Second Essay

Take a moment and think about how music makes you feel. Then think of the songs that you love; how about the ones that invoke some type of emotion like sadness, happiness or any other. Music is a door to many feeling and many types of experiences. Melodies can cry out worship, hardship, desperation, love, freedom and pain just to name a few. Music is often used in religious ceremonies or offerings for it is very appeasing to the ear as well as the ears of the gods and all that are listening. In any kind of institution there is a sense of unity and oneness. Music erases all boundaries and biases; people can relate to each other or simply unite for the cause that brought them together. “Music as a great art unites men in common joy, and the power of sound creates harmony when the force of darker emotions awakens. However, music is the energy that kindles the courage to face death; the singular energy that can set armies marching, and enables men to fight last battles” (Wilhelm 1979; 67). The focus of this paper is the music from the Daoist temple of the Eight Immortals, it will also try to understand the music and the instruments involved in this place of worship.

Music can be a place of balance. When involved in worship the music erases all other memories or occurrences and allows a person to concentrate on the moment. These ceremonies engage the passion in the individual, because one must be passionate about the spiritual journeys if truly dedicated to the process.

In the early days of Confucius it was believed that “ru [was a] classification for those who were professionals in the six arts (rites, music, archery, carriage driving, history and mathematics)” (Yao 2000; 18). This was only one of the three classifications of ru, but the most relevant for the purpose of this paper. Music especially has a long history in China and the connection to music seems to run as deep as one’s lineage. There is great pride in making music and performing the music as it was at the beginning of time. It seems in the midst of modernization they step back and preserve the beauty of the original time, the Chinese opera is a perfect example of this. In the ancient times of the Shang dynasty musicians were also regarded as people of knowledge. At this point musicians held a status somewhat similar to that of shamans or medicine people; “a ru would perform various dances and play music as imprecation for the good harvest and as offerings to gods or ancestors, and would lead ceremonies for the coming of rain during the seasons of drought. To fulfill their duties ru had to study not only the rituals proper, but also other relevant subjects such as astrology/ astronomy to predict rain or drought” (Yao 2000; 19). In other words musicians held a unique position within the empire. As in other cultures like the Native Americans their knowledge about the earth and how it works is very extensive. In native tradition as well they use chant and drums to call on the gods.

In the temple of the Eight Immortals the design is quite strategic and has a long history. There are four positions on the left and four on the right of Dong Hua Dijun. As was explained to me the positions on the left symbolize the positions of the high ranking officials or people of literacy within the empire. The people in these positions helped the emperor run his various affairs. The instruments at this side were all in balance and harmony with the right side. Each instrument has a pair that is on the other side; this ensures harmony and balance.

Placed on the right side of Dong and the emperor were the warriors positions. They provided the physical protection and the force needed to defend the empire. The power or force centered in the middle and the ‘wings’ to support the emperor and all of his endeavors. As previously mentioned the instruments here have a pair on the opposite side. The pair does not mean that they are two in the same; it means that they provide balance for one another.

The floor was set up in following fashion: Starting on the very left side of Dong there was a woman who was playing a bell and singing. A pair of symbols were next in line. The symbols were a little different from others, they were very flat, they appeared to about the thickness of a Chinese fan. These symbols were played more with a rubbing motion then with banging. Next to the first woman was another who played a small version of a gong, it was a small brass gong and was hit with a wooden striker. Next to her in what seems like a very important position, it is the ring. The ring is a large glass bowl, it is purple in color, and has gold engraving. The ring is hit with a wrapped wooden dowel. The ring make a soft echo among the hall. This position also plays bell, similar to that of old school bells. In some instances this position also seemed responsible to respond to the scriptures. For example in the Roman Catholic church the priest will sing part of the song and all the people will respond; like saying amen or halleluiah. This position was in perfect harmony with its pair. The right side would lead out in recitation and this position would lead in the response.

