|
The China Tong Shan She has been a dominant religious group in China since its establishment in 1917. The status of the China Tong Shan She has been esteemed as equal to the Buddhism and Taoism in Chinese communities. Throughout its nationwide branches in China, it recruited numerous loyal members not only common people but also celebrities, rich merchants and dignitaries of government. The number of its members had been approximately estimated about thirty million during the early twentieth century. Apparently, the organization scale of the China Tong Shan She excelled far more other religious groups.
Since 1949, any religion was banned by the China Communist. As a consequence, some members of the Tong Shan She fled to Taiwan and other Asian countries. By means of the contrivance of Mr. Huang Jeng Sheng and other great seniors, the Tian Yi Xiang Hao Zhuo Shan Tang inherited the spirit of the China Tong Shan She and regenerated in Taiwan. The Tian Yi Xiang Hao Zhuo Shan Tang revitalized Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism as a trinity which represents an existence of threefold significant regilous philosophies in modern Chinese cultural circle.
Ullambana Sutra ritual has been set up as an annual custom event of the Tong Shan She. The mode of its ceremonials and music was based on《Confucian Analects》. Ullambana Sutra ritual has always been held at the residence of a friend of same belief at Sanzhi District in New Taipei City in recent years. The whole ritual still follows ancient tradition in early times, owing to the place limitation, only the ceremonials and music of Confusion mode is adapted nowadays. The aspect of ritual seems not prosperous as that Confusion mode, the Buddhism mode and the Taoism mode held together at the same time in every province in China.
Drawing upon the cultural viewpoints and its two main purposes, the present study explores the Confusion mode music in three aspects: the etiquette music, the ceremonial music and the penitent music employed in the Ullambana Sutra ritual. In addition, the present study illuminates the significance of the trinity of the Tian Yi Xiang Hao Zhuo Shan Tang by means of analyzing the ceremonials and music of Ullambana Sutra ritual.
|