Wudang Yun Xuan Men Zao Ke
武当韵玄门早课
Dawn liturgy of the Mystery Gate
in Wudang musical style
Online course
From November 24, 2024 to April 13, 2025
Every Sunday at 7amPST/10amEDT/4pmCET
The dawn and dusk liturgy (早晚功课 Zao wan gong ka) is a ritual practiced daily in the temples of the Daoist lineage of the Dragon Gate of Complete Reality (全真龙门 Quan zhen long men) through China.
It is made up of a collection of sacred writings of various natures (incantations, practices, cosmic and hagiographical hymns, prayers and dedications, etc.) extracted from the Daoist Canon. It provides a comprehensive overview of the Daoist cosmovision, and its recitation serves as a foundation for ritual practices and self-cultivation.
Chanting trains and accumulates the breath (气 Qì), increases respiratory capacity and raises the vibration frequency of the energy field. The voice vibrates in the organs and expresses the heart, the recitation soothes and harmonizes the mind, in communion with the cosmic forces. Daily practice vibratorily manifests the scriptures and thus grounds, nourishes, and renews the energetic field of both the body of the practitioner and the temple, in a structural analogy dear to Daoism which considers that the microcosm is in correspondence and in resonance with the macrocosm , that the body is the temple and the temple is the body.
Different lineages, in different regions, sing their own version, called 韵 Yùn, or musical style. Wudang Yùn is the musical style specific to the Wudang Mountains and the rich Daoist culture that has developed there over the centuries. Composed during the Ming dynasty by the most prestigious imperial musicians on the orders of Emperor Yong Le (who reigned from 1403 to 1434), Wudang Yùn is a unique and refined style. Very melodic chants alternated with rapid recitations are accompanied by ritual instruments (法器 Fa qi) such as the wooden fish, the metal bell, cymbals, gongs, and different types of flutes and zithers.
It is said that the Gong Ke has its own energy field, passed down from lineage ancestors and accumulated over generations. Chanting, reciting, and even simply listening to the recitations allows the practitioner to unify with this ancient and powerful energy field, and thus achieve an intuitive and deep understanding of the scriptures, beyond words. A devotional and mystical practice, it is established on a culture of virtue and compassion framed by precepts.
During this 21-week course, we will study the textual material of the dawn liturgy, the Zao Ke, and, above all, we will learn to chant and recite it accompanied by the fundamental ritual instruments (wooden fish and metal bell). The purpose is to allow the practitioner to establish an autonomous practice, at home, according to the rules of the art, then to be able to unite with collective recitations at the appropriate times.
Prerequisites:
This course is intended for Daoist practitioners or sincere aspirants, who wish to establish a personal ritual practice.
The Gong Ke is chanted in Chinese (Mandarin). Knowledge of Chinese is not necessary, but familiarity with reading pinyin (system of transliterating characters into the alphabet) is essential. Online resources abound and learning is quick and easy, we will cover the subject in the introductory course.
Musical knowledge or experience is a plus, but is not essential.
Observance of the 5 precepts (do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, do not engage in inappropriate sexual activity, do not consume alcohol and intoxicants) is required. This point will be detailed during the introductory course. To support the practice, a sharing space will be dedicated to it throughout the course.
ONLINE, from November 24, 2024 to April 13, 2025
21 lessons x 2 hours every Sunday at 7amPST / 10amEDT /4pm CET
Access to the replay for 9 months
Course materials : Text in Chinese with pinyin and English translation, Chinese musical score, Western musical score, audio recordings
INTRODUCTION
November 24: History of the Wudang Yùn transmission
Internal preparation (culture of Qi, power of speech, precepts and etiquette)
External preparation (altar, ritual instruments, schedules, prohibitions)>
Introduction to Chinese music and reading Chinese musical scores (jianpu)
Introduction to pinyin
MODULE 1 : Three refuges, opening of the ritual and Eight great incantations
December 1 : Three refuges (三皈依 San gui yi)
December 8 : Clear and pure melody (澄清韵 Cheng qing yun)
Praise to the Heavenly worthy (举天尊 Ju tian zun)December 15 : Suspended praise (吊挂 Diao gua)
December 22 : Returning to the eight heavens (反八天 Fan ba tian)
December 29 : Eight great incantations of the spirit (八大神咒 Ba da shen zhou)
January 5 : Recap chanting practice accompanied by instruments and ritual gestures
MODULE 2 : Sacred scriptures
January 12 : Scripture of purity and stillness (清静经 Qing jing jing)
January 19 : Wondrous scripture to dispel disaster and protect life (消灾户名妙经 Xiao zai hu ming Miao Jing)
January 26 : True scripture to ward off misfortunes and pass over hardships (禳灾度厄真经 Rang zai du e zhen jing)
February 2 : Wondrous scripture of the heart seal (心印妙经 Xin yin miao jing)
Recap chanting practice accompanied by instruments and ritual gestures
MODULE 3 : Cosmic and hagiographic hymns
February 9 : Cosmic hymns
Hymn to the Jade Purity (玉清宝诰 Yu qing bao gao)
Hymn to the High Purity (上清宝诰 Shang qing bao gao)
Hymn to the Supreme Purity (太清宝诰 Tai qing bao gao)February 16 : Cosmic hymns
Hymn to the Jade Emperor (玉帝宝诰 Yu di bao gao)
Hymn to the Heavenly Sovereign (天皇宝诰 Tian Huang bao gao)
Hymn to the Stars Master (星主宝诰 Xing zhu bao gao)
Hymn to the Earth Empress (后土宝诰 Hou tu bao gao)
Hymn to the South Pole (南极宝诰 Nan ji bao gao)February 23 : Hagiographic hymns
Hymn to the Five ancestors of the North (北五祖宝诰 Bei wu zu bao gao)
Hymn to the Five ancestors of the South (南五祖宝诰 Nan wu zu bao gao)
Hymn to the Seven true ones (七真宝诰 Qi zhen bao gao)
Hymn to universal transformation (普化宝诰 Pu hua bao gao)March 2 : Recap chanting practice accompanied by instruments and ritual gestures
MODULE 4 : Repentance and prayers, additional incantations
March 9 : Praise in the temple (中堂赞 Zhong tang zan)
Repentance (忏悔文 Chan hui wen)March 16 : Repentance (忏悔文 Chan hui wen)
March 23 : Small praise (小赞 Xiao zan)
March 30 : Incantation of the Divine official (靈官咒 Ling guan zhou)
Incantation of the Earth (土地咒 Tu di zhou)
April 06 : Recap chanting practice accompanied by instruments and ritual gestures
April 13 : Chanting practice of the entire dawn liturgy
FEE :
Three pricing levels depending on your financial situation.
Regular : 36€ per class
Reduced (people with reduced financial resources, limited spaces - choose consciously) : 23€ per class
Solidarity (people with financial resources enabling them to support the participation of people with reduced financial resources - thank you for your practice of hidden virtue) : 49€ per class