Taoist music nurtures heart, communes with nature
Print Edition
Every night at 6pm, the Songjiang Yuemiao Taoism Temple is bathed in sacred music. Students from the Shanghai Taoism School line up in the main hall to play centuries-old pieces on traditional instruments.
It is considered a way to cultivate the heart and communicate with nature.
Taoist practices vary according to different schools, but in general the philosophy embraces wu wei, or action through non-action, and the “three treasures” of compassion, moderation, and humility.
The Taoist music evolved from royal court performances during the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC-220AD), blending over time with traditional folk music.
The instruments used include the “wooden fish,” a percussion instrument, the drum, the erhu fiddle, the bamboo flute, small cymbals and the guqin, or stringed zither.
“Use of the guqin sets Taoist music apart from others,” said Fan Ao, a Taoist teacher at the school. “The zither was invented more than 4,000 years ago, which makes it a holy sound from heaven.”
Taoist music also varies according to region. The flexibility and tolerance of Taoist religion allowed it to develop in harmony with its surroundings. In North China, the music is characterized by grandeur and magnificence, while along the southern banks of the Yangtze River, the music is more light and tender.
A Taoism orchestra has a dulcimer at its center, surrounded by lutes and zithers, with cymbals and drums in the back row.
Music is adapted to different occasions.
Every March 15 of the lunar calendar, the students play “Chao Tian Zi,” a fast-paced, cheerful piece, for the annual temple fair in the countryside of Pudong. For more solemn ceremonies, “Da Kai Men,” with its slow, brooding melody, is played. When Taoists are chanting sutra, they are often accompanied by “Xiao Feng Liu,” which features a presto tempo.
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