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#1 2005-11-19 23:15:24

Seth
Member
From: Scarsdale, NY
Registered: 2005-10-24
Posts: 270

Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

I have been studying and playing shakuhachi for four years.  Shakuhachi is a tremendous source of pleasure and peace in my life. 

Not surprisingly I am also very interested in Buddhism, Zen, and mediation.  (And in all combinations of these three terms.) 

But, I have to admit. I am a bit skeptical about the marriage of shakuhachi and medtiation.

Meditation, for me, is the practice of relaxing one’s mind to achieve a state of true rest.  When I meditate I direct my mind to focus on an object, term or action that will, hopefully, allow my mind to stop its wandering and to simply rest.  After a half hour of meditating I open my eyes feeling highly refreshed, energized and very peaceful.

Playing shakuhachi, on the other hand, is quite a different experience.  Shakuhachi playing entails a remarkable amount of discipline, directed thought, corrective action, and, hey, let’s be honest, outright struggle.   My first year of trying to hit the high octave consistently was a wrestling match.  Trying to get my meris meri enough is a fight.  Fretting over flat notes and getting pitch right is a discipline.  Trying to get clear and beautiful sounding notes is simply a struggle.  After an hour of blowing shakuhachi I feel very happy, but also quite tired. 

Shakuhachi playing is an art – and mastering an art is undoubtedly a highly rewarding experience.  (I don’t mean to imply I am anywhere near mastering shakuhahci playing, but every small step in that direction has been very gratifying.) Of course, this is what is so precious about shakuhachi and about all arts – they require discipline and most of all mastery. 

Meditation is about forgetting oneself and resting, shakuhachi playing is about discipline and mastery.  The two seem to walk in completely opposite directions.  So my question, is: What do these two experiences have in common, besides the historical quirk that the original shakuhachi players belonged to a religion that also prized meditation? 

I could imagine that just blowing ro over and over could be meditative.  But that is not really shakuhachi playing - that's just blowing ro over and over.  But even then wouldn't the blower become distracted by the quality, pitch, and volume of his or her ro?  Wouldn't this simply transform the 'meditation' into a contest of mastery - which, once again, to me is the opposite of meditation, the practice of simply letting go... 

Of course I am well aware the honkyoku were composed with religious and meditative goals in mind.  But so were Bach’s cantatas and somehow studying harpsichord does not seem to have the same mystical and/or meditative cache that playing shakuhachi has somehow acquired.  Can someone please explain how playing shakuhachi is more meditative than studying clarinet?


So please set me straight:  Shakuhachi & Meditation – a historical quirk, or a natural coupling?

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#2 2005-11-20 14:27:44

jb
Member
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 24

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Hi.

Your logic is perfect.  But there are other aspects to this.

Try opening your eyes while you meditate.  Sleep doctors claim that meditation and sleep are indistinguisable on brain level.   Is bliss the only thing involved in meditation?

Perry Yung casually mentioned relaxing while playing.  It took a while but I find playing very refreshing.

For reasons too long to bring up here, I stopped meditating and only play.  I like playing better.

Regards

jb

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#3 2005-11-20 18:30:17

Josh
PhD
From: Grand Island, NY/Nara, Japan
Registered: 2005-11-14
Posts: 305
Website

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

I agree with most of what you said and have had the same thoughts. However, you mention that "Meditation is about forgetting oneself and resting, shakuhachi playing is about discipline and mastery." When we think of the shakuhachi in terms of mastery then there is a definate goal attached to that, which kind of goes against the concepts of meditation. Discipline also seems associated with meditation. In Zen, the lotus position and getting wacked with a stick aren't exactly comfortable for most people. This form of meditation is to aid the awakening not lull you into a half-sleep.

The Rinzai sect of Zen, in which shakuhachi is connected (mind I'm not using the word rooted, the history is suspect), is very accepting of the arts. They tend to believe that through action, whether it be tea ceremony, martial arts etc., we can reach that state of no mind. 

