>From: John Baker <jinpa19822003@yahoo.com>
>
>Honkyoku seems to me to be Zen as public display.
I saved this snippet because I wanted to pursue this a bit once the
furor died down.
I agree, honkyoku is zen as public display. My question is, what
else could it be? Certainly pieces like Hi Fu Mi Hachigaeshi were
meant to be played in public, and pieces like Kumoi Jishi were meant
to be played at least in the public of the temple. Even if monks
played Mukaiji or Kyorei in the privacy of their cells, they had to
be playing with the knowledge that the sounds could be heard by
others.
I don't know how widespread the practice is, but I know that Riley
asks people not to applaud following honkyoku pieces in his
concerts. I think this is appropriate and appreciate his request,
particularly because it offers him a chance to talk about religious
music and the shakuhachi.
Are there traditions of "religious" music (quotes because the extent
to which zen is a religion is an open question) that deliberately
don't involve any opportunity for an audience? (Aside of course,
from music accompanyment on hermitage).
Even given the meditation aspects of suizen, can one play without a
sense of "audience"? That is, without taking into consideration all
of the surrounding environment?
bj
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