To express the Buddhist theories, the melodies of Padem dbyangs are pleasantly low and full of sympathy, mainly by employing five-tone scales of the minor mode (among them the Yu tone is used most frequently). When we hear them, we feel as if we were listening to our masters’ teachings, or looking at our masters’ respectful faces above us, wisdom naturally occurring to our mind.

Beside the Padem dbyangs, Tibetan parents also teach their children the vajra guru mantra, namely OM AH HUM VAJRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUM .

Besides the vajra guru mantra, there are four conversion sutras and conversion tunes, namely, those of taking refuge in master, being converted to Buddha, taking refuge in dharma, and taking refuge in lamas.

These three tunes are the most basic and must be learned, memorized and repeatedly recited. In the eyes of Buddhists, these tunes are not music (or folk songs) in the general sense, for they cannot be recited or sung at all times or places. Instead, they chanted or sung only with a peaceful, sympathetic and concentrated mind in special situations and on specific occasions, for they are an essential part of Buddhist doctrines, and have the nature to awaken compassion and wisdom in people. All the mantras, tunes and songs mentioned above constitute a part of the fundamental education of Tibetan, by which they transform their attitude toward death and eventually gain complete freedom.

Songs for the Bardo Dying

Bardo means the transition period between a person’s death and his rebirth, which lasts 49days, every 7days of which a number of master are invited to chant the next of the dead. Texts and melodies vary each time.

In Tibetan areas, a series of diverse and complicated religious rituals are performed for dying. The first of them is to invoke deities from the four directions to bless and guard the dying. At religious rituals and places for offering sacrifice, the songs of prayer masters are frequently heard as follows:

When the dying is going to the end of his life and his spirit is passing away, a bedside master will be invited to help him or her spend the last moment and enter the bardo smoothly.To help the dying transfer his or her consciousness, the master will tap the dying gently and rhythmically from the clavicle to the top of the head, and in peaceful, kind, and sympathetic tones. The master will continue his tapping, gradually slowing down and lowering his voice while he repeats these words. He will not stop until the dying finally departs his life and enters reality.

Songs for the Bardo of Realities

The bardo of realities is the so-called the bardo of luminosity, in which the image of Yama, who is in charge of truth and justice, will appear, bringing light for this bardo and laying bare all the good and bad deeds of the deceased before his death.

To help the dead follow the masters’ instructions and eventually enter the marvelous Pure Land of Dewachen, it is necessary to guide their steps on a journey of the rebirth by means of a chant named the transference of the consciousness which is called Phowa in the Tibetan language, and is method of chanting varies from place to place. It is classified into three main types:

1. The recited parts are in the form of rhymes with changing rhythm, but special attention is paid to the unity between rhyme and rhythm;

2. Some parts have smooth and graceful melodies reminiscent of songs meant for singing ;( the example of music scores is omitted here)