Pilot Study On Buddhist Chanting On The Ceremony Of Saving Lives Of The Water And The Land

The paper is inquisition for the Fanbai of Buddhist chanting on the ceremony ofSaving Lives of the Water and the Land by Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen city. The papermainly conducts the study of music on the background of its culture and thus gains theinsight of the cultural implication through its music presentation. It introduces thehistorical and cultural background of Buddhist chanting and the ceremony of SavingLives of the Water and the Land and the Buddhist Monastery as well as Buddhist Sanghaneeded. It also provides descriptions of composition of the altar of holding and thecontent of order. There are detailed analyses for the melody, meter, rhythm, note range,music scales, performance and structure on the part of Buddhist chanting to reveal itsreligious nature. In order to gain a better understanding of the structure of Fanbai, thepaper investigates the basic structure and rhythm of Buddhist's chant or hymn as well asthe cultural implication of the Buddhist Instruments on the ritual. The paper illustrates themeaning of and the relations between Buddhist chanting and cultivation as well asregimen on the practical and functional part. Finally it liberates on the aesthetic andspiritual nature of Buddhist chanting and its ritual.