Dear Mike, Nina and friends,

thanks for bringing this up. Please help me with the following
questions:

1. Is this part of the Bhikkhu precepts?

2. If not, does any of the five negative consequences results in the
violation of any precepts? For example, when pride arises in the
singer, is the monk violating any of the precepts?

3. What about lay people promoting Buddhism through hymns, or when
some elements of Buddhism are used in songs?

4. One tricky question, aside from an academic viewpoint, should lay
people be discussing the vinaya? I understand from the Mahayana
standpoint, it is wrong for a householder to probe into or meddle
with the Vinaya. Does this rule exist in the Theravada tradition?
This is why I refrain from discussion of the Vinaya myself.

Thanks.

metta,
Yong Peng

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, m. nease wrote:
Bhikkhus, there are these five dangers when Dhamma is chanted with a
long, singing sound:

He is pleased with himself regarding that sound, (= pride)

Others are pleased regarding that sound (they have regard for it but
not for Dhamma)

Householders look down upon him (as music is for those who enjoy
sense-pleasures)

While trying for accuracy of sound his concentration is broken, (he
neglects the meaning of what he is chanting)

People coming after fall into views (by emulation) ("saying: Our
teachers and preceptors sang it thus" [Commentary] -- a source of
both pride and quarreling among later generations of Buddhists).

-- Vinaya Pitaka, ii. 108

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/bps/wheels/wheel206/chanting.html