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.
