The Instrumental Application of Rituals in Major Chinese Buddhist Monastic Halls

• Main Authors: Yang, Ya-Mei, 楊雅媚
• Other Authors: 陳碧燕
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/99000475262033993586

碩士 === 國立臺灣藝術大學 === 表演藝術研究所 === 95 === Buddhist monastic instruments play an essential role in the lives of the sangha; in addition to being the assembling signal and telling the time, Buddhist monastic instruments are used in Buddhist services and ritual to control and monitor the process, as well as to guide the chanting, action, and movement, constituting the key to ensure smooth operation. In particular, after Buddhism entered China and during the long-term development process, the use of Buddhist monastic instruments has been integrated into a universal system; their characteristics embody the functions of temple life and the correlation of time and space. In different halls of Chinese Buddhist temples, various sets of monastic instruments function to lead the specific religious practices. Take the meditation hall as an example, the monastic operation system determines the establishment of all activities in the meditation hall, and Buddhist monastic instruments used here are solely for use here. They are different from those used in the Buddha hall and the invocation hall. This reflects the use of Buddhist monastic instruments enabling the understanding of the participants concerning the operation of temple. After an in-depth field study, this thesis analyzes different uses of instruments in the major monastic halls, such as the Buddha hall, the meditation hall, the Dharma hall, the meal hall, the invocation hall, recitation hall, and so forth. Through presenting the function and attributes of the instruments, this study hope to provide significant perspectives on important Chinese Buddhist practices and the symbols of the instruments.