敦煌·慈悲颂

八年前，敦煌研究院和它的朋友们，咪咪·盖茨、熊明华等邀请我去了敦煌，在辽阔的沙漠中，我终于看见了让我仰慕已久的敦煌莫高窟。她来自千年，有着无数美丽的石窟，石窟中有许多音乐壁画，都是关于慈悲、仁爱和自然。敦煌壁画中记载了4000多件乐器，3000多名乐伎,以及500多个古乐队。这些古老的壁画深深地感动了我，我仿佛从画中听到了声音，这让我有了一种灵魂的冲动，想把这些壁画变成音乐，用交响乐团演奏出来，带去世界：壁画带不走，但可以让没来过敦煌的人听见敦煌，这对我来说将是多么奇妙而深远的经历。我还了解到，许多古老石窟中曾封存的敦煌音乐手稿，现都散落在世界各地，它们被收藏在法国图书馆、大英图书馆和日本的佛教博物馆等地。我去了这些地方追寻那些失散的敦煌古谱，并琢磨如何让它们可以和今天的交响乐团一起共鸣，于是我开始了创作。六年后，我终于写完了《敦煌·慈悲颂》，那时我突然意识到，音乐真是一座桥，它可以将遥远带到你身旁：从敦煌到欧洲，从古代到未来。音乐之桥不只是缩短了时空和距离，也让我们听到古代的信仰和故事，而这些如何做人的故事，爷爷奶奶和我们讲了一辈子，如今我们长大了，故事却忘了，爷爷奶奶也走了，但故事还是要讲下去……音乐是人类的天使，它能让不同语言、不同文化背景的人得以沟通情感和分享心灵。看看我和你，虽然我们都来自异域他乡，却在《敦煌·慈悲颂》里听到慈悲和爱，也听到人类自己和大自然的深切对话。这是我为什么要把敦煌壁画变成声音，也是我创作《敦煌·慈悲颂》的缘由。 谭盾 Eight years have passed, but I still remember the thrill that I experienced when I was first invited, by the Dunhuang Academy and my friends, Mimi Gates and Jeff Xiong, to the vast desert of Dunhuang where a myriad of ancient caves are exist — it was the Mogao Caves that I had been longing for. These caves contain countless musical murals, that are all created on themes of compassion, love and nature. These musical paintings depict more than four thousand musical instruments, three thousand musicians and five hundred orchestras. I was so deeply moved that I could almost hear the sounds emanating from the murals. These strong feelings rocked my soul and gave me the idea that it would be a fascinating and profound experience to transcribe the murals into music and perform them with today’s symphony orchestra. Since I can’t physically move the murals, I can help people hear them even if they have never been to the caves. I also learned that many of the Dunhuang musical manuscripts, which were once sealed up in the ancient caves, are now scattered around the world and collected by the French National Library (Bibliothèque nationale de France), the British Library and the Nara National Museum. I went to these places to track them down and study the ancient manuscripts while contemplating how to have them resonate with today’s symphony orchestra. So I started writing. Six years later, I finally finished my Buddha Passion and it was then that I realized that music was truly a bridge — it has brought the distant to you - from Dunhuang to Europe, from ancient times to today. Music not only bridged the gap between time and space, but also guided me to hear the different beliefs and stories from the ancient murals. These stories about morality and beliefs told by our grandparents span our entire childhood, yet they wasted away as we grew up. However, the musical stories must go on… Music is like the angels of the human race. It can connect people from different languages and different cultural backgrounds. Look at you and me, we are from different corners of the world, but here in the musical stories of Buddha Passion, we can all hear the compassion and the love. We also hear ourselves and the nature around us, as well as our reflection and dialogue. This is why I transcribed the murals into sound and how Buddha Passion began. Tan Dun 剧情大纲 敦煌壁画《涅槃》徐徐展开：一尊卧佛占据整个舞台，佛陀双目半闭，安详自若，佛陀躺卧的身后是他的弟子们，他们正是即将上演的歌剧各幕的故事人物。