What is Taoist music?

Category: Society & Livelihood >> Religion

Ans:

Taoist music is the music used in the Taoist rituals of jiao-festival ceremonies, which is the music used in the rituals of the gods and goddesses, praying for blessings from heaven, subduing the demons and exorcising the devil, as well as the supernatural spirits, i.e., the music for the rituals, the music of the dojo. Taoist music is an indispensable part of Taoist rituals, which has the ability to accentuate and render the religious atmosphere, and enhance the believers' yearning for the world of the immortals and their reverence for them.

Early Taoist rituals were the inheritance and development of ancient wizard rituals, and the initial chanting of sutras was straight, without the use of music. The use of Taoist music began around the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. According to "Wei Shu - Shi Lao Zhi" records, the Northern Wei Dynasty Emperor Shen Rui two years (415), Kou Qianzhi said in the Songshan Mountain encounter Tai Shang Laojun, awarded the position of the Divine Master, and the gift of the "cloud in the sound of reciting the new section of the Scripture Precepts", the development of the "music to recite the precepts of the new law", which gave rise to the "Ode to Huaxia", "step virtual rhetoric" and other initial Taoist music rhythms. The so-called "Ode to Huaxia", is absorbed from the Qin and Han dynasties in the court played in the elegant music adapted, according to the "Yuyin Dharma Affairs" note: "Huaxia, 3,500 miles for Huaxia, that its far away meaning, this Huaxia from the Sizhen Hall lifted, slowly chanting, through the corridors and huts, ascent of the hall, and the end. It seems to take the meaning of its long distance also." This is about a kind of rhyme chanted during the march before the opening of the Taoist ceremony. The Buhu xuezhi (步虚辞) are mostly words of praise for the gods and immortals, generally five- or seven-character poetic phrases of varying lengths, depending on the needs of the ritual. According to the "Ancient Questions of Lefu" (乐府古题要解), "Buhu Rhetoric is also a Taoist song." According to Liu Jing Shu of the Southern Dynasty, "The Different Courts" recorded: "Chen Si Wang (Cao Zhi) traveled to the fish mountain, suddenly heard the sound of chanting in the empty space, clear and bright, so he made the decipherer of the sound to write, for the voice of the gods and immortals, and the Taoist priests followed suit and made the Buhu sound." According to "Chao Zhi", "the chapter is all the high immortals on the Holy Day of Xuan Du Yu Jing, flying patrol in the void of the satirical chanting, so it is called Buhu." It is named because its sound is like the sound of the immortals singing and chanting in the void, and its style is ancient and elegant. The southern dynasty maoshan Taoist Lu Xiujing compiled "Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao authorized", there are "Buhu rhetoric", the existing Ming "orthodox dao collection - Dongxuan Department - praise class" collected by the "Jade sound of the law" recorded in a number of "Buhu rhetoric".

The Tang Dynasty was one of the heyday of Taoist music development. Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty ordered the palace musicians to produce Taoist tunes. Emperor Xuanzong ordered Taoist priests and ministers to dedicate Taoist tunes, and personally studied and taught Taoist music. In the eighth day of the eighth month of the eighth book of the Sacred Records of the Mixed Elements, the emperor made the Neishang Yuyi song and the Ziwei Bagua dance, and dedicated them to the palace of Taiching, which was more noble than the nine temples." The book of Yuan Gui " Volume 54 records "(Tian Bao ten years) in April, the emperor in the Taoist field to teach the Taoist priests to step virtual sound rhyme ". He also ordered the Taoist priest Sima Chengzhen, Li Huiyuan system "Xuanzhen Taoist music", "Dala Tianqu"; ordered the Ministry of Public Works Minister He Zhizhang made "Ziqing on the Holy Taoist music"; ordered the Secretary of the Imperial Court Wei taping system "Jingyun", "Nine truths", "Purple Pole", "Chengtian", "ShunTianLe", "small longevity" and so on the six songs. Emperor Xuanzong made his own "down to the true call of the immortal song", "Ziwei send immortal song" and other Taoist songs. Many poets of the Tang Dynasty also mentioned Taoist music in their poems, such as Zhang Ji, who wrote, "But when I go to Yaodan and stay there, I should hear the sound of the empty space and the sound of walking in the void"; and Xue Tao, a female poet, who wrote in her poem "Trying to make a new dress for the first time", which reads, "The long train is a ritual of the upper Qing Dynasty, and I used to take the Yuzhi by the group of fairies; every time I go to the palace song and dance party, I bend down to sing the lyrics of walking in the void The poem "The Long Train is the original ritual of the Supreme Qing Dynasty. It can be seen that the popularity of Taoist music at that time.

Tang due to the flow of Taoist priests, Taoist music from the court to the folk, and absorbed many folk tunes, including part of the Buddhist music and Western music. Some were renamed that is used for Taoist activities, such as the "no worries" renamed "long happy", "Su Luo Mi" renamed "rising sun", they are included in the Taoist music. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Ruohai wrote "XuanTanJianYu", saying that the Tang Dynasty Taoist music was "GuangChenMixedLe, BaGeYuDan, and all participate in it." At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Du Guangting, a famous Taoist priest, set the previous generation of Taoist jiao-festival rituals, edited the "Taoist Science and Technology", the Taoist jiao-festival rituals can be further standardized. At this time, the Taoist music has been purely percussion instruments such as bells, chimes, drums, etc., increased wind and plucked instruments.

