Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

PSmith wrote:

At Daihonzan Chozen-ji in Honolulu they use shakuhachi as part of their regular Buddhist practice.  Kyoen Honda Roshi came to Vancouver and Seattle and gave a talk on their practice.  He stresses focus on out-breath with your whole mental and physical being, and later, improvisation.  "Who is playing shakuachi?" He has his students walk while playing; one step per breath.  They do not play from the formal honkyoku canon. 

It was interesting to hear how the shakuhachi was being used in a formal zendo setting.

Anyone interested can find more information here
http://zentour2008.web.officelive.com/default.aspx
http://www.chozen-ji.org/

This an associated group in Seattle lead by Reverend Diane Yen-Mei Wong.

thanks for that link- i had never heard of that temple before. shakuhachi/art, martial arts and zen and their inter-relationships pretty much defines my own practice, nice to hear of a place that makes it part of formal practice.

Bogert- I do play honkyoku daily in my meditation room, in series with okyo and zazen, much as you decribed. I would suggest only playing pieces you are comfortable with, ideally have memorized, otherwise Practice will be too focused on practice (as in technique) i often just play choshi and leave it at that. I try to blow in the same spirit as the preceding (or subsequent) okyo, and include dedication of merit to all beings afterward- basically fostering a feeling of kansha, or gratitude to even be able to engage in this practice.

It is worth noting again that these are kind of modern uses of shakuhachi in meditation- in this forum and elsewhere it has been gone over many many times that what exactly the historical komuso did with shakuhachi as suizen (or didn't do) is basically unclear and open to endless postulation.

Last edited by Glenn Swann (2009-05-07 19:39:30)

PSmith wrote:

At Daihonzan Chozen-ji in Honolulu they use shakuhachi as part of their regular Buddhist practice.

This was very interesting information. Thank you for posting the link.
Oh - so the chadō in Hobart has a Fuke shrine. Nice.
In my new home we have a meditation room. That's also where my shakuhachi are and where I play.
It feels like a good combination.

I am trying to play mine as part of meditation. Although, I am still learning(3 1/2 months). I do find it relaxing.

Hey Chris,
  Thanks. Maybe you did see me, I think Taimadera is part of the temples on the meguri list you mentioned. Taimadera temple about a 10 min walk from Taimadera eki (station) on the Kintetsu Minami Osaka line. Which is about 30 min. from Abenobashi (Tennoji) in Osaka.  June 16th there is a large ceremony called Kami-Kuyo, in which everyone gives a small piece, like a millimeter, of hair in honor of Princess Chujyo, 中将姫. There will be some other monks attending and doing some chanting as well and maybe Horagai. It's outside in the temple under the whisteria trees in front of her grave. The website's in Japanese but here it is:
http://www.taimadera.org/