The antiquity of Buddishm music

Sound has always been part of Buddhist practice. In most traditions, chanting and instrumental music retain a special position during ceremonies.For hundreds of years after the death of the Buddha, Buddhism was solely an oral tradition, dependent on sound to pass from one generation to the next. The tantric yogi and poet Milarepa taught his students about impermanence, meditation, and enlightenment through song. In many images, Milarepa is portrayed with his head cocked and a hand cupped to his ear, listening with his whole body. Sound, ancient and ubiquitous, urges us to remember what we often forget. Reverberating off the walls of history, the ring of a bell acts as a humble reminder that this sound has existed longer than any one of us. This ringing, which has brought calm to countless minds, can remind us of our interconnectedness.”