At first glance, the praise of celestial musicians and monastic chant experts seems to suggest that music plays an important role and has a wide range of applications in Buddhist traditions . But upon closer examination one realizes that this statement is overly generalized and requires careful redefinition. Buddhist practices primarily involve chanting, chanting, and chanting. Although recitation and singing are permitted if certain restrictions are adhered to, chanting is absolutely prohibited by the Vinaya rules to be performed, taught or assisted by novices, monks and nuns. Buddhist laymen and women are also advised to avoid musical entertainment. Respective discussions on Buddhist music or Vinaya rules are abundant, but few have observed the contradiction between them where music, depending on its format, has been described as a double-edged sword capable of facilitating or hindering religious practices . John Ross Carter (1983) came very close to this observation when he identified two strands within the Theravāda Buddhist tradition: “an old admonition about the control of the senses and an appreciation and legitimation of religious music.” But a textual analysis of the historical development of these “conflicting threads” has yet to be written. To fill this gap, this article explores how music is viewed and positioned in early Buddhist literature, with a specific focus on its interpretation and practice in Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Early Buddhist literature has a controversial attitude towards music. On the one hand, celestial music played by celestial musicians such as Gandharva, Pañcaśikha and Kinnara has been mentioned on many occasions. Buddhist monks such as Śroṇakoṭīkarṇa, Bhadr...... in the center of the card ...... similar to the transmission of folk songs. This tradition has survived in a huge collection of mgur writings, and the practice of mgur chanting is still alive in Tibet today. Another renewal in Tibetan Buddhism is the invention of monastic theatrical performances. In Vinaya, monks and nuns are banned from watching or performing plays after those in the group of six disgraced the monastic community during public musical performances. But in Tibetan monasteries, dramas are regularly performed by monks during religious festivals. In summary, chanting is strictly distinct from recitation or chanting in early Buddhist literature, and their roles in Buddhist practices differ greatly. During the spread of Buddhist music from India to China and Tibet, indigenous interpretation of Vinaya rules regarding music production allowed for the inclusion of religious practices with greater musicality.