音乐中，敦煌壁画开始“融化”，壁画里的人物竟然慢慢地“解冻”，悠然地从壁画里走了出来，走在最前面的是小王子和菩提树。第一个敦煌故事开始了…… Synopsis A Dunhuang mural entitled Nirvana is gradually revealed: a reclining Buddha occupies the entire stage, reposeful with eyes half closed. Behind him are his disciples, who will be characters in the following acts. Accompanied by music, the mural dissolves and the characters walk out elegantly from the mural, with Little Prince and the Bodhi Tree leading the way. Act One begins... 【故事1：菩提树下】 喜马拉雅山下传来古老的圣咏，小王子和一群少年正与鸟儿们追逐玩耍。突然一只鸟从天上掉了下来，善良的小王子很伤心，问谁可以减轻他此时此刻的痛苦。突然间，天空裂缝，咒神出现，并说：“这很容易，如果你把死去的小鸟放在天平的那一端，再从身上割一块肉放在天平的这头，天平就会持平，你的痛苦也就会减轻。”天真的少年们帮小王子按咒神之意执行，但天平并没有持平。惊讶中，咒神又出现了，并告诉小王子，在这个世界上，从细小的蚂蚁到巨大的恐龙，生命都平等，只有当你把全身的肉都放上去，天平才会持平。小王子终于明白了天下生命都平等的道理。此时，他步步生莲地走到一棵菩提下，开始闭目沉思、冥想打坐，四十九天后修成正果。 Act I: Under the Bodhi Tree An ancient chorale chants at the foot of the Himalayas. Little Prince and a group of boys are frolicking with birds. A bird falls from the sky. The saddened Prince asks who could ease his sorrow. All of a sudden, the sky opens up a crack and the voice of Mantra is heard: “Be at peace. Place the poor dead bird on one side of the scale. Cut a piece of thy own flesh and place it on the other. If the scale balances, thou shall be pacified.” The boys execute Mantra’s decree for the Prince, but surprisingly, the scale does not balance. Mantra reappears and tells Little Prince that all lives -- tiny as an ant or giant as a dinosaur -- are equal. With that being true, the Prince ought to place his entire body on the scale in order to achieve balance. Little Prince is enlightened. He walks towards a Bodhi tree as lotus flowers manifest with his every step. He meditates under the tree for 49 days and becomes Buddha. 【故事2：九色鹿】 莫高窟第257窟的壁画徐徐展开：神秘湖畔，美丽的九色鹿和她的姐妹们正在散步，湖面传来呼喊“救命啊”的声音，九色鹿不顾姐妹们的反对，魔幻般地将落水人救起。当落水人发现救他的居然就是国王孜孜以求的九色鹿时，他开始心存诡意。九色鹿预感到了不详之意，叫落水人千万不要去告密，否则背叛恩人和朋友会有因果报应。落水人发誓决不告密，否则他愿意接受报应。回到城里，落水人发现到处贴着国王和皇后寻捕九色鹿的奖赏：九色鹿全身是宝，她的鹿皮可让女人无限美丽，她的鹿茸、鹿骨可让男人健康长寿。如果谁能告知国王九色鹿在哪里，那他就能得到国王奖赏的百万黄金、无数珠宝和无限的疆土。在金钱财宝的诱惑下，落水人去告密了，并带国王和护卫队捕捉到了九色鹿。可怜的九色鹿呼唤佛陀保佑，但仍被落水人以剑刺死。然而当国王和护卫队得知九色鹿是落水人的救命恩人时，大家都后悔得落泪了。 Act II: Deer of Nine Colors A mural painting from Mogao Cave No. 257 gradually is revealed: The beautiful Deer of Nine Colors and her sisters are strolling along a mysterious lake when they hear a plea for help. Against her sisters’ wishes, the Deer of Nine Colors rushes to save the Drowning Man, who recognizes that his savior is the very creature the King has been fervently pursuing. Alerted by the Man’s malignancy, the Deer requests him not to disclose her whereabouts or he “shall reap what he sows”. The Man swears that he will never betray her. Back in the city, the King promises a enticing reward for whomever can capture the Deer of Nine Colors: “Most precious creature, her skin will make women glow, her horns and bones will increase men’s longevity, whoever discloses her whereabouts, the king hereby offers a hefty reward – millions of gold and numerous jewels and endless land.” Tempted by the promised reward, the Man betrays his savior and leads the King and his guards to capture the Deer of Nine Colors. The Deer cries out desperately to Buddha for help, but is stabbed to death by the Man. When the King and his guards learn that the Deer once rescued the Man from drowning, they shed regretful tears. 