Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

We've got a quite nice bar here in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

http://www.jadebuddha.com.au/

But unfortunately not as nicely signed as your photo :-)

I might have to move this to the Zen forum and get myself hit with a Zen stick for what I'm about to say. Buddhism forbids use of intoxicating beverages. But what does that really mean? Did Buddha ever have a nice Belgian ale? Although he lived in India he never had Bombay Sapphire martinis. What was Buddha's favorite single malt Scotch? How about wine, did he prefer Chardonnay or maybe he liked something stronger like a nice Amarone? Of course the answer is none of the above because none of these drinks existed in his time and place.

What they had in India in those days was coconut toddy. I've had it and let me tell you there's no mysticism or philosophy involved in recommending not to drink it, because it SUCKS!

I think the prohibition applies only to toddy.

I'm not sure what this means, or why someone would go to the effort to do it, but I never claimed to be a good judge of human endeavors in the creative arts:



Regards,

H.

Chris Moran wrote:

http://www.chrismoran.com/cocktailbuddha-web.jpg
Evidence. -- Chinatown, San Francisco. August 26, 2007.

Chris, 
You must've had fun after Ken and Michael workshop

The Buddha Bar brings back memories! Did you get a shot of Li PO, the bar across the street with a circular moon gate entrance? Li Po is classic. The perfect amount of cheesiness.

On a side note. Just two or three blocks away is Clarion Music, a great ethnic music shop where one can walk in off the street and actually buy a shakuhachi.

Best, Perry

Gone are the days of the Old World Hard Drinking Gods.

Oh sure, the Buddha looks at ease in that dually beer cap.  And Jesus was good with the wine and inspired many patron saints to brew and ferment in his name.  But if you need a god that can really drink you under the table, I think you have to turn to the Aztecs (Mayahuel, goddess of booze) or Norse (Aegir, brewmeister and god of the sea) or Egyptians (Osiris) or of course the Greeks and Romans (Dionysus and Bacchus).  Some religions really knew how to throw a party.

-Darren.

Chris Moran wrote:

Yungflutes wrote:

Chris, 
You must've had fun after Ken and Michael workshop

The Buddha Bar brings back memories! Did you get a shot of Li PO, the bar across the street with a circular moon gate entrance? Li Po is classic. The perfect amount of cheesiness.

On a side note. Just two or three blocks away is Clarion Music, a great ethnic music shop where one can walk in off the street and actually buy a shakuhachi.

Best, Perry

Yes, and I have yet to have the presence to write about the workshop, but I will. In the review section. Soon.

The Li Po sign was in bad direct light that afternoon, but I did think of you when I looked at it. I have an old shot of it somewhere in my non-digital archives.

Clarion is a great music store. Can you get Yung or Chikusing shakuhachi there?

Then of course there's Sam Wo's on Washington Street. Fish Chow-Fun.

http://www.chrismoran.com/samwo_washing … nt-web.jpg

Chris, Sam Wo was my favorite late night spot! Sam was such a character that he showed up in bit parts in movies playing himself.

Clarion has some decent intro level shakuhachi. I used to work with a couple of music shops in NYC. I stopped after a while because the walk-ins ended up paying twice my asking price. Rents pretty hefty in NYC

Hope to have a plate of fish chow fun with you one day!

Peace, Perry

Last edited by Yungflutes (2007-09-10 22:38:37)

Here's a later version of the poem I worked on. Pretty soon it will be completely unrecognizable as the famous Li Po poem:

Abandoning myself

Sitting with my wine, I do not notice the dusk.
Falling blossoms fill the folds of my clothes.
Drunk, I stagger to the stream
trying to catch the moon.

Birds are far off
and people, too,
are few.

— Li Po (699-762 CE)