高僧傳 13.60

13.60

夫音樂感動，自古而然。是以玄師梵唱，赤雁愛而不移；比丘流響，青鳥悅而忘翥。曇憑動韻，猶令鳥馬踡跼；僧辯折調，尚使鴻鶴停飛。量人雖復深淺，籌感抑亦次焉。故夔擊石拊石，則百獸率舞。簫〈韶〉九成，則鳳凰來儀。鳥獸且猶致感，況乃人神者哉？但轉讀之為懿，貴在聲文兩得。若唯聲而不文，則道心無以得生；若唯文而不聲，則俗情無以得入。故經言，以微妙音歌歎佛德，斯之謂也。而頃世學者，裁得首尾餘聲，便言擅名當世，經文起盡，曾不措懷。或破句以合聲，或分文以足韻。豈唯聲之不足，亦乃文不成詮。聽者唯增怳忽，聞之但益睡眠。使夫八真明珠，未揜而藏曜；百味淳乳，不澆而自薄。哀哉！若能精達經旨，洞曉音律。三位七聲，次而無亂；五言四句，契而莫爽。其間起擲盪舉，平折放殺，游飛却轉，反疊嬌弄。動韻則流靡弗窮，張喉則變態無盡。故能炳發八音，光揚七善。壯而不猛，凝而不滯；弱而不野，剛而不銳；清而不擾，濁而不蔽。諒足以起暢微言，怡養神性。故聽聲可以娛耳。聆語可以開襟。若然，可謂梵音深妙，令人樂聞者也。

That music moves and transforms has been so since ancient times. Thus, when the dark master sang the brahma-chant, the red geese lingered out of affection; when the monk let forth flowing resonance, the blue birds were delighted and forgot to fly. Tanping's striking of a tune caused birds and horses to hesitate; Sengbian’s modulations caused swans and cranes to halt their flight. Though people's capacities vary in depth, the resonance stirred was second to none. Therefore, when Kui struck and tapped the sounding stones, the myriad beasts danced in unison; when the "Shao" played nine variations, the phoenixes came to conduct their rites. If even birds and beasts are moved in this way, how much more so humans and spirits? Yet the excellence of scripture recitation lies in achieving both sound and text. If there is only sound without the text, the aspiration for the Way cannot arise; if there is only text without the sound, mundane feelings cannot be penetrated. Therefore the scripture says: "Praise the Buddha's virtues with subtle and wondrous sounds"—this is what it means. Yet scholars of recent generations, having merely acquired a few opening and closing lingering notes, claim to enjoy great renown in their day; they pay no heed to the beginning or end of scriptural passages. Some break phrases to fit the notes; others divide the text to fill out the rhyme. Not only is the sound deficient, but the text also fails to express meaning. Listeners are only left in bewilderment, and hearing it merely induces sleep. This causes the eight true bright pearls to lose their radiance before being concealed, and pure milk of a hundred flavors to become diluted on its own without water being added. How lamentable! If one can thoroughly master the scriptural meaning and deeply understand musical pitch, then the three positions and seven notes will follow in order without confusion, and the five-word four-line verses will harmonize without discord. Amidst this, the sudden leaps, surges, elevations, level modulations, dynamic releases, soaring flights, subtle retreats, layered repetitions, and playful inflections—when the melody stirs, it flows inexhaustibly; when the throat opens, its variations are boundless. Thus one can brilliantly manifest the eight vocal tones and glorify the seven excellences: grand yet not fierce, concentrated yet not stagnant, soft yet not crude, firm yet not sharp, clear yet not chaotic, deep yet not obscure. This is truly sufficient to elucidate the subtle words and nourish the spiritual nature. Therefore, listening to the sound can delight the ear, and hearing the words can open the heart. If so, it can truly be called a profound and wondrous brahma-sound that makes people rejoice to hear it.