【故事3：千手千眼】 莫高窟第3窟的壁画徐徐展开：华丽的古代皇宫中，“飞天·反弹琵琶舞”正在上演。国王欣赏着他的三个美丽的女儿妙音（女中音）、妙善（女高音）和妙清（反弹琵琶独奏）的精彩表演。突然，护卫官急入，启奏国王，宫中有一位年轻产妇突发奇病，手烂、眼盲，急需有人捐献双手和双眼，否则母婴性命难保。此时三个女儿中最美丽的妙善表示：是父母给了自己一双眼和手，是苍天给了自己一颗心，为了拯救即将失去生命的母婴，她愿意奉献出自己的双眼和双手。国王听后心痛如绞，就算全世界的人都没了眼睛和双手，也决不让自己最心爱的女儿没有眼睛和手。父女情深意长，催人泪下，善良的妙善最后说服了慈祥的父亲。在神圣的祭乐仪式中，所有人围圆跪下，妙善在仪式中飘浮起来，开始奉献双手和双眼。在震惊人心的舞蹈中，人们眼前浮现出千手千眼，这象征着妙善的千手永远抚摸着众生的创伤，她的千眼永远观望着众生的痛苦。 Act III: Thousand Arms and Thousand Eyes A mural painting from Mogao Cave No.3 is gradually revealed: In a magnificent palace, the Emperor enjoys a hallucinatory apsara dance performed by his three daughters – Miaoyin (mezzo-soprano), Miaoshan (soprano), and Miaoqing (pipa soloist/dancer). Suddenly, a Court Guard rushes in to report that a lying-in woman is in urgent need of a pair of arms and eyes to save her and her baby from dying. No one volunteers to help except for Miaoshan -- the fairest of the three daughters: “Parents gave me my eyes and arms. Buddha gave me my heart and soul.” In order to save the lives of the dying mother and her baby, she willingly decides to offer her eyes and arms. Out of love for his daughter the Emperor voices his strong objection. A father and daughter’s love runs long and deep in tears. Eventually Miaoshan convinces her father and gives over her fairest eyes and arms in a solemn ritual - kneeling in a circle around her, the chorus watches Miaoshan as she floats above them shedding her eyes and arms. In the midst of the wild dance, rises as a sculpture of Bodhisattva with a thousand arms and a thousand eyes, her arms caress our human wounds and her eyes watch out for our human suffering. 【故事4：禅园】 敦煌185窟的禅洞窟壁画徐徐展开：在禅的发源地嵩山，大自然的水乐充满视觉和听觉的奇幻，武僧们在空灵中打坐、念诵数字“九九禅”，修炼人生。禅师（五祖弘忍）教诲弟子们要在寂静中聆听大音希声，在空无中感悟大象无形……此时，正好一个砍柴人（后来的六祖慧能）路过，他说出了不同的心禅秘语，武僧们对砍柴人的无理大怒，冲过去要与他比武—较高低。于是，紧张的打斗开始，在武僧们与砍柴人的比斗中，禅师五祖弘忍劝众人息怒，安抚砍柴人说：“我就是要听不同的人讲禅，因为禅，就是每个人不同的人生修行和自然悟性。”砍柴人和禅师关于禅的对话，感动了所有武僧：身是菩提树——菩提本无树，心如明镜台——明镜亦非台，时时勤拂拭——本来无一物，莫使惹尘埃——何处惹尘埃。美丽的自然之声水乐、风乐和石乐，带禅人进入人生幻境。 Act IV: Zen Garden A mural painting from Dunhuang Zen Cave No. 185 is gradually revealed: Inside Songshan Mountain, where Zen Buddhism originated, nature’s water music is heard accompanied by awe-inspiring visuals. Monks meditate and chant the Mantra of Nine, contemplating the philosophy of life. Master Monk (i.e. Daman Hongren, the fifth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism) teaches his disciples to listen for sounds in silence and observe forms with no shape. A Woodcutter (i.e. the future Huineng, the sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism) passes by and begins to speak about his unusual understanding of Zen. Provoked Monks rush in and challenge the Woodcutter to a Kungfu combat. Master Monk pacifies