I too am still struggling with relaxing when playing. But my teacher says that after you truly are one with a song you can play it by heart, relaxed, without thinking of it and it just flows. But for me this takes a little time. When your body and mind go into over pilot this is when we can forget ourselves and not rest but remain relaxed.  When you play the song and are "in your zone" is the time we are meditating, what happens afterwards is not related to the moment when we were one with the music.
OK, sorry for the long winded attempt to pinpoint Zen, an attempt that is bound to fail. I am definately no expert so if there are more qualified people out there please correct me.
Josh

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#4 2005-11-21 01:30:25

steven
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From: Seattle
Registered: 2005-11-15
Posts: 13

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Having meditated much longer than I've been playing shakuhachi, my comments will mostly be from the meditation side of things. The issue is mostly in your definition of what meditation is and what it is for. I wouldn't say there is anything wrong with it, but it is not at all the definition and purpose that I have with meditation.

Generally speaking the relaxation and peace that you feel are side-effects of meditation practice. The two main types of meditation, stabalizing and analytic are both practiced in order to facilitate a direct perception of reality that is free of the ego-based filters with which we usually see the world. A common literal translation of the sanskrit/tibetan words for meditation is "to become familiar with", and it is usally interpreted to become familiar with the way our mind distorts reality and to attempt to become familiar with a more realistic view of reality.If one practices long enough (often occuring on retreats) then one encounters all of the grasping and judging and attachment and aversion that we experience in day to day events, but when it arises during our meditation practice we have a chance to analyze and to see how our mind jerks as around too and frow.

I think all of the things you said about playing, are common and that your meditation practice can help you recognize the ego involvement in your playing and how it may interfere with really being present and in the moment with the breath and sound.

Those are some brief thoughts form my experience. I'll note that my meditaiton background is from the Tibetan tradition which does differ significantly in form from the Zen traditions, but not in the end goal. I hope these words contribute to your thinking in some small way, probably not in the way I think they will and that's just the way it should be smile

Steven

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#5 2005-11-21 10:02:00

Seth
Member
From: Scarsdale, NY
Registered: 2005-10-24
Posts: 270

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Josh-  Yes.  When I do play a honkyoku I have learned quite well (I don't have the nerve to use the word 'mastered') the experience is quite pleasant and even relaxing.  But in general playing shakuhachi is a process of struggle - especially as I aproach this entire experience as someone who wishes to share my music with others and not merely play for my own enjoyment in the privacy of my home.  And this really drives the point home:  Who on earth meditates as a theatrical performance?  The only consumer of a meditative experience is the meditator .  Obviously playing shakuhachi is quite different...

Steven-  No doubt there is waayyyy too much ego in my music and in my life in general from a zen perspective.  But sadly this is true for every artist.  Pursuing an art is all about developing one's personal abilities to master a craft.  I can't think of anything more egotistic.  Aren't all great artists both gifted and cursed with large egos? 

For me this is the central contradiction between zen meditation, which aspires to being egoless, and pursuing an art, which is all ego.  I once had the pleasure of sharing a meal with Kurahashi and we ended up speaking about this point at length. Kurahashi nodded in agreement to my observation, but then playfully proved me wrong by saying "But I am an exception. I have no ego."  Truth be told I do not know Kurahashi very well, but as he said these words I felt in my heart that he was being honest.  But he did admit, with a chuckle,  that as far as shakuhachi players go he is the exception to the rule.

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#6 2005-11-21 10:16:02

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
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Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Seth wrote:

Josh-  Yes.  When I do play a honkyoku I have learned quite well (I don't have the nerve to use the word 'mastered') the experience is quite pleasant and even relaxing.  But in general playing shakuhachi is a process of struggle - especially as I aproach this entire experience as someone who wishes to share my music with others and not merely play for my own enjoyment in the privacy of my home.  And this really drives the point home:  Who on earth meditates as a theatrical performance?  The only consumer of a meditative experience is the meditator .  Obviously playing shakuhachi is quite different...

Performance heightens and sharpens ones experience. In performance one can get into the zone and lose oneself. Maybe that is akin to deep meditation.