Over the alter and to the right side was a fish. This instrument is used to keep the tempo of the event. It looks like a small wooden fish that is lying belly up, it is hit with a wooden stick as well. To get a better sound the hitting stick has a rubber end on it. This position is mostly responsible for leading in the recitation of the scriptures. The individual here has to have a vast knowledge of the reading, for the tempo can increase very rapidly and stay at a fast tempo for quite sometime. While leading out in the scripture, she or he can do this by singing, which is sometimes done alone. The next instrument in line was an instrument that looks like a metal rattle. This rattle is held and the sound comes from hitting it with a thin piece of metal. The individual who plays the rattle also plays a small set of hand symbols. These symbols fit nicely into the palms of ones hands. A larger set of symbols are played by another member that is placed immediately next to her. These symbols provide quite the clanging sound and are a very loud force in the ceremony. The largest of the religious instruments was next a large drum which was on a pedestal. Hanging off the pedestal was a bell. The drum being on the side of the warriors, just like the drum tower in the middle of the city, set the atmosphere in the hall. I imagined at sometime it was used as a warning or call to all the warriors. As one of the players informed me the drum was also used in a time of judgment. For example when a criminal was about to be sentenced, the drum was played before the sentencing carried on. The drum creates an almost ominous atmosphere through its distinct sound. As in most musical experiences it is easiest to relate to the drum, often the beat of the heart can fall in sink with the drumming. If this is so and the heart being the life force of all humans, one could naturally follow and hear the drum over other instruments. The placement of these instruments was determined many, many years ago.

This group of instruments are referred to as religious instruments. There was a clear distinction made between these pieces and the musical instruments that are placed at the far right side of Dong and placed at the back. These musical tools are used to simply accompany the religious instruments to provide a more distinct harmony. They also seem to just play what could be the chorus of the song. Otherwise it is mainly the religious instruments and the people that are in those positions that perform the offering ceremony. Close to the end of the ceremony all of the individuals playing the religious instruments pull out what looks like a wooden paddle or sword. It is flat and shaped with a curve similar to a large knife. These pieces of wood are held in both hands and are offered forward towards the immortal statues. This procedure is done three times. They offer in front of them and then bow their heads to the bench. They play a few more notes on the drum and then conclude the musical offering.

Although the musical instruments seem of lesser priority they play an important role in making the harmony and the song flow naturally and beautifully. There are a number of instruments that could be played in one set. They are the cello, shang, erhu, flute, lang-qin, pipa and the guzheng. Not all of these instruments are played all of the time. In times of wonderful celebration like the first and the fifteenth of each month all of the instruments are engaged.

The erhu is a two stringed instrument. It is often called the Chinese violin or fiddle. The origin of the erhu is said to be made by a man who was deaf and blind. So the music he produced was very melancholy. The erhu is played by using the bow horizontally against and in between the two vertical strings (http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Music/mus-erhu.html). As we have seen in many of our musical encounters like the opera presentation, the drum tower gates and this temple embrace the beauty of the music it can make; “erhu is still the most popular bowed instruments in today’s Chinese music” (ibid). It is said that the erhu became popular during the Sung dynasty (960ad) and later into the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) (www.crosssound.com). The erhu invokes some kind of emotion usually sad but the music that it produces is so beautiful and rewarding to listen to. The body is usually made of wood and covered in snakeskin. The strings were made of silk a lot of them today have metal strings. The bow is usually made of horse hair (ibid).

The flute has an important role in this ceremony. It seems that when the musical instruments come back into the ceremony the flute leads them in. The flute provides a very nice but a bit of a dark sound to the performance. It is said that the flute has been involved in Chinese ritual as early as about 900 bce (www.si.umich.edu).

The cello does not have its origin in ancient Chinese ritual but it has been integrated because it ‘works with the other instruments’. A monk told me that the cello was introduced a long time ago. Most western things do not belong but they made an exception with the cello. It is believed that the origin of the cello was in the 16^th century and was part of the violin family (http://home.thirdage.com).

The guzheng has a very distinct Chinese sound. It is similar to a table top guitar. It is about the size of an arms length. The individual that plays sits at the bench and plucks the strings on the right side of the table. The left side is used to manipulate the sounds by pressing down on the side of the strings. Its sound is heard often in Chinese music.

The individuals who perform these ceremonies are not monks they are paid employees of the monastery. These positions are present; as I am told for two reasons. The first being that Daoists do not make a lot of money so many monks have to leave and find work elsewhere in order to support their families; mostly their parents. The young or new generations are being trained to perform these rituals but the numbers are not substantial enough. So the only choice for the monastery is to hire talented musicians, because the ritual is a very vital piece of the monastery and just can not be left to fade. The second reason is somewhat similar to the first. In this temple there exist two sects of Daoists; the Zhengyi and the Quanzhen. The Zhengyi is the sect that has some freedom to engage in things such as marriage, children and eating meat. Unlike the Quanzhen who chose to confine themselves to the temple complex and live out a monastic life. Therefore the Quanzhen are not allowed to have children or families so they can not pass down their traditions. So with people aging they are losing more people in this sect then they are gaining. There is no choice but to hire externally. The monk believes that this is a weakness in the rules especially in these new times.

