountains and stayed in front of the door, so they were the guardians of the law ("Buddha Says Prince Ruiying Sutra") .Therefore, since the Han, Wei, Sui and Tang Dynasties, stone lions have been erected in front of palaces, houses, and tombs to ward off evil spirits. Since then, lions have been nicknamed "exorcism";Tang "Taipingle" was named after its Buddhist teaching that "lions, gods and beasts can ward off evil spirits and make the world peaceful".Its music has the characteristics of Kucha music in the Western Regions, so it is listed as "Kuicha Department" in Tang Yuefu.Until now, the lion dance is still spread among the people, but it has gradually lost its original religious significance and become an excellent representative of the traditional folk art programs of the Chinese nation.