Buddhist Music
Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, พุทธประวัติสำหรับยุวชน
ธรรมสภา, 2010
Chapter 8 ความพยายามก่อนตรัสรู้ p.88-89
That time there’s many religion school and teacher of princess Sitata (Budda) is Arara Galama, Sitata study until he good same as his teacher but he want to know more the truth of life. His teacher can teach for reality on earth, how to find peace for your mind, but not for something forceful like how to eliminate suffering forever or how to win or control the natural. Then Sitata had find other school but there’re same results in every where. Then he think he will learned by himself. In that time many people lift they life and be ordained in the wood or some where faraway and they tortured themselves for learn and find the truth of life and earth. These a religion tradition in that time and Sitata has do same. He try many ways like starving, hold his breath but next time he get’s weak from over torturing, he had faint and fall down, but one child in that area saw him, he quickly took the milk to Sitata, when he drinks he can sit again and his power has come back while he gets more comfort. He has recall that he try to find the truth for a long time but he gots wrong way, he do tortured and waste the time in vain. One day while he sit under the tree he heard the song from harp that the angel play and he heard some tuning he saw that if string too low, it’s cannot play but if too high, the string will lacked. He find the idea that the life has same with string it’s shouldn’t too high or low but should be on middle the idea of “the middle way”. Then he created new traditional, he have time to receive food and the idea of the middle way became to important words of Buddhism. Even some people that obey him at first time will think he may miss from the way of truth because he has do same with general people and that against with religion tradition but at last he has only one that success to understand the truth, many people came to be his disciples and have evangelical his words and in Thailand too.
ที่แล้วมา เราขึงสายพิณแห่งชีวิตของเราตึงเกินไปอย่างน่าสังเวช มันตึงเกิน จนจวนจะขาดลงอย่างไม่มีเหลือ
- Times ago I miserable tune my string of life too tight, it's too much and close to max broke (Budda)
Buddhist in Thailand they have music too. This is one of the interesting point because there not music in the church or ceremony and they have for a long time since the Sukhothai era and they have it until today one example that we can see easiest is Mungkala Band they are good example about music in Buddhist. But this music will not have to see everytime not like christian music that we will hear every time when we come to worship. Music of Mungkala band will play in only big Buddhist’s festival and the other festivals too. They're some of the same idea in Christian and Buddhist, we can see them on music of Mungkala Band too. Because the first time this is music for elites because the king get this music style from Lanka but today this is one kind of folk music , almost of performer is common people. It's the same with Luther idea that he wants to improve the music for easier with others people. But it is quite different because Mungkala band have their instrument and king have given the instrument to other temple that make other people to know the music in Buddhist. In Thailand the king have support the music and religion, everyone can approach easily , but in Europe Luther have fight for people to approach the religion easier. However even they have something same but while they have something different. Another example is Honkyoku (one piece form shakuhachi) this is a music style in Fuke-Zen (Japanese Buddhism church) these one of Buddhist church that have music. they use music for meditation and body exercise. They are many shakuhachi schools in Japan and all of them will have different course and teaching but they have the same goal is have peace and meditation in your heart and perfect body following Fuke-Zen idea.
For music in Thai Buddhist.They're no music in church like christian in general, you can see music used out of church. Some country Buddhist can used music but not for Thai , in Thai music can used in some event and the style same with the past. There's not more music’s style in Buddhism but music still important in some practice and the song be a collection like suite.
Music Analysis
The example of Buddhist song called Sathukarn this is good example because it's not too hard for listening and this is most important for Thai musician or whose study Thai music. Buddhist musician believe this song is sacred song, the music related with angels and something highest in their faith. The music is instrumental and not more harmonization, chord (Monophonic) and text.This song is the first song in music collection (like prelude) and it's in one mood, the musical form is ABA Sathukarn will Used in religion event more than worship especially teacher worship in Thai culture and use in education more than play outside.
Example of Song (Sathukarn)
Buddhist Music Perspective
This is my interview for Buddhism music with Aj.Rachan Longkanee .He's a Buddhism Philosopher. Interview topic will related with music in religions society and some detail in Thai Buddhist music because we didn't have more information about music style then we should know it first and for about society too. The main point that I have learned from this interview why no more music in Buddhism and what is other music, some musical details, the perspective of music in Buddhism societe
Interview with Aj.Rachan Longkanee on November 22 2019 at Wat Arun Ratchawaram "The Temple of Dawn". Bangkok, Thailand.
Bibliography
Ref:"Religious Music Genre Overview AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-06-09.
Ref:ศูนย์อนุรักษ์ดนตรีพื้นบ้านมังคละเภรีศรีสวางคบุรี วัดคุ้งตะเภา. (2558). มังคละเภรี ดนตรีศรีพระพุทธศาสนา. [ออน-ไลน์]. แหล่งที่มา : https://sites.google.com/site/watkungtaphao/kitchakam/mungkala
Ref:Shakuhachi Meditation Music, Stan Richardson. Boulder, Colorado: Sounds True (1997)
Ref: J.F.McKechine Buddhist history for young English version translated by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu