慈濟佛教基金會於1966年由台灣的證嚴法師創立後，為台灣當代會員人數最多的宗教團體，也是跨出國界深具影響力的民間組織。長期以來，獨特的慈濟音樂一直被用於組織本土草根力量，以支持其「慈善、醫療、教育、人文」四大志業。除了持續發展「出家眾」的宗教組織之外，慈濟還在證嚴法師的「佛法人間化」理想下，開展出許多「非出家人」的專業分工群體，諸如認同慈濟精神的醫師與教師，因此除了經營傳統寺院以做為出家眾或在家居士修持法門的道場外，亦另立龐大的居士團體與世俗專業工作組織來實踐其宗教理想。在此發展脈絡下，於1983年起慈濟音樂開始在慈濟人（涵蓋出家眾與一般信眾工作者）之間流傳使用，用以傳遞出世宗教與入世實踐時謹持的核心理念。因此出家與在家界線逐漸模糊，單向地從寺院聽取佛教義理的千年傳統漸次變遷，佛教志業的責任開始移轉至廣大的在家居士、專業工作者，繼而成為現代台灣佛教的新興特色。本論文試圖拼湊台灣佛教慈濟人社群中使用音樂的歷史脈絡，除了透過蒐集歷年來與慈濟歌曲有關的大愛手語劇印刷品、有聲及相關報導資料，進行歌曲內涵與音樂風格的形式分析外，更嘗試深入解析這些歌曲的社會脈絡特質，以探討慈濟音樂如何在公民群體中（包括跨教派的不同信仰者）傳達其核心的「大愛」感受。本研究針對慈濟音樂所使用的分析方法包括：參與觀察、民族誌分析、檔案研究，以及語料文本的內容分析。經資料統整後，發現慈濟歌曲在1983至2008年的發展歷程中，在家眾傳唱的現代新創曲調逐年增加，除展現出慈濟音樂取材於民間情愫的草根動員性格、深寓現代台灣佛教歷史軌跡內涵的特質外，亦呈顯出佛教義理跨越世俗層次的廣布流傳特點，是故筆者認為此音樂現象分析有助於重新解析台灣佛教的現代色彩內涵。因此在研究佛教音樂脈絡的主題下，本文透過慈濟歌曲與手語劇的形式分析，以慈濟音樂接續傳統佛教與中國化音樂元素的現象為例，藉由觸探一個以女性本位為核心思考的慈濟行動者，其將現代佛教大愛隱含於呵護新生生命、延續家庭價值，乃至於疼惜地球環境等各層面關懷的世界觀點，透過音樂推廣至現代化華人世界宗教活動及慈善實踐中並持續發揮其影響力的發展經歷，作為重新理解台灣佛教現代性的另種途徑。同時相對於傳統佛教梵唄的人聲吟唱特色，新興的慈濟歌曲融合了西方音樂技法，強調通俗「音聲」弘法的文化概念，屬朗朗上口的簡潔曲風，透過通俗電視影集（大愛劇場）與手語劇劇院表演的傳頌，展現出一種風格獨特的「大愛」情感美學，使得慈濟音樂展演成為共同感受「大愛慈悲心」的新興傳播場域，在特定儀式場景下，遞嬗「慈濟人」社會實踐的核心價值與目的，因此本研究分析亦可用以理解城鄉大眾對此音樂文化的親近程度。

Tzu-Chi Buddhist Foundation is currently the largest religious organization in Taiwan. as well as an influential international non-governmental organization (NGO), founded in 1966 by the Taiwanese Buddhist Master Cheng-Yen. As promoted by this NGO, Tzu-Chi music has played a unique role within their organization in developing grassroots support for their ideology, being used actively in the four major careers of ”charity, medicine, education, and humanities.”In addition to developing religious organization of nuns, Tzu-Chi Foundation has followed the Master's mission of ”Teaching Buddhism in Civic Life”, by establishing a variety of modern specialized groups as out-of-temple workers, such as medical doctors in hospitals and professional teachers. Since 1983, music has served as a powerful means to connect different chapters of Tzu-Chi people by spanning the gap between non-secular and secular lifestyles. The Da-Ai music repertoire of folk songs and sign-language drama developed for the ”Tzu-Chi people” are primarily rooted in ancient music tradition of Buddhist Veda. Modern Buddhists as Tzu-Chi people do not just listen to religious lesson within the confines of their temples, but also employ the compassionate dogma through actions in their secular lives, and in guiding their careers paths.This paper attempts to examine the development of Tzu-Chi music, by describing local unique phenomena of musical practice in this Taiwanese Buddhist society. This formalist analysis of Tzu-Chi music upon song content and music style has found many unique characteristics of social deployment among rather modem-oriented civic groups, presenting an innovative way to meaningfully communicate their overall compassion for life to persons of other religious beliefs or doctrines.The methodology used in this survey is chiefly participant observation, ethnographic analysis, archive study, and content analysis according to the narrative texts. Through classifying the development stages of the Tzu-Chi songs in 1983-2008 which use for different purposes historically, it becomes clear that this modernized Buddhism lineage intends to re-invent melodic songs for out-of-temple Buddhists. The evolution of Tzu-Chi music delineates the historic trajectory of modern Buddhism in Taiwan, the emotional strategies used in grassroots mobilization, and the Buddhist cultural ideology applied in cross-religious and secular situations.The musical phenomena analysis has illuminated a folk-life emphasis of the Modern Taiwanese Buddhism, presenting a culture-near style for easy assimilation by rural and urban folk. In contrast to the traditional classic tonality of Buddhist music found in a complicated composition, Tzu-Chi music fundamentally forms a selected style composed of many simple melodic songs offering an easy-going style which facilitates widespread popularity through television series and dramatic stories presentations. In serving as a means of compassionate communication, this style of music constructs a unique emotional esthetic with intensive social functions for consolidating group identity and ritualizing religious and secular activities. Thus, the social circulation and cross-boundary mobilization of Tzu-Chi music have not only become an essential part of social life for their NGO membership, but have also generated a powerful means of communication in cross-religious emotional expression and group consolidation.Although this formalist analysis on Tzu-Chi music for songs and drama is at preliminary stage in the music study of Taiwanese Buddhism, its contribution towards understanding modern Buddhism in Taiwan is notable. The study unveils contemporary civic innovation with cultural roots in Chinese Buddhist musical traits, and demonstrates the persistent influence of Buddhist doctrine on modern social life, especially through Tzu-Chi charities and humanitarian efforts.