Zen Sound of Fuke Shakuhach
There was a funny chain of connections. It was started a word “Kuwa-no-mi”
(桑の実 / Mulberry) in a post by a prolific blogger Tokyobling, in which he talked about it
with the photo of tree in Tokyo. —– I’ve put a comment “80% of Japanese may not
know what the Mulberry tree is, still 99% of them knows the Word
“Kuwa-no-mi” because of a song “Aka-tombo” ( 赤とんぼ/ Red-Dragonfly) which
was dubbed as the Second National Anthem of Japan.
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May be with my emotional attachment to this song which strikes Japanese psyche and
my associated memory, (—– Aka-tombo only appears on the end of summer which
meant us the end chapter of all the sweet and bitter memory in that summer
(and our youth) —– (you must remember, when you were young and small, how one
summer was long and eventful which was engraved deep into your subconsciousness =
You know, we only had 10 or so summers in the whole life to grow into an adulthood !)
And I’m very conscious about this Mulberry tree and the distinct taste of its berry.
So that, since when I accidentally found this tree in a town called Hitchin, I made my
annual ritual to visit there every year and eat the berry, until I found the another tree
in south London. (I talked about this tree in one of my post.)
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As an answer to my comment, Tokyobling sent me a link for a song-video of
“Aka-tombo” in Youtube.
—–> while listening a song, I found another Japanese old folk-song as well, which was
accompanied by a traditional Japanese bamboo wind-instrument called Shakuhach (尺八).
—–> as usual in Youtube, many related or similar kind are listed next by next.
—–> and I stumbled this viz, which plays “Fuke Shakuhachi” (普化尺八)
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Fuke-shu (普化宗) is in fact, one of the Zen sect unique to Japan, and
there is a temple called “Fuke-dera” (普化寺) in south of Kyoto.
(I hope it still exist though, many years ago, it was said only 9 monks left
but in this viz the monk was from Mukai-ji temple, there might be more monks in
another temple —– incidentally, why he is hiding his face is a symbol of No-Self )
(Composer Toru Takemitsu’s “November Steps” is the most famous adaptation of
this sound to Contemporary music. It’s worthwhile to listen ! )
—– This sect is using the sound of Shakuhach to teach what the
Dharma, and the Enlightenment is.
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But in practice, just to make a sound out of this instrument is hard enough because,
there is not much structure to make sound = one end of bamboo was just cut in angle
and having small notch to blow (that all 🙂 )= it is the matter of the way to blow in
certain angle. —– ( for me it wasn’t too difficult as I had an experience to blow sound
out of Peruvian Quena Flute which got somewhat similar structure) Still to play
good sound, let alone to master Kaza-iki etc. must takes 10,20 years of practice.
And THE result is —– just as it is = the sound you can hear but just the sounds,
nothing more than the sound neither Bamboo changed to the Gold. 😀
= still, if it is good, it’s good and in deed, it shows (or sounds) the Dharma,
—– or you may hear it, as a sound of the nature or its reflections.
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This is in deed, touches the hardest part of the Zen teachings and the deepest
human psyche which could interact or communicate with the Dharma.
(I wouldn’t imply, Dharma would talk to you though —– we might only feel, passively. 🙂 )
For this, please read those posts; [Harmony in Dharma] / [Aaaaaa~~~~~]
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Still some of you might say, So what ? —–
Nice tone which sound no apparent pattern or rhythm, hence it refuses
our mediocre comprehension, and its high tone makes our perception
sunk deep into the spiritual state (or totally open minded blank state).
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I met quite few professional Shakuhach players as most of Japanese traditional music
regularly needs to have them. Of cause, a player, able to play and able to make
beautiful sound doesn’t needed to be an enlightened Zen Buddhist, let alone Fuke monk.
And not necessary beautiful sound makes the people to get enlightenment.
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Yet still, to a person who actively seek an enlightenment, start from making
Shakuhach out of raw bamboo by himself, and try to achieve the best sound,
is the typical (endless, repeated) Zen practice.
—–> on the end, no wonder, the one could achieve and reaches to the state
of Ichijo = player, bamboo pipe, the air, the sound, all become one = as what
the Dharma is. Still, this is nothing but the state of blankness, Mushin
= the mind was sublimated into infinite Void.
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—– Because it is blank or Void, there isn’t much of use, hence it is a Dog shit.
And only there is a blank, what left in your life is, Just carry on, be who you are.
(expecting anything else is nothing but one’s Greed and Pretentious Ego and it is nothing but
a Delusion. Since, Void will not hold anything in it —– though, Mahayana
understanding is, because of it is Void, everything is in, since it would make no difference
at all = So, your life is your only life.)
Never mind, as long as the sound is good, it’s good.
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Very nice. The video is beautiful!
It seems the video has been made in eastern Europe.
By the way, I have no idea why this monk wearing Snake ring and a bracelet.