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#1 2006-03-03 03:09:06
- John Roff
- Member
- From: South Africa
- Registered: 2005-10-21
- Posts: 50
Labyrinths and Shakuhachi
Although not strictly a 'Zen' meditation topic, I am very drawn to labyrinths. It occurred to me that a shakuhachi could be a great companion on a labyrinth, and I just wondered whether anyone on the forum has tried this.
Some ideas I have are playing at the start, perhaps at certain key places, and at at the centre. Then again to end.
Comments welcome.
John
'Concepts create idols; only wonder grasps anything.' - Gregory of Nyssa
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#2 2006-03-03 16:41:15
- rpowers
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- From: San Francisco
- Registered: 2005-10-09
- Posts: 285
Re: Labyrinths and Shakuhachi
John Roff wrote:
Some ideas I have are playing at the start, perhaps at certain key places, and at at the centre. Then again to end.
Comments welcome.
John
I had thought about this myself, but by the time I started playing shakuhachi, I didn't have a labyrinth to walk. Then I happened upon a very discreet labyrinth in a city plaza , and pulled out the flute to try the combination. I personally didn't feel that it added much; I have learned to be much more focused when I play than I ever was while walking the path. Try it when you have the chance; you might like it more than I did.
My take on the labyrinth itself is probably different from yours. I don't think of it as having distinct "places" along the way; to me it is a continuum. I would like to be able to take a deep inhalation, then exhale slowly and evenly until I reach the center. At the center, I would fill my lungs again and exhale myself back out of the labyrinth. I can't do that, and you probably can't either. If you have a long enough piece you can play by memory, you might try to enter the path as you begin, and let the last note die out as you reach the center.
Rich
"Shut up 'n' play . . . " -- Frank Zappa
"Gonna blow some . . ." -- Junior Walker
"It's not the flute." -- Riley Lee
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#3 2006-08-10 15:36:22
- GONGTOPIA
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- Registered: 2006-08-10
- Posts: 3
Re: Labyrinths and Shakuhachi
The center of a labyrinth is where the energy (specifically water energy) is centered. I have found it best to walk the labyrinth, then play upon reaching the center (as an offereing/meditation/etc.), then walk back out.
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#4 2006-08-10 16:13:22
Re: Labyrinths and Shakuhachi
GONGTOPIA wrote:
The center of a labyrinth is where the energy (specifically water energy) is centered. I have found it best to walk the labyrinth, then play upon reaching the center (as an offereing/meditation/etc.), then walk back out.
Sorry, I'm ignorant of labyrinth uses and tradition. Please pardon my questions...
What is "water energy"? Does it matter what material the walls of the labyrinth are constructed of and/or in what configuration?
-Darren.
When it is rainy, I am in the rain. When it is windy, I am in the wind. - Mitsuo Aida
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#5 2006-08-10 18:33:35
- rpowers
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- From: San Francisco
- Registered: 2005-10-09
- Posts: 285
Re: Labyrinths and Shakuhachi
dstone wrote:
Does it matter what material the walls of the labyrinth are constructed of and/or in what configuration?
-Darren.
There are no walls. The pattern is laid out on the floor as a path for walking meditation. Most of the modern labyrinths are modeled after the cathedral at Chartres. See:
http://www.gracecathedral.org/labyrinth/.
"Shut up 'n' play . . . " -- Frank Zappa
"Gonna blow some . . ." -- Junior Walker
"It's not the flute." -- Riley Lee
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#6 2006-08-11 00:02:07
Re: Labyrinths and Shakuhachi
rpowers wrote:
dstone wrote:
Does it matter what material the walls of the labyrinth are constructed of and/or in what configuration?
There are no walls. The pattern is laid out on the floor as a path for walking meditation. Most of the modern labyrinths are modeled after the cathedral at Chartres.
I see. Thanks. Labyrinths are apparently a subset of "mazes", without junctions or choices to make. I can see why this could be a tool for walking meditation. Nice.
-Darren.
When it is rainy, I am in the rain. When it is windy, I am in the wind. - Mitsuo Aida
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#7 2006-08-12 00:13:49
- GONGTOPIA
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- Registered: 2006-08-10
- Posts: 3
Re: Labyrinths and Shakuhachi
A labyrinth is a single path winding through a set number of circuits before reaching the center. The only way out is to follow the path in reverse. There is no 'subset of "mazes".' A maze is different by design and is set up with traps and dead ends to deliberately confuse. There may also be more than one way to pass through a maze.
The most famous labyrinth, in Chartes Cathedral, is an 11 circuit labyrinth. These circuits wind through 4 quadrents before reaching the center. The classical labyrinth, dating back to over 4,000 years, has 7 circuits, corresponding to the 7 Chakras or other energy centers. To walk the labyrinth is a meditation and a metaphor for life and the spiritual quest/journey.
Labyrinths were traditionally laid out on ley lines (or where they converge) and energy centers. They can be laid out in stone, earth, grass; or as many modern day ones are, painted on canvas or a floor. It is no accident that they were often in proximity to ancient aquaducts, as they draw water up from the earth into a dome forming under the center of the labyrinth. Labyrinths are amazing energy centers.
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