Taoist Music and Health Preservation

Taoist music is also one of the important means for health preservation in Taoism. In Taoist classics, discussions on Taoist music and health preservation are common.

The Taiping Jing (Classic of Great Peace) states: "Music—those who grasp its meaning to a small extent use it to delight people; those who grasp it to a moderate extent use it to govern; those who grasp it to the highest extent use it to harmonize heaven and earth. Those who master the way to delight people will make others joyful; those who master the way to govern through music will bring peace to governance; those who master the way to harmonize heaven and earth through music will make heaven and earth harmonious... Thus, superior scholars cultivate music to practice non-action and transcend the world; middle scholars cultivate music to harmonize and delight ordinary people for regulation; inferior scholars cultivate music merely to please people and gain sustenance... Music leads to joy, just as punishment leads to punishment—like the response of a shadow to a form or an echo to a sound, it is precise without the slightest error." The Taiping Jing holds that music has an educational function for people and can cultivate their moral character.

Modern science has also proven that music can help people live longer. Taoist music, integrating natural rhythms, enables singers to enter a state of emptiness and tranquility during chanting, thus purifying their souls. This is one of the best ways for Taoists to practice health preservation. Historically, strict requirements were imposed on those practicing Taoism: ordinary Taoists were expected to master "qin (a stringed instrument), qi (go), shu (calligraphy), hua (painting)"; senior Taoists needed to add "chui (wind instruments), la (bowed instruments), tan (plucked instruments), chang (singing)"; and eminent Taoists had to master "qin, qi, shu, hua, chui, la, tan, chang, yi (medicine), bu (divination), xing (astrology), xiang (physiognomy)". Therefore, music was not only an indispensable part of Taoists' daily cultivation but also played a significant role in their spiritual practice. Taoists believed that "music can regulate qi (vital energy) and balance yin and yang", so they created unique Taoist music using this property of music to enhance their spiritual attainments.

The morning and evening lessons of Taoism are the main contents of Taoist rituals and daily compulsory practices for Taoists. Their music is the essence of Taoist music and a treasure of Chinese traditional music combining lyrics and melodies. During morning and evening lessons, Taoists interact with the "divine" in a state of ethereal forgetfulness amid solemn, quiet, and elegant music, evoking their aesthetic experience. For example, the opening piece of the morning lesson, Chengqing Yun (Melody of Clarification), begins with the lyrics "Heaven has no (ah) filth (ya)..." Its opening melody uses four notes—"shang, yu, gong, jue" (equivalent to re, la, do, mi in Western music)—exuding a sense of emptiness and elegance. After entering the beat, the scriptural verses flow continuously with long, gentle turns, and the Taoist's chanting with repeated refrains further emphasizes the pure, elegant, and leisurely mood of the piece. The closing melody is similar to the free rhythm of the opening, forming a structure that echoes the beginning and end. Used at the start of morning lessons, this melody helps Taoists enter a quiet state from the very beginning, marking a good start for health preservation.

In addition, the musical instruments (法器) of Taoist music are also used by Taoists in their cultivation and health preservation. In Taoist music, the earliest instruments used include bells, chimes, drums, and bells. Taoists use these sounds to resonate with nature, pray to the heavens, summon deities, seek the perfection of merit, and achieve the ultimate goal of health preservation.