Music And Buddhism

[camerata]

Is music specifically banned in Buddhist teachings? In Theravada, the attitude seems to be that all pleasures are attachments to be got rid of. In at least some Mahayana traditions, the attitude is that appreciation of beauty is fine as long as you don't get attached to it and want to possess it.

From what I know, the only music used in Buddhism is either an aid to concentration (Tibetan throat-singing?) or an actual meditation, such as the shomyo chanting in some Tendai temples in Japan (Imagine 20 monks with a stomach ache - that's what shomyo sounds like).

I guess there is always an emotional aspect to music, so it does seem incompatible with the path to enlightenment. Still it seems a pity to have to give up Mozart on the way to enlightenment, especially since he wrote an opera on the subject.

[Abandon]

There is nothing wrong with music per se ...

In the Vinaya some monks went to the local village to watch shows of music and dancing and this was deemed inappropriate and so the rule came about. Music listening these days is a long way from that, and it is only for 8 precepts up that there is this precept of refraining from shows, dancing singing garlands and entertainments.

Buddhist music is perfectly legitimate, and it is fine to use or listen to music.

However, in terms of meditation, if you have been listening to music it replays itself in your mind creating a rhythm. This can be soothing, or even inspirational, but it is a distraction from meditation. Besides "Soothing" or other things that trigger calm mind states are not meditation. Newbies to Dhamma, and I see that most people who post here are not Newbies at all, often mistake a calm feeling with meditaiton.

Personally I find that music ruins my concentration and mindfulness in meditation, but otherwise there is nothing wrong with it. In a CD rom on buddhism I worked on a few years back, we used specially composed music throughout, and it was appropriate.

[sabaijai]

I think the Vinaya is pretty clear that for monks it's not correct to seek out music performances but that the chance hearing of music is OK.

For laypersons, there's no such injunction.

There is a dukkata for going to see dancing, singing, or music. According to the Commentary, "dancing" includes going to see even peacocks dancing. It also includes dancing oneself and getting others to dance. (The Rona Sutta -- A.III.103 -- notes that, in the discipline of the noble ones, dancing counts as insanity.) "Singing" includes drama music as well as "sadhu music," which according to the Sub-commentary means music dealing with Dhamma themes such as impermanence. Other religious music would come under this prohibition as well. The Commentary adds that "singing" also includes singing oneself and getting others to sing. The same holds true for "playing music." (The Rona Sutta also notes that, in the discipline of the noble ones, singing counts as wailing.) However, there is no offense in snapping one's fingers or clapping one's hands in irritation or exasperation. There is also no offense if, within the monastery, one happens to see/hear dancing, singing, or music, but if one goes from one dwelling to another with the intention to see/hear, one incurs a dukkata. The same holds true for getting up from one's seat with the intention to see/hear; or if, while standing in a road, one turns one's neck to see.

D.2's list of forbidden shows includes the following: dancing, singing, instrumental music, plays, ballad recitations, hand-clapping, cymbals and drums, magic-lantern scenes, acrobatic and conjuring tricks, elephant fights, horse fights, buffalo fights, bull fights, goat fights, ram fights, cock fights, quail fights; fighting with staves, boxing, wrestling, war-games, roll calls, battle arrays, and regimental reviews. Reasoning from this list, it would seem that a bhikkhu would be forbidden from watching athletic contests of any type. Movies and shadow-puppet plays would fit under the category of "magic lantern scenes," and -- given the Commentary's prohibition against "sadhu music," above -- it would seem that fictional movies, plays, etc., dealing with Dhamma themes would be forbidden as well. Non-fictional documentary films would not seem come under the rule, and the question of their appropriateness is thus an issue more of Dhamma than of Vinaya. Because many of even the most serious documentaries treat topics that come under "animal talk" (see Pc 85), a bhikkhu should be scrupulously honest with himself when judging whether watching such a documentary would be beneficial for his practice.

Arguing from the Great Standards, a bhikkhu at present would commit an offense if he were to turn on an electronic device such as a television, radio, VCR, computer, or CD player for the sake of entertainment, or if he were to insert a CD or a tape into such a device for the sake of entertainment. He would also commit an offense if he went out of his way to watch or listen to entertainment on such a device that was already turned on.

Thanissaro on Vinaya

It does seem to be interpreted differently in different Theravada countries or cultures. For Visakha Puja I went to a Shan temple this year, and in the temple they were playing a recording of Shan monks chanting, and the chanting was accompanied by a harmonium and a flute, very melodious and definitely musical. A normal Thai wat would never produce or play such recordings, I believe.

Music while meditating? Looks like it would depend on the culture, ie, for Shans (and Tibetans, Japanese, etc_ OK, for most Thais, no.

As far as chanting goes here's some commentary on where to draw the line:

Bhikkhus, there are these five dangers when Dhamma is chanted with a long, singing sound:

He is pleased with himself regarding that sound, (= pride)

others are pleases regarding that sound (they have regard for it but not for Dhamma)

householders look down upon him (as music is for those who enjoy sense-pleasures)

while trying for accuracy of sound his concentration is broken, (he neglects the meaning of what he is chanting)

people coming after fall into views (by emulation) ("saying: Our teachers and preceptors sang it thus" [Commentary] -- a source of both pride and quarreling among later generations of Buddhists).

