Expression of spiritual beliefs through music enables followers of Taoism to enhance their path to enlightenment.
Taoists believe that music is a way to speak to the gods, to inspire religious followers and to achieve inner harmony, bringing the listener or participant closer to Tao.
[1] In the ceremony witnessed at the Evergreen Taoist Church of Australia in Deagon, the birth of Guan Yin, the goddess of mercy was celebrated.
The main underlying theme to the writings is the value of wu wei, (non-striving) “by which one returns to a primitive state closer to the Tao”.
Through the proper balance of Yin (female) and Yang (male) a Taoist can find harmony and simplicity in all things (Bowker, 2000).
The ceremony held to celebrate the birth of the god Guan Yin, one of the deities of Taoism, started with chanting in the Yang tone.
Yin tones are usually performed at outer altars to inspire the populace in their beliefs and are livelier and more melodic than Yang tunes (Long, 2005).
The ceremony started with the three priests chanting in a mono syllabic, often repeated phrase with only slight melodic deviation from the tonic.
The priests made their way around the temple to the other places of worship and the forecourt, for the purpose of the general populace observing the ritual.
The worshippers made no appearance of solemnity towards the ceremony and came and went as they pleased, leaving incense offerings and praying.
The Yang tone is mainly played with magical instruments such as the Qing (metal bowl) and the Faqi (ritual percussion section).
The Faqi often consisted of large drums, bells, and wooden fish blocks called Muyu (Jones, 2005).
The core concept of Yin-Yang balance has been revealed as a theme that is acknowledged in areas of ceremony such as intonation, melodic deviation, rhythm and form.
By examining the ceremony of the birth of Guan Yin, at the Evergreen Taoist Church of Australia, it is clear that music is used to guide its followers and practitioners on their path to universal harmony.