Anecdote Drawn From The Evergreen Taoist Church of Australia
The priests of the Evergreen Taoist Church of Australia are devotees of an order of Taoism known as the Evergreen Taoist Religious Order (EVTRO). They follow the teachings of the “principal canons” of Taoism (Verellen, 1995). The Taoists of the EVTRO believe in being apart from the need of worldly possessions, and aim at creating a solidarity and harmony between heaven and man. One way in which they hope to achieve this is by giving freely of their time in public ceremonies to help others come closer to their own inner harmony.
In the Taoist ceremony of the birth of Quan Yin, music was a key component of the service. The entire dialogue of the ritual was intoned or sung by the priests, and these prayers were always accompanied by instrumentation . The chanting and instrumentation are used by the priests of Taoism as a tool to achieving the Tao (Bowker, 2000). The Tao is described as the way or the path (Park, 2001). Taoists understand that by following the path of Tao and reaching a balance with all things a human can gain self-realization. Music assists the follower on his/her path to the Tao by helping to communicate with gods, reach inner harmony and come closer to finding balance with the world.
Read more about this topic: Taoist Music
Famous quotes containing the words drawn, evergreen, church and/or australia:
“Lap me in soft Lydian airs,
Married to immortal verse,
Such as the meeting soul may pierce
In notes with many a winding bout
Of linked sweetness long drawn out,
With wanton heed and giddy cunning,
The melting voice through mazes running,
Untwisting all the chains that tie
The hidden soul of harmony;”
—John Milton (1608–1674)
“Madam, a circulating library in a town is as an evergreen tree of diabolical knowledge; it blossoms through the year. And depend on it ... that they who are so fond of handling the leaves, will long for the fruit at last.”
—Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816)
“The hippopotamus’s day
Is passed in sleep; at night he hunts;
God works in a mysterious way—
The Church can sleep and feed at once.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“I like Australia less and less. The hateful newness, the democratic conceit, every man a little pope of perfection.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)