The Song Dynasty is another important period in the development of Taoist music, Song Taizong, Song Zhenzong, Song Huizong were written Taoist music, up to dozens of songs, such as "step on the virtual speech", "scattered flowers," "White Crane Zan", "Yu Qingle", "Taiqing Le" and so on. Especially Song Huinai good Taoism, reuse Taoist priest Lin Lingsu modify, add the Taoist jiao-festival rituals, awarded the "Golden Seal Lingbao Taoist rituals" 426, and selected the national palace Taoist priests in Beijing to learn Taoist music. China's earliest surviving collection of Taoist music, "Jade Sound", was compiled in the Northern Song Dynasty, it is a curved notation of the North and South Dynasties, Sui and Tang dynasties since the words and Song Zhenzong, Song Huizong 50 produced by the hymns. Curve notation in the "Han Book - Arts and Letters Zhi" called "sound zigzag", seems to sing three sighs, more liner notes, with the style of the Southern Songs. At this time, silk string music has joined the ranks of Taoist music, Taoist music accompaniment instruments are becoming more complete.

To the Yuan Dynasty, Taoism appeared Quanzhen and Zhengzheng two major schools, Taoist music also appeared in two different styles. Chuanzhen emphasized on purification, and its music was more tranquil and worldly; while Zhengyi emphasized on jiao-festival and runic seal, and its music was majestic and elegant.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang set up the Xuanjiao Yuan to oversee the national Taoism (later Xuanjiao Yuan was renamed the Department of Taoist Records), and ordered the purification of Taoism, and ordered the Taoist priests to prepare the jiao-festival rituals, and the Taoist music was also gradually standardized. Ming Hongwu eleven years (1380), the establishment of the "God optimistic", set point, know the view and other positions, under the Taishang Temple, in charge of court rituals and music and dance student, by the master of music and dance Taoist priests, music and dance student by the collection of Taoist children to fill the role of the dress, such as the Quanzhen Taoist priests. In addition to the capital, in the Wuyue also has music and dance students, in order to prepare for national ceremonies. Early Ming Dynasty famous Taoist priest Leng Qian had master "God optimistic", set elegant music. Hongwu fifteen years (1382), Zhu Yuanzhang personally set the Taoist ceremonial music, Yongle years (1403 - 1424), Zhu Di, the first emperor of the system "Daming Xuanjiao music chapter" to "work ruler" method of notation, there are Jiao altar chanting music, music, XuanTianGod music, HongEn The three parts of the music chapter of Lingji Zhenjun, the repertoire of the "wind carriage", "the world of music", "Sacred Records", "welcome the immortal guest", "step by step" and so on 14, and later included in the "Zhengtong Taoist Collection", for the study of the Ming dynasty ancient music valuable information.

The Qing dynasty in the management of Taoist music basically followed the old system of the Ming dynasty. Beijing's Dongyue Temple, coarse, Peach Palace, Lvzu Temple, Yue Temple, Guan Temple are "God optimistic", the residence of music and dance students, usually dressed in Taoist clothes, hair and live in the temple, but there can be a family, father and son hereditary. In the event of imperial ceremonies, that is, by imperial decree to participate in the rituals of the Palace. Playing the music of the court ritual music, the use of musical instruments more, majestic and magnificent without losing the joy. In the folk, Taoist music and local tunes around a wide range of integration, the formation of different styles of Taoist music around. Taoist music has embarked on the road of diversification, regionalization and secularization.

Taoist music has a very ancient origin, and after thousands of years of long inheritance, Taoist music has become a wonderful flower of traditional Chinese culture.

From the point of view of the composition of Taoist music, it contains a variety of traditional Chinese folk music, such as opera, rap, folk songs, instrumental music, etc.; and due to the history of the emperors and court musicians have participated in the creation of Taoist music, such as Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty and so on have composed a lot of Taoist music, so that the Taoist music contains some of the colors of the ancient court music; some literati have also sung sutras for Taoism, and some of them have also sung sutras for Taoist music. In ancient times, some literati and artists also sang for Taoist music, so Taoist music has the legacy of a few literati music. It can be said that Taoist music is a collection of traditional Chinese music.

From the function of Taoist music, it is not only an indispensable part of Taoist religious activities, but also a form of art to sensitize the people and preach the way of Taoism, so Taoist music has a religion, sociology, and other aspects, multi-level function. Within Taoism, Taoist music is the ritual content of Taoist preaching, Taoists and all walks of life to communicate with the gods of the special "language talk"; in the external view of Taoism, Taoist music is to entertain the gods and people with an appreciation of the value of the art form, there is a social function of cultivating temperament.

Taoist music is divided into two forms, one is sung by the human voice of the "scripture rhyme music", and the other is played by the instrument "music". Scripture rhyme music" in chanting, often accompanied by musical instruments and instruments, the use of musical instruments and instruments, due to the nature of the Palace of the different conditions, in the number and type of more or less varied. Generally speaking, there are drums, cymbals, wooden fish, chime and other instruments, musical instruments have sheng, flute, xiao, pipe, erhu, pipa, three strings and so on.