《瑜伽焰口》在唐代實叉難陀初譯時，其內容僅僅是一種個人施食餓鬼的修持，經過一千年之後，轉變成追薦祖先的大型法會，這些轉變經過什麼樣的過程與發展？是頗值得探討的課題。 在台灣，《瑜伽焰口》的儀式音樂唱腔有「鼓山音」（也稱鼓山調）與「海潮音」兩種系統，「鼓山音」指的是1949 年國民政府來臺前，台灣本土寺院法師自福建鼓山湧泉寺學習而來的梵唄唱腔。「海潮音」指的是1949 年國民政府來臺之後，為數頗多的江浙佛教系統法師帶來江浙系統的梵唄唱腔，這些江浙佛教系統的法師又將「海潮音」的唱誦方式，傳給了臺灣的年輕法師，使得《瑜伽焰口》法會特別受到信眾的護持，臺灣也繼續傳承漢傳佛教《瑜伽焰口》的儀式音樂。 When Śikṣānanda first translated the “Yogacara Ulkā-mukha,” its content was merely a personalpractice of alms-giving the dead (shishi), or offering food to hungry ghosts. A thousand years later, theYogacara Ulkā-mukha Dharma Service flourished into a large-scale ancestral worship ceremony. Thisthesis studies the processes of this change. In Taiwan, the vocal formulae used in the Yogacara Ulkā-mukha Dharma Service is comprised ofthe so-called “gushan tone” and the “haichao tone.” The “gushan tone” is a Taiwanese style of Buddhistchanting that was acquired from Yongquan Temple in Fujian before the arrival of the Nationalistgovernment in 1949. The “haichao tone” is a Zhejiang style of Buddhist chanting that came to Taiwan afterthe arrival of the Nationalist government in 1949. This method of chanting was then taught in Taiwanesetemples. In turn, the Yogacara Ulkā-mukha Dharma Service became a popular rite, and ensured the continuity of Chinese Buddhism in Taiwan.
