--Apple-Mail-6-668115695
charset=WINDOWS-1252;
format=flowed
I want to add my comments to this discussion, but before I do, I feel I=20=
should present my qualifications on both Buddhism and the shakuhachi.
Before I started reading this thread I was almost completely ignorant=20
of Buddhism - particularly Zen. The only reason that I don=92t claim to=20=
be totally ignorant of Buddhism is that I once saw the Dali Lama on TV.
My acquaintance with the shakuhachi began by accident. I had broken my=20=
bamboo hiking stick and I needed to replace it. My wife worked near a=20
place called the Bamboo Gardens, where they sell plants, bamboo fencing=20=
material, etc. She stopped in on her lunch hour and found that they=20
did, in fact, have bamboo poles suitable for hiking sticks. She also=20
found a flyer for a bamboo flute-making workshop. One of my hiking=20
buddies often carries a bamboo transverse flute on our trips and I love=20=
the sound of it being played in the woods. Here was a chance to make a=20=
flute of my own and learn to play too. We signed up.
Peter Ross was the guy who set up the workshop. I was somewhat=20
surprised with the outcome. The flutes we made didn=92t look like any=20
flute I was familiar with. What was worse, I could barely pronounce the=20=
name of it, much less play it. Peter demonstrated several of his=20
shakuhachi and they sounded great. So I thought, =93What the heck=94.=20
Besides, the shakuhachi looked really cool, especially the ones with=20
the big root thing on the end. My original plan was to make the flute=20
and have a few lessons to get the basics. Then I'd take it from there=20
on my own and learn to play some campfire tunes. After two weeks all I=20=
was getting for my efforts was dizzy and faint. I realized then that=20
this was too dangerous an enterprise to take on without adequate=20
instruction. I had visions of myself playing shakuhachi by a campfire,=20=
getting light-headed and toppling over into the flames. So I continued=20=
to take lessons from Peter. That was over six years ago. Now I can hit=20=
just about all the notes - but my campfire songs sound a little strange.
After reading these qualifications I hope you will cut me some slack if=20=
I unintentionally offend or say something overly simplistic, or just=20
plain dumb.
There have been comparisons made between playing shakuhachi as a=20
musical instrument or as a meditation tool, and whether one approach is=20=
more spiritual than the other. I don=92t see much difference, except in=20=
what you intend to do when you pick up the shakuhachi.
I think Tom=92s question, =93is it the act or the intention=94, is key =
to=20
this discussion. My take on it is, specifically, do you intend to play=20=
for an audience, even if the audience is just yourself, or do you=20
intend to just play. Either way I don=92t think anyone=92s intention =
would=20
be to play poorly.
When you watch little kids playing by themselves you observe something=20=
pretty amazing right away. They are totally absorbed in what they are=20
doing, time is meaningless to them, they are intensely focused - but at=20=
the same time they are completely open. And generally they=92re having a=20=
good time. It never occurs to them to wonder what you think about what=20=
they are doing. Adults can find themselves in this state too. Artists=20
at work, musicians improvising, a guy raking leaves in his yard... any=20=
of them can find themselves in this special state of consciousness.=20
There are a couple of ways that you can tell that you=92ve been there.=20=
One way is that you feel happy, energized, expanded, and you realize=20
that you have recognized patterns and relationships and connections=20
that go way beyond the activity that you were involved in. Another way=20=
you can tell is when, for example, you sit down to practice. Then after=20=
a little while you look up and suddenly realize that you=92re two hours=20=
late for an appointment. Aren=92t these times little patches of=20
enlightenment?
One of the differences between grownups and little kids is that adults=20=
can recognize how rare and valuable and important that these episodes=20
are. Then they go beyond that and try to codify or develop a formula to=20=
achieve this state on demand. Then they try to establish ways of=20
determining whether someone is truly enlightened - and whether their=20
enlightenment is better than your enlightenment. Kids, on the other=20
hand, think that they are just having fun.