Seth wrote:

Steven-  No doubt there is waayyyy too much ego in my music and in my life in general from a zen perspective.  But sadly this is true for every artist.  Pursuing an art is all about developing one's personal abilities to master a craft.  I can't think of anything more egotistic.  Aren't all great artists both gifted and cursed with large egos?

Mastering a craft need not be an ego trip. Shakuhachi as you mentioned is very humbling. Nevertheless any kind of artist needs a strong ego to fend off criticism, from "your meri is too high" to "you are ugly". Without an ego we are paralyzed.

Seth wrote:

For me this is the central contradiction between zen meditation, which aspires to being egoless, and pursuing an art, which is all ego.  I once had the pleasure of sharing a meal with Kurahashi and we ended up speaking about this point at length. Kurahashi nodded in agreement to my observation, but then playfully proved me wrong by saying "But I am an exception. I have no ego."  Truth be told I do not know Kurahashi very well, but as he said these words I felt in my heart that he was being honest.  But he did admit, with a chuckle,  that as far as shakuhachi players go he is the exception to the rule.

Rest assured-Kurahashi Sensei was joking!


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#7 2005-11-21 13:02:32

Seth
Member
From: Scarsdale, NY
Registered: 2005-10-24
Posts: 270

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

The seemingly meditative high of the perfect, or at least effortless performance, is the topic of the fairly famous book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.  Intresting to note that a good portion of the book is dedicated to this sensation as experienced by professional athletes in moments of peak performance.  Yes, I think this state is very akin to deep meditation.

I misquoted Kurahashi - he actually said "I have very little ego."  Maybe my sense of humor is off, but in the context I thought he was quite serious.

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#8 2005-11-27 00:09:22

daiishi
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From: Arkansas
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 8
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Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

I love this forum. The feedback here is so wonderfully diverse. Bear in mind that the following is just my opinion and in no way should be weighed against the truth of your own observation. I grew up Buddhist and my father played the shakuhachi. I got hooked and that is why I make them today. For me the shakuhachi can be a tool for meditation because it leads to centering, breath control and concentration. Other than that, many people confuse the two sides of this.

Shakuhachi playing like any instrument is about creating beautiful music. If you are playing traditional pieces you are in effect copying to the best of your abilities those before you and trying to bring new beauty and life to the piece. This is a VERY concious effort that is not conducive to meditation or letting go. On the other hand, I play violin, bass, guitar, and a range of other instruments, and none of them will make you focus on a single thing as much as the shakuhachi.

I remember a Buddhist nun saying to me once that the shakuhachi was very zen as a lesson. She said "You can only play the one note, those you have already played are gone and you can't change them and you haven't played those notes below this one yet so you can't waste this note's time worrying about those." That is a great point but doesn't make the actual playing a meditation.

If you are playing the shakuhachi in meditative ways you should not be worried about the perfection of tone. Let go, feel the music as you improvise. I find that for me improvisation is the only way to let go of that worry about exact meri or being ugly so I improvise a lot in life.


Some say history and tradition are everything. Some say their way is the only way. Some say the shakuhachi is just a container for a column of vibrating air. I suspect the truth is between all these.

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#9 2005-11-27 07:02:31

Matri
Member
From: Germany / Berlin
Registered: 2005-10-15
Posts: 3
Website

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Hi Daiishi, 
 
I read your article, your words are in my heart and I can feel with you. 
Every note is really life, my life and if others hear it, their life too.   
But a moment later, nobody can find something. 
It comes out emptiness and it goes in emptiness. 
That is more Zen as I could feel years ago, if I only sit on a zafu. 
 
I wish you and everybody a great day. 
greetings from germany
Mario

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#10 2005-12-04 12:08:42

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
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Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

TOTO wrote:

Dana wrote:

I have been known to play one of my instruments for an hour without stopping.