-- Vinaya Pitaka, ii. 108

This rule, of course, does not apply to lay people but in Buddhist lands the latter, perhaps guided by the conduct of bhikkhus, have made little or no use of music for religious purposes. After all what are we trying to achieve by chanting the words relating to the Buddha and his teaching? Is it not to gain calm through a mind concentrated on Dhamma? Then music has rather an exciting effect on many people and so is opposed to our aim. Again, compared with western religion, Buddhism has a different aim. There, the object of chanting and singing is to make sounds pleasing to the Creator's ear, out of love or fear of him. But Buddhists are not burdened with such an idea, for our aim and goal lies within, to be attained by our own efforts, not by propitiation of an external power. Lord Buddha was one who spoke in praise of silence and restraint, so in preparing ourselves to be silent, restraint should be used in our chanting.

Chanting vs music

I love music and often listen to CDs, etc during daily activity, esp working. Music remains one of my deepest attachments (maybe because I used to play music for a living) and perhaps the one that most keeps me in layperson status!

[Gohonzon]

The Lotus Sutra (LS) says that Bodhisattva Wonderful Sound makes an "offering of musical instruments" (LS 24, 294). This is a characteristic of Mahayana Buddhism. It seems that music and dancing were prohibited by Hinayana clerical orders as obstacles to one's practice. Practitioners were not only forbidden from engaging in such activities themselves, but they were also not supposed to view them.

But when we come to Mahayana Buddhism, it's exactly the opposite.

The "Teacher of the Law" (tenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra includes a directive to make offerings of music to the Lotus Sutra (cf. LS10, 161). And King Ashoka* of ancient India is said to have made "offerings of musical instruments." This occurred in the form of a festival that took place around stupas.

It's well known that people would gather around stupas singing songs and playing various musical instruments. They performed dramas and dances and read poetry. Merchants stood by and called out hawking their wares.

In Mahayana Buddhism music is seen as a means of making an offering to Buddha Shakyamuni. Although if you were to visitit many Wats in Thailand you may think that they've caught on to the tesching of the Lotus Sutra too

[bina]

actually always wanted to know;

when the morlum shows come round and play at the local wat, i saw the monks watching; same goes for 'nang', (movie)... i went to see a particularly violent thai movie (grandma, grandkids, et al also went to see) and the movie was in the yard of the wat ... the monks were there, and also had to clean up all the mess the next day...

in general it seems that in the villages i was in , the wats are basically the ymca of the area so market day, movie day, morlum sing, etc... all are at the wat and the monks are there.... (i also saw them smoking cigarettes too)... whats the deal??

[Totster]

actually always wanted to know;

when the morlum shows come round and play at the local wat, i saw the monks watching; same goes for 'nang', (movie)... i went to see a particularly violent thai movie (grandma, grandkids, et al also went to see) and the movie was in the yard of the wat ... the monks were there, and also had to clean up all the mess the next day...

in general it seems that in the villages i was in , the wats are basically the ymca of the area so market day, movie day, morlum sing, etc... all are at the wat and the monks are there.... (i also saw them smoking cigarettes too)... whats the deal??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same thing happens in my wifes village, all the events in the village normally happen in the temple grounds.

Went to a massive morlam concert in another larger village which was also attended by a large number of monks. As it happens the building they were all in had the best view of the stage...

totster

[sabaijai]

actually always wanted to know;

when the morlum shows come round and play at the local wat, i saw the monks watching; same goes for 'nang', (movie)... i went to see a particularly violent thai movie (grandma, grandkids, et al also went to see) and the movie was in the yard of the wat ... the monks were there, and also had to clean up all the mess the next day...

in general it seems that in the villages i was in , the wats are basically the ymca of the area so market day, movie day, morlum sing, etc... all are at the wat and the monks are there.... (i also saw them smoking cigarettes too)... whats the deal??

If the monks and novices intentionally transport themselves to view or listen to a musical performance, they've violated the precepts. Of course lots of monks and novices violate their precepts every day. But in monasteries where the Vinaya is followed, such performances would never be held.

Cigarette smoking was tolerated for many years but recently Thailand enacted a law banning smoking in all temple grounds. Not just for monks, but for anyone on the grounds. I've seen the law posted in several wats. Typically only the wats that intend to obey the law post these signs, of course.

Although in Thailand there's a fairly large gap at times between what's written in the monastic code and what is really happening - in some wats - the Thai Sangha is still considered to have the strongest Vinaya of any Theravada country. One only has to visit Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia to confirm this.

One can be of two minds about this. If the Vinaya were 100% enforced in Thailand, would monasticism survive? Perhaps not. One can speculate that the reason Mahayana Buddhism arose and expanded quickly - with its approval of music in temples, not enforcing celibacy for monks and nuns, even allowing marriage in many cases - was due to the relative leniency in matters related to Vinaya.