ABSTRACT
This chapter articulates a theory of ritual polyphony in Chinese religions. The first and second sections explore the role of sound and embodiment in early Chinese discussions of music and dance and the rhythmic movements of the cosmos. The third section introduces Chinese medieval Daoist discussions of the cosmic whistling of Daoist recluses, and the role of cosmogenic sonic energies embedded within Sanskrit syllables and spells within Daoist scriptures and liturgy. The final section opens up a larger perspective on sonic forces in contemporary local communal ritual events in Southeast China and Southeast Asia, in which both Daoist and earlier conceptions of the role of music and dance play a role.
