Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s1.t2.5

v2.c11.s1.t2.5

Mao Qiling wrote the *West River Poems* in the Qing Dynasty and said that “Buddhist songs already appeared in the Sui and Tang Dynasty and did not start in Jin and Yuan Dynasty.” For example, Yueh-Fu of Tang Dynasty had eight songs in Potuo tone, including Puguang Buddhist Songs and Riguangming Buddhist Songs. Yueh-Fu had nine Buddhist Songs in Qishi tone, including Shijiawen Buddhist Songs and Miaohua Buddhist Songs and two Buddhist songs in Yue tone, which were Da Miao Zhi Ji Buddhist Songs and Jie Buddhist Songs. Moni Buddhist Songs is in double tone. Sumi Qiju Buddhist Songs and Ritengguang Buddhist Songs are in Shang tone. Xiele Buddhist Songs are in Zhi tone. Four songs, including Poluoshu Buddhist Songs are in Yu tone. Qianxing Buddhist Songs is in Banshe tone. Tifan is in Yifeng tone. In current Wumen temple, people can still chant Buddhist songs. Every time when Buddhist songs were chanted, the Sheng and flute were accompanying Qing music that inherited the meanings of Buddhism. Various Buddhist songs were listed in *Kakko Records written by Nan Zhuo* in Tang Dynasty such as Vairocana Buddha Songs, The Four Kings, Atuomi Master Music, Forever Life, A Deer of Nine Colours, Sands of the Ganges, Mahayana, Pi Shramana, Avalokitesvara and Sakya-muni etc. Buddhist Songs in Tang Dynasty had the songs either introduced from India via the Western Regions, or created and recomposed by Tang people.