I can relate, Dana-san. I once passed gas in the mens room of the Greyhound Bus Station for 63 1/2 minutes and it felt great.TOTO

OK TOTO,

Perhaps it is time to remind everyone of the only "Rule" we have on this forum:

"In order to promote the quality of the forum, anonymous registration is not permitted. You may use any "username" you wish. However, when setting up your profile, please use your first and last name and allow your email address to be visible to all members. Thanks! Administration"

Since you seem to fall under the heading "Gaijin shakuhachi player with a sense of humor", you can only be one of a handful of people. Nevertheless if you want to make posts tweaking the legitimate members of the forum, you must unmask yourself. Or face the karmic consequences. Consider yourself warned.


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#11 2005-12-04 17:34:15

rpowers
Member
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 285

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Tairaku wrote:

Since you seem to fall under the heading "Gaijin shakuhachi player with a sense of humor", you can only be one of a handful of people.

In perspective, the heading "Gaijin shakuhachi player" is in itself a rather limited group. Among the players I know, the stipulation of a sense of humor only eliminates a handful of people (admittedly, most people see more humor in other people's quirks than in their own).

From time to time, this forum provides a reminder that we sometimes take ourselves way too seriously, even when what we have to say is not nearly as profound or interesting, or even as accurate as we think it is.

We can explain, discuss, and clarify (or even ignore) issues and opinions expressed here, but let's not turn the forum into a public toilet.

Rich Powers
Gaijin philosophical humorist with a shakuhachi (or a few)

Last edited by rpowers (2005-12-04 23:31:23)


"Shut up 'n' play . . . " -- Frank Zappa
"Gonna blow some . . ." -- Junior Walker
"It's not the flute." -- Riley Lee

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#12 2005-12-05 00:06:05

Larry
Member
From: Columbus, OH
Registered: 2005-10-10
Posts: 58

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Seth wrote:

And this really drives the point home:  Who on earth meditates as a theatrical performance?

I once heard a story about a performance by Watazumi Doso Roshi where the curtains opened, he just sat there meditating for a period of time, then the curtains closed.  End of performance.

Larry

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#13 2005-12-05 00:11:11

rpowers
Member
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 285

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Tairaku wrote:

Perhaps it is time to remind everyone of the only "Rule" we have on this forum:

"In order to promote the quality of the forum, anonymous registration is not permitted. You may use any "username" you wish. However, when setting up your profile, please use your first and last name and allow your email address to be visible to all members. Thanks! Administration"

Since you seem to fall under the heading "Gaijin shakuhachi player with a sense of humor", you can only be one of a handful of people. Nevertheless if you want to make posts tweaking the legitimate members of the forum, you must unmask yourself. Or face the karmic consequences. Consider yourself warned.

While it is true that we have only one stated rule, do you really think that the most offensive aspect of TOTO/Manny's post is the use of an assumed persona? In any case, the rule is not really enforceable. If TOTO edits his profile tomorrow morning to include the first name Francis and the last name Sinatra, he is compliant, but how are we better off? On the other hand, if you banish all members who haven't entered a first name, a last name, and a visible email address, you will truly have a small handful of people left.

Ken implied another rule--to my mind more important--in his "Read First" message when the forum first opened:

Mujitsu wrote:

When posting to the forum, please be nice. Respectful, civil interaction and debate keeps us closer to the original purpose of a forum. Take the high road.

Enjoy the Shakuhachi Forum!

As long as the posts are civil, anonymity does no great harm; flaming does, whether it is signed or not.

Rich


"Shut up 'n' play . . . " -- Frank Zappa
"Gonna blow some . . ." -- Junior Walker
"It's not the flute." -- Riley Lee

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#14 2005-12-05 00:34:21

rpowers
Member
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 285

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

TOTO wrote:

Master would never consider "tweaking" another legitimate forum member.

Now I remember what the word "disingenuous" means.

The eBay listing was an amusing parody of a type of behavior; no one was forced to acknowledge that they were the target. An unpleasant parody of an individual member--quoted and named in the posting--is quite a different matter.

The Master and everyone else should take note that even if a rash posting is deleted, it may live on if another member quotes it in their response.

Last of all, if the Master was referring to the day of his Sigmoidoscopy, you really can't count all the compressed air they pump into you; that's just cheating.

