A Study On Buddhist-themed Traditional Opera

Buddhism is an essential theme in Chinese ancient opera. Studying Buddhist-themed Traditional Opera systematically and comprehensively, and probing their unique artistic value and cultural implication are beneficial to the whole understanding of Chinese Buddhist culture. It is also of great significance for us to recognize the impact of Buddhism on ancient dramatists'creation and attitude, and to investigate the relationship between Buddhism spread and ancient opera.This dissertation is composed of two parts. Part One is "The course of Buddhist-themed Traditional Opera". There are three chapters. In Chapter One the bud of Buddhist-themed operas and a list of them are talked about and compiled, the Buddhist-themed Zaju operas of Yuan Dynasty are discussed as well. In Chapter Two, the prosperity of Buddhist-themed operas and those operas of Ming Dynasty and the Buddhist-themed operas of Qing Dynasty are studied. Through the above analyses, I can draw a conclusion that Buddhist-themed operas not only propagate the philosophy of Buddhism, but also emphasize their artistry and appreciativeness. Therefore they hold great influence on audience and promote the widespread of Buddhist culture.Part Two is "The thought and art of Buddhist-themed Traditional Opera" and composed of three chapters too. Chapter Four is about the ideology of Buddhist-themed Operas. In this chapter the Buddhist thoughts, cultivation of Buddhist-themed Operas and their impact on folk customs are studied. Chapter Five is about figures--gods and goddesses, fulfilled monks and followers of Buddhist-themed operas. Chapter Six is about the artistic morphology of Buddhist-themed operas. The distinctive language, performance and set decoration are fully discussed. In this part, the impact of Buddhist-themed operas on religious life, folk custom and theatre are probed to discover their unique artistic enchantment.As an essential part of Chinese traditional opera, the emergence, bloom and decadence of Buddhist-themed operas are closely related with the contemporary official religious policy, cultural context, and audiences'preference. Accompanied with the prevailing of modern materialism, Buddhist-themed operas have been fading away. Nevertheless, their culture has remained in many local operas and is still dynamic in various opera versions.