法苑珠林 36.105

36.105

夫褒述之志寄在詠歌之文。詠歌之文依乎聲響。故詠歌巧則褒述之志申。聲響妙則詠歌之文暢。言詞待聲相資之理也。尋西方之有唄。猶東國之有讚。讚者。從文以結音。唄者短偈以流頌。比其事義。名異實同。是故經言。以微妙音聲歌讚於佛德斯之謂也。昔釋尊入定。琴歌震於石室。提婆颺唄。清響激於淨居。覺世至音。固無得而稱矣。至于末代。修習極有明驗。是以陳思精想。感魚山之梵唱。帛橋誓願。通大士之妙音。藥練勤行。受法韻於幽祇。文宣勵誠。發夢響於齋室。並能寫氣天宮。摹聲淨剎。抑揚詞契。吐納節文。斯亦神應之顯徵。學者之明範也。原夫經音為懿妙出自然。製用可修而研響非習。蓋所以炳發道聲移易俗聽。當使清而不弱。雄而不猛。流而不越。凝而不滯。趣發祇鷲之風。韻結霄漢之氣。遠聽則汪洋以峻雅。近屬則從容以和肅。此其大致也。經稱深遠雷音。其在茲乎。若夫稱講聯齋眾集。永久夜緩晚遲香銷燭揜。睡蓋覆其六情。懶結纏其四體。於是擇妙響以昇座。選勝聲以啟軸。宮商唄發動玉振金。反折四飛哀悅七眾。同迦陵之聲。等神鸞之響。能使寐魂更開惰情還肅。滿堂驚耳列席歡心。當爾之時。乃知經聲之為貴矣。

Now, the intention of extolling and reciting resides in the literary form of cantillation, and cantillation relies upon voice and resonance. Thus, when cantillation is skillful, the intention of extolling is expressed; when voice and resonance are sublime, the cantillation flows unimpeded. This is the principle of words and sounds mutually assisting each other. In exploring the West, they have pāṭha, just as the Eastern land has eulogies (zan). Eulogies weave tones following the literary text, while pāṭha uses short gāthās to chant praise. Comparing their function and meaning, their names differ but their reality is identical. Therefore, the sūtra says: 'To sing praises of the Buddha's virtues with delicate, sublime sounds'—this is what it means. Of old, when Śākyamuni entered samādhi, the song of the lute shook the stone cave; when Devadatta chanted pāṭha, its pure resonance stirred the Śuddhāvāsa heaven. The supreme tone that awakens the world can indeed never be adequately praised. Coming down to the final age, its cultivation has produced evident verifications. Thus, King Si of Chen, through his focused contemplation, was inspired by the Sanskrit chant at Mount Yu; the monk Boqiao, through his earnest vow, connected with the sublime tone of the Great Being; Yaolian, through diligent practice, received Dharma rhythms from the unseen spirits; Emperor Wenxuan, through ardent sincerity, aroused dream-resonances in the fasting hall. All were capable of conveying the breath of the heavenly palaces and imitating the sounds of the pure lands, modulating phrase and cadence, articulating tempo and melody. These are manifest proofs of spiritual response and clear models for students of the path. Examining the origins of scriptural chanting, its exquisite beauty emerges naturally; while its composition and application can be cultivated, the refined resonance is not merely a matter of practice. It is that which brilliantly radiates the sound of the Way and transforms vulgar ears. One must make it clear yet not weak, majestic yet not fierce, flowing yet not excessive, and concentrated yet not stagnant; its impulse summons the breeze of the Jetavana and Vulture Peak, its rhythm coalesces the vapors of the celestial realms. Heard from afar, it is vast, towering, and refined; attended to closely, it is relaxed, harmonious, and reverent. This is its general purport. When the sūtra praises the 'deep, far-reaching thunderous voice,' does it not refer to this? Now, when gatherings for lecturing and continuous fasting assemble, after a long time the night grows slow and the evening late, the incense is exhausted and the candles gutter out. The cover of sleep veils the six sense faculties, and the knots of lethargy bind the four limbs. Thereupon, sublime sounds are selected to ascend the seat, and surpassing voices are chosen to open the scrolls. As the gong and shang notes of the pāṭha burst forth, they move like shaking jade and striking gold; their inversions and soaring phrases bring sorrow and joy to the seven assemblies. Resembling the cry of the kalaviṅka, matching the resonance of the divine phoenix, it can awaken the sleeping spirit once more and restore solemnity to slothful moods, startling the ears of the entire hall and delighting the hearts of those seated in rows. At such a time, one comes to realize the preciousness of the sound of scriptural recitation.