So my question is: why not lighten up, let go, and just play?
- Al Skaar
--Apple-Mail-6-668115695
charset=WINDOWS-1252
<fontfamily><param>Geneva</param>I want to add my comments to this
discussion, but before I do, I feel I should present my qualifications
on both Buddhism and the shakuhachi.
Before I started reading this thread I was almost completely ignorant
of Buddhism - particularly Zen. The only reason that I don=92t claim to
be totally ignorant of Buddhism is that I once saw the Dali Lama on
TV.=20
My acquaintance with the shakuhachi began by accident. I had broken my
bamboo hiking stick and I needed to replace it. My wife worked near a
place called the Bamboo Gardens, where they sell plants, bamboo
fencing material, etc. She stopped in on her lunch hour and found that
they did, in fact, have bamboo poles suitable for hiking sticks. She
also found a flyer for a bamboo flute-making workshop. One of my
hiking buddies often carries a bamboo transverse flute on our trips
and I love the sound of it being played in the woods. Here was a
chance to make a flute of my own and learn to play too. We signed up.
Peter Ross was the guy who set up the workshop. I was somewhat
surprised with the outcome. The flutes we made didn=92t look like any
flute I was familiar with. What was worse, I could barely pronounce
the name of it, much less play it. Peter demonstrated several of his
shakuhachi and they sounded great. So I thought, =93What the heck=94.
Besides, the shakuhachi looked really cool, especially the ones with
the big root thing on the end. My original plan was to make the flute
and have a few lessons to get the basics. Then I'd take it from there
on my own and learn to play some campfire tunes. After two weeks all I
was getting for my efforts was dizzy and faint. I realized then that
this was too dangerous an enterprise to take on without adequate
instruction. I had visions of myself playing shakuhachi by a campfire,
getting light-headed and toppling over into the flames. So I continued
to take lessons from Peter. That was over six years ago. Now I can hit
just about all the notes - but my campfire songs sound a little
strange.
After reading these qualifications I hope you will cut me some slack
if I unintentionally offend or say something overly simplistic, or
just plain dumb.
There have been comparisons made between playing shakuhachi as a
musical instrument or as a meditation tool, and whether one approach
is more spiritual than the other. I don=92t see much difference, except
in what you intend to do when you pick up the shakuhachi.
I think Tom=92s question, =93is it the act or the intention=94, is key =
to
this discussion. My take on it is, specifically, do you intend to play
for an audience, even if the audience is just yourself, or do you
intend to just play. Either way I don=92t think anyone=92s intention =
would
be to play poorly.=20
When you watch little kids playing by themselves you observe something
pretty amazing right away. They are totally absorbed in what they are
doing, time is meaningless to them, they are intensely focused - but
at the same time they are completely open. And generally they=92re
having a good time. It never occurs to them to wonder what you think
about what they are doing. Adults can find themselves in this state
too. Artists at work, musicians improvising, a guy raking leaves in
his yard... any of them can find themselves in this special state of
consciousness. There are a couple of ways that you can tell that
you=92ve been there. One way is that you feel happy, energized,
expanded, and you realize that you have recognized patterns and
relationships and connections that go way beyond the activity that you
were involved in. Another way you can tell is when, for example, you
sit down to practice. Then after a little while you look up and
suddenly realize that you=92re two hours late for an appointment. Aren=92t=
these times little patches of enlightenment?
One of the differences between grownups and little kids is that adults
can recognize how rare and valuable and important that these episodes
are. Then they go beyond that and try to codify or develop a formula
to achieve this state on demand. Then they try to establish ways of
determining whether someone is truly enlightened - and whether their
enlightenment is better than your enlightenment. Kids, on the other
hand, think that they are just having fun.
So my question is: why not lighten up, let go, and just play?
- Al Skaar
</fontfamily>=
--Apple-Mail-6-668115695--
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Jan 06 2004 - 14:09:32 PST