Ring-a-ding

Rich


"Shut up 'n' play . . . " -- Frank Zappa
"Gonna blow some . . ." -- Junior Walker
"It's not the flute." -- Riley Lee

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#15 2005-12-05 00:47:14

rpowers
Member
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 285

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

rpowers wrote:

As long as the posts are civil, anonymity does no great harm; flaming does, whether it is signed or not.

One last thought before I give it a rest--I don't really think that anonymous postings are a great idea. If you are looking for shakuhachi advice, and find three different opinions posted by Rich, by Riley Lee, and by Frank Sinatra, I suggest you listen to Riley.

Oyasumi nasai

Rich

Last edited by rpowers (2005-12-05 00:48:17)


"Shut up 'n' play . . . " -- Frank Zappa
"Gonna blow some . . ." -- Junior Walker
"It's not the flute." -- Riley Lee

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#16 2005-12-05 07:36:23

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Larry wrote:

Seth wrote:

And this really drives the point home:  Who on earth meditates as a theatrical performance?

I once heard a story about a performance by Watazumi Doso Roshi where the curtains opened, he just sat there meditating for a period of time, then the curtains closed.  End of performance.Larry

Kurahashi Sensei said that he only saw Watazumi perform once. Since Watazumi seldom made public concerts everybody was excited to hear him play and the theater was packed. Watazumi came out and as Kurahashi said "danced" with his Bo stick (martial arts tool) for a while. That was the performance.

Our own Nyokai saw Watazumi perform. Hopefully he will recount the experience at some point. cool


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#17 2005-12-05 17:12:46

nyokai
shihan
From: Portland, ME
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 613
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Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Tairaku wrote:

Our own Nyokai saw Watazumi perform. Hopefully he will recount the experience at some point.

Yep, I don't remember the ticket price but it was high by early 1970's standards. Maezumi-roshi was translating. Watazumi talked and talked and talked, about stick fighting, about how he wasn't a musician, etc. etc. After at least forty five minutes of this he finally picked up a flute and played one note, then put it down, kept talking a while longer, and left. Some of the audience was delighted, some grumbled.

Watazumi could have joined Fluxus and made it big as a conceptual performance artist.

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#18 2005-12-05 17:17:49

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

nyokai wrote:

Tairaku wrote:

Our own Nyokai saw Watazumi perform. Hopefully he will recount the experience at some point.

Yep, I don't remember the ticket price but it was high by early 1970's standards. Maezumi-roshi was translating. Watazumi talked and talked and talked, about stick fighting, about how he wasn't a musician, etc. etc. After at least forty five minutes of this he finally picked up a flute and played one note, then put it down, kept talking a while longer, and left. Some of the audience was delighted, some grumbled.

Watazumi could have joined Fluxus and made it big as a conceptual performance artist.

Wow!

Some may find the following suggestion problematic but a lifetime in showbiz tells me that our hero may have suffered from..............stage fright.

Whad'ya think?


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#19 2005-12-05 18:26:36

kyoreiflutes
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From: Seattle, WA
Registered: 2005-10-27
Posts: 364
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Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Or perhaps he was playing the role of Crazy Old Japanese Hermit for all the attending Gaijiin in attendance. wink


-E


"The Universe does not play favorites, and is not fair by its very Nature; Humans, however, are uniquely capable of making the world they live in fair to all."    - D.E. Lloyd

"Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee."    -John Donne

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#20 2005-12-05 20:25:31

Moran from Planet X
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From: Here to There
Registered: 2005-10-11
Posts: 1524
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Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

kyoreiflutes wrote:

Or perhaps he was playing the role of Crazy Old Japanese Hermit for all the attending Gaijiin in attendance. wink


-E

I tend to side with our man here from kyoreiflutes. "Gurus" can smell a questing Westerner 10 miles away.


"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass...and I am all out of bubblegum." —Rowdy Piper, They Live!

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#21 2005-12-05 20:38:50

Moran from Planet X
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From: Here to There
Registered: 2005-10-11
Posts: 1524
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Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Larry wrote:

I once heard a story about a performance by Watazumi Doso Roshi where the curtains opened, he just sat there meditating for a period of time, then the curtains closed.  End of performance.

