Comment on “Integration of traditional Chinese music: an evaluation of the interactive influence between traditional music and aesthetic thought”Zhou and Yu (2024) showed how aesthetic ideas of Taoism, Confucianism, and Mohism, shaped by traditional Chinese music, have developed the theory and practice of music in China. There has been a bridge between music and Chinese aesthetic tradition and philosophy. Zhou and Yu (2024) call the revision of traditional music in modern society. Historically, Confucianism, Taoism, and Mohism promoted the values of music and focused on harmony between men and heaven. They focused on the harmony with nature, moral education, and humanistic feelings. Nature acted as a spiritual source of human development. The aesthetic view of harmony between man and nature was the core of Chinese music. Taoism stressed natural harmony in Chinese music, and it enhanced self-awareness as Western postmodern aesthetics promoted human development. In Taoism, music is simple and addresses harmony in nature. Confucianism emphasized music’s educational values. Confucius believes music creates harmony between people’s minds and morality. Li Zehou, a Chinese philosopher, in his book, The Chinese Aesthetic Tradition, showed how Confucianism affected Chinese music. According to Li (2010, p. 49), “being perfected in music” and “wandering in the art” lead to the awakening of inner freedom and perfection of human personality. That is to say, the self-cultivation and a complete person are created by studying the rites and music. Being “perfected in music” means direct and nurturing effects of music on humans’ spirit (Li, 2010, p. 49). Zehou engaged with Liu Baonan’s assertion on the importance of Confucianism in Chinese music: that music can cultivate and perfect human nature through spiritual and inner awareness. In this view, Confucianism embodies the ideal of human perfection as achieved through the influence of traditional Chinese music (Li, 2010, p. 50).
The reason for focusing on Taoism and Confucianism in this article is that these two aesthetic ideas have a significant influence on the growth of traditional Chinese music. However, this development is not limited to the philosophical effects of Chinese traditional aesthetics of Taoism, Confucianism. The Mohist theory of music, which was briefly discussed in the original article, contributed mainly to moral education, social practice, and egalitarian values in traditional Chinese music. It also addressed the simplicity of music and the return to nature and authenticity (Zhou; Yu, 2024). Buddhism, as another Chinese philosophical aesthetic, also had a significant influence on Chinese traditional music; however, it was briefly mentioned and discussed in the original text. Like other aesthetic traditions, Buddhism had a significant impact on shaping Chinese musical performance. Singing is an integral part of Buddhist ceremonies and meditation practices. Buddhism finds expression in pop music.
Tarocco (2007) in his book, The Cultural Practices of Modern Chinese Buddhism, addressed the influence of Buddhist aesthetics and harmony of piano music in Chinese and Western Orchestras. He introduced master Hongyi as a well-known Buddhist artist and musician who created an integration between his artistic talents and his Buddhist practice. Hongyi is more involved with Chinese musical modernity. He used certain aspects of modernity as a new way of communicating the Buddhist traditional practices and teachings. According to Tarocco, Buddhism has played an integral role in the history of Chinese culture. The integration of Chinese music and Buddhism fostered an aesthetic that united spiritual practice with philosophical values. Hongyi and other Buddhists created cohesion in the cultural practices, which are reflected in Chinese music aesthetics. Hongyi made some Buddhist songs of the twentieth century, The Songs of the Three Jewels. Hongyi’s songs have potentially educational value (Tarocco, 2007, p. 117). It was the late 1920s and 1930s when Hongyi and other Buddhist monks, such as Taixu involved in the development of new practices of Buddhism in Chinese songs (Tarocco, 2007, p. 121). Their new songs are the result of the practice of Chinese musical modernity, which is derived from the Buddhist aesthetic tradition.
Buddhist thoughts of detachment, emptiness, and impermanence have been structurally shown in musical performance. Buddhism has some effects on Chinese music. It encourages the sound spiritualization and introduces music as a means of transcending worldly attachments. It offers a simple and monophonic structure of music, far from secular melodic songs. It emphasizes meditative states, moral values, and inner tranquility. Chinese traditional music has some effects on Buddhist practice, too. For Buddhists, music is a formless expression of inner awakening. Some local instruments, such as the sheng and Xun, were used in Chinese rituals. Chinese music tones affected the intonation of sutras. Chinese Buddhism believes in the law of Karma, which forms Chinese Religion and popular music (Partridge; Moberg, 2023, p. 209).
Modern compositions such as Tan Dun’s works are drawn on Buddhist aesthetics and religious performance. Dun, a Chinese composer and leading conductor of contemporary classical music, was influenced by a variety of Chinese and Western ideas. He focuses on the theme of “harmony” in his songs. He was born in China during the Cultural Revolution. “Dun introduces innovative techniques for the cello, including other notable elements that range from the continuous rolls of the Chinese plucked lute (pipa), to some glissando effects from the qin, to the portamento from the Mongolian morin-huer and the Chinese two-stringed bowed lute, which form the most original and innovative aspects of the symphony” (Everett, 2004, p. 58). Tan Dun’s symphony of “Harmony among heaven, earth, and man” is divided into three movements. Heaven refers to Chinese people’s past, and Earth addresses the harmony between elements and nature. The final movement, “Harmony,” provides a frame of reference for the whole piece.
Overall, traditional Chinese aesthetic systems-including Taoism, Confucianism, Mohism, and Buddhism- have exerted a significant influence on piano music. In addition to the traditional Chinese philosophical aesthetics of Taoism, Confucianism, and Mohism, I showed how spiritual ideals in Buddhism created musical innovation, and Chinese music helped to demonstrate and communicate Buddhist teachings. The integration of Buddhist aesthetics and traditional Chinese music created a uniquely musical spirituality that is influential in the contemporary world.
References
- EVERETT, Y. U.; LAU, F. Locating East Asia in Western Art Music. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2004.
- PARTRIDGE, C.; MOBERG, M. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Religion and Popular Music. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2023.
- TAROCCO, F. The Cultural Practices of Modern Chinese Buddhism. London: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, 2007.
- LI, Z. H. The Chinese Aesthetic Tradition. Hawaii: University of Hawai’i Press, 2010.
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ZHOU, Y.; YU, F. Integration of traditional Chinese music: an evaluation of the interactive influence between traditional music and aesthetic thought. Trans/Form/Ação: Unesp journal of philosophy, Marília, SP, v. 47, n. 5, p. e02400180, 2024. Available at: https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/14874
» https://revistas.marilia.unesp.br/index.php/transformacao/article/view/14874
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Data availability statement:
The dataset for this article is available in the SciELO Dataverse of the Trans/Form/Ação Journal, at the link: https://doi.org/10.1590/0101-3173.2025.v48.n5.e025141
The dataset for this article is available in the SciELO Dataverse of the Trans/Form/Ação Journal, at the link: https://doi.org/10.1590/0101-3173.2025.v48.n5.e025141
