高僧傳 13.57

13.57

夫聖人制樂，其德四焉：感天地，通神明，安萬民，成性類。如聽唄，亦其利有五：身體不疲，不忘所憶，心不懈倦，音聲不壞，諸天歡喜。是以般遮絃歌於石室，請開甘露之初門，淨居舞頌於雙林，奉報一化之恩德。其間隨時讚詠，亦在處成音。至如億耳細聲於宵夜，提婆颺響於梵宮。或令無相之旨，奏於篪笛之上；或使本行之音，宣乎琴瑟之下。並皆抑揚通感，佛所稱讚。故〈咸池〉、〈韶武〉無以匹其工，〈激楚〉、〈梁塵〉無以較其妙。

When the sages instituted music, it possessed four virtues: it moved heaven and earth, communed with the spirits, pacified the myriad people, and fulfilled nature. Likewise, listening to chanting offers five benefits: the body does not tire, what has been remembered is not forgotten, the mind does not grow weary, the voice does not deteriorate, and the devas rejoice. For this reason Pañca sang to strings in the stone chamber, requesting the opening of the first gate of amṛta; the Śuddhāvāsa devas danced and praised in the Twin Sal Groves, repaying the kindness of a lifetime of teaching. Chanting at various times in between likewise produced music everywhere. As when Śroṇa koṭikarṇa chanted softly in the night, or when the deva raised his voice in the Brahma palace; or when the principle of formlessness was played upon the flute, or the melodies of past deeds were proclaimed under the zither—all modulated in pitch to evoke resonance, praised by the Buddha. Therefore, "Xianchi" and "Shaowu" cannot match its skill, and "Jichu" and the dust-stirring song of Liang cannot compare to its subtlety.