The avant-garde composer John Cage composed a piece called 4'33" (four mintes, thirty-three seconds) in 1952. One performance was described:

"A tuxedoed performer came on stage, sat at a grand piano, opened the lid, occasionally turned some music pages but otherwise sat as quietly as possible for 4 minutes and 33 seconds, then rose, bowed and left. And that was it."

In the video Sukiyaki & Chips (my teacher refers to it as "that silly video"), Watazumi speaks of giving a talk (presumably in the 1960s or 70s) to a group of Western musicians and composers. Watazumi pointedly refers to John Cage being among those present.


"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass...and I am all out of bubblegum." —Rowdy Piper, They Live!

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#22 2005-12-06 11:25:02

nyokai
shihan
From: Portland, ME
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 613
Website

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Tairaku wrote:

Wow!

Some may find the following suggestion problematic but a lifetime in showbiz tells me that our hero may have suffered from..............stage fright.

Whad'ya think?

Well, I didn't get that impression from him -- he seemed very relaxed and self-assured when talking, at least. And I also don't think he was taking advantage of gaijin naivete, as somebody else suggested. I really think he was sincerely trying to make a point in his own way -- yes, a point that's not too unlike Cage's.

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#23 2005-12-06 14:16:16

kyoreiflutes
Member
From: Seattle, WA
Registered: 2005-10-27
Posts: 364
Website

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Just so we're all on the same page, I was kidding, hence the winky. wink

-E


"The Universe does not play favorites, and is not fair by its very Nature; Humans, however, are uniquely capable of making the world they live in fair to all."    - D.E. Lloyd

"Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee."    -John Donne

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#24 2005-12-13 19:19:18

Stewart
Member
From: North West California Coast
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 1

Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

Gassho
Hello to everyone !
I read with great interest the many posts here. I am a full time Zen student and a beginner with regards to the shakuhachi. It is part of my arts practice and also has become part of my daily Zazen sitting. The morning sitting which lasts for 1 hour 15 mins is devoted to sitting with the Shakuhachi and practice. The evening sitting is not. There is no difference in the morning from the evening, both are done with "no mind"  There are other times during the day that practice is more formal and formal lesson plans are followed. For me its just another opportunity to practice and I'm very grateful.

Be well
stew
Gassho

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#25 2005-12-19 19:34:00

Ryuzen
Dokyoku (Daishihan); Zensabo
From: Maderia Park, BC, Canada
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 104
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Re: Meditation & Shakuhachi – Do they really go together?

This is a great topic which I am very fond of. Everyone has differing opinions on it which goes in in line with everyone's differing personalities and bodies and minds. Whether there is a connection between zen and shakuhachi is up to the individual I feel. As I have been practcing sitting zen for many years as well as shakuhachi, I naturally see the connection. In Japan, some of my teachers and colleagues have never sat before, and are just into playing the flute only concentrating on the music. Some have practiced a few times (zazen), and some don't make the distinction between suizen, zazen, and ongaku (music). Yokoyama sensei said when I asked him the connection between Zen and Shakuhachi, "For me they are one and the same. When I play I think about Zen. Shakuhachi, music, philosohpy, and Zen are all the same. But everyone is different. Many of my top students have different ways than me. Just sing from the heart." I agree with this totally. You create the connection in your own mind or not. When I sit I learn more about the shakuhachi and when I play shakuhachi, it helps my sitting. My sitting helps everything! At our Temple on the Sunshine Coast, after three sessions of sitting and walking, shakuhachi player(s) play for about 30 minutes while the others contemplate on where the sound comes from, where it goes, and "who am I". It's good for the player as it's a practice of not being self-conscious of your playing, and for the listener who practices not to judge the player. You create the connection in your life. I suspect this is what the old komoso and komuso did. They saw the creative potential of this fascinating instrument with their spiritual practice and developed it. Watazumi-do also created his own way (making a distinction between zazen and suizen) in a dynamic and interesting way. We can find our own way too. ( I hope I don't sound too much like Frank Sinatra!) 

Alcvin Takegawa


I live a shakuhachi life.

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