The one man I spoke with had been with the monastery for just over a year; he is an example of an external hire. He liked to play there because he could learn about Daoism as well as doing what he loves. The first time I had witnessed the ceremony he was playing the flute. The next time it was the drums and the next time it was the symbols. He mentioned that most of the musicians can play all of the instruments, he just happened to be one of the exceptional artists.

They are paid to perform these rites twice a day; at eight am and at four pm. The explanation for this was that these rituals had been performed this way for more than 600 years, since the Yuan Dynasty. Therefore tradition and history once again dictate the performance. The ritual that is performed daily is quite a long text and to make it easier for the performers it is used everyday. On special days such as the first and the fifteenth of the month they have special texts that they recite. The majority of the scriptures that they were reciting were written in the Ming Dynasty. The some of the Daoist texts are also very ancient and were written in the Eastern Han Dynasty which is about 100 AD.

When I asked why the scriptures were song and spoken, he said because the rules of performance have dictated so. There are certain parts of the ritual that are spoken. Based on my observations, the parts that include the orchestra seem to be the chorus; the words and the music are the same. He said that it was too complex to explain these rules and the text to me. The monk also mentioned that the scriptures that they are reciting are very similar to that of Christianity and the Christian ritual.

The scriptures are recited to please many of the gods and also the many Daoists that have passed on. In this respect they are communicating with the souls of those men that have left the physical world. Some of these men had also become deified and are classified as one of the gods. So in this way it differs very much from the monotheistic nature of Christianity. The music is collectively used to please all of the gods there was no use of special instruments to call on certain individuals. The pantheon was being pleased at each session of the performance.

At this particular temple the main hall is that of Dong Hua Dijon. He was a leader of one of the many revival movements that had occurred through Daoist history. In each revival new gods had emerged and Dong came to be a god after the Han and before the Tang Dynasty. He was regarded as the master or teacher of the Eight Immortals. Unfortunately the exact dates of Dong’s life are unknown. So with this being the temple complex of the Eight Immortals this was designated as the main hall. Like other temples they each have a main hall in which all such rituals are held.

I found the most interesting part of our conversation was when I asked if the scriptures are the first thing monks learn and if ordinary people knew this as well. He said and I quote “I think theoretically everyone is a Daoist. Systems for science and technology especially, the Chinese have tried to make progress in this area which also involved agriculture, medicine, manufacturing as well as many others. Because western science took advanced position, the Chinese Daoists want to balance science and technology with mortality. When Daoists became prosperous, the Chinese became prosperous as well. In Tang Dynasty government allowed every kind of religion in China and Daoism was the most prosperous. After that, especially in recent times, Christianity took place of Tang Daoism. But he took a positive attitude towards the current situation, in that Daoism is one way back to being prosperous again just as the Chinese society is doing so”. According to the monk many people whether they recognize it or not are living in the way of the Dao. Most people strive for harmony and balance and try to give more than they take; “The premise of religious Taoism is that life is good and to be enjoyed. The individual self is not set apart from the rest of nature but is, like all things, a product of yin and yang as the creative processes of tao” (Thompson1996; 81). Growing up in the west we have not fully embraced such a value, we judge and compare ourselves to others all too often. As Tang mentioned on our field trip, he wondered why no one was singing, because usually him and all of his friends do, and then he asked “isn’t this very lonely?” In a way it is as we strive for and pride ourselves on individuality. If we were all truly living the way of the Dao we would be singing on the bus and we would be living and really enjoying life.

I believe song is the music of the soul, “when emotions are powerfully expressed, they break the barrier of individuality” (Wilhelm 1979; 63). If we could truly live this way it seems that harmony would restore itself. Music itself, and in the Daoist tradition, has a way of unifying the people for causes. Perhaps in these modern times we should each pay closer attention to our inner music, because then we could go back to a more simple spiritual time. It would be nice to see friendship, our environment and spirituality as more important than all the unnecessary material things people strive for while empty of spirit. The Way in which we choose to live our lives will determine what will come of us “ [after] liberation…one may choose either to remain in the physical body to enjoy mundane pleasures or to wander freely in the realm of space, to visit or dwell in one of the fabled abodes of the immortals” (Thompson1996; 81). As I have shown tradition runs deep in this temple, but that is not unique to them. Most religious traditions have ceremony and ritual in same way or other. What was especially interesting in the case of the temple and music ceremony was the manner in which the Daoist temple joined the celestial chorus. There choice of instruments and the accompanying myth are truly unique and I feel privileged and uplifted that they would share it with me.