them by stating his wish to “hear everyone’s own understanding of Zen. That has been understood from each individual’s life practice and meditation”. Woodcutter and Master Monk engage in a lively philosophical debate: “the body is a Bodhi tree” vs. “Bodhi in essence is not a tree”; “the mind is a clear mirror” vs. “the mind/mirror is inherently without form”; “clean the mirror/mind often to free it from dust” vs. “the mirror/mind cannot gather dust since there is originally never a thing”. After the debate, Master Monk is deeply moved and tries to convince Woodcutter to stay and meditate with him and his disciples. 【故事5：心经】 敦煌榆林窟第3窟的壁画徐徐展开：百年难遇的日全蚀。刚从西域采集梵乐、获取心经的乐僧空弦，在东归敦煌的路途中，奇遇奄奄一息的西域女子篥娜。这时，乐僧奏起咒乐念起咒经，并用自己仅存的一口水，终于救活了篥娜。乐僧惊讶地发现篥娜的头发里饲养着大量的蚕仔和蚕蛹。篥娜告诉他，家乡的蚕蛹因一场瘟疫都绝种了，她只好把苏州的蚕养在头发里，带回家乡去。但是，现在她害怕从丝路的这一头，回不到丝路的那一端了。篥娜与空弦在“西出阳关无故人”的寂冷黑夜中，用各自的体温延续着对方的生命，可美丽的篥娜最后还是冻死在乐僧怀里…… Act V: Heart Sutra A mural painting from Dunhuang Yulin Cave No. 3 is gradually revealed: Under a rare total solar eclipse, a Minstrel Monk named Kongxian returns to Dunhuang when he encounters Nina, a dying woman from the West. Kongxian chants mantras and revives her by sacrificing his very last drop of water to give to her. He finds baby silkworms and pupae woven in Nina’s hair, as Nina explains that after her hometown silkworms died away from an unexplained epidemic, she went on a journey to Suzhou to collect these species. But now, she is afraid she will not be able to complete her journey home to the west end of the Silk Road. In the bitter cold of the night, Kongxian and Nina huddle together for survival in order to warm themselves, but Nina dies in Kongxian’s arms in freezing coldness… 【故事6：涅槃】 此时又回到莫高窟第148窟，敦煌壁画《涅槃》又活现于舞台正中。让人回想起第一幕开始时倒叙的故事场景。冥意中，佛陀对周围（所有在前几幕中出现过的）弟子们说：“不多时分，我就要进入涅槃的境地……”黑暗里哭声四起，他却平和、慈悲地和每一个人谈笑风生，十分幽默地讲述着充满人生哲理和生命感悟的“彼岸”：那是如诗如画的人生美景。弟子们一下子开悟了，他们和佛陀展开了极为生动而又智慧的生命哲学与心灵沟通：佛是过来人，人是未来佛。最后，弟子们问能不能问最后一个问题，佛陀说当然可以。弟子们问：“您是神吗？”佛陀答：“不是。”“您是神的儿子？”“也不是。”“那您是神派来的？”“更不是。”“那您到底是什么？”佛陀最后的回答是：“我是……觉悟……”说完，他闭上了眼睛，终于进入了涅槃境界……此时，日月消失，山川震颤，天地黑暗，钟声响起，彼岸传来圣咏…… Act VI: Nirvana The mural Nirvana from Mogao Cave No. 148 reappears onstage, echoing the Prologue. Buddha solemnly tells his disciples that he would soon enter Nirvana. Everyone weeps, however Buddha speaks calmly and compassionately, wittily imparting his wisdom on life and the other shore: “The scenery in life is as beautiful as poems and paintings.” The inspired disciples engage in a lively exchange with Buddha on the philosophy of life and the human mind. Buddha was Man, and Man will be Buddha. In grief, the disciples request whether they can ask one last question, and Buddha agrees. The disciples ask Buddha, “Are you God?” Buddha answers, “No, I am not.” “Are you the Son of God?” “No, I am not.” “Are you sent by God?” “No, I am not.” “Please enlighten us: what are you?” “I am... awake...” as Buddha closes his eyes and leaves for Nirvana. Moon and sun disappear. Mountains and rivers shudder. All goes into darkness. Bells toll. Great chants from the other shore...