--- Bruce Jones <bjones@weber.ucsd.edu> wrote:
> >From: John Baker <jinpa19822003@yahoo.com>
> >
> >So with one note the Zen master told the emperor
> the nature of
> >things. Did the emperor understand?
>
> That too is dependent. Was the emperor familiar
> with Buddhism?
> Was he "in a place" (to use a 70s catch-phrase)
> where it was possible
> for him to understand?
>
> >If public performance of shakuhachi mimics this
> story, then someone
> >should say so.
>
> Let me take a stab at that. Mimicry in this case
> depends on the
> context of the playing.
Hi.
Presumably the circumstances of the story are that the
flute playing Zen master was the first to go to China
to study Zen. (Aside: is this an attempt to invent a
history for flute as a Zen instrument?) The Emeperor
heard of the new "fad" and summoned the Zen master for
a presentation of the new doctrine.
Mimicry could include a reputation, the request for
the performance, the willing audience, and the
performance. Does self-promotion count as request?
Having no experience of performance except for free, I
have no opinion.
If you add a mimicry requirement that flute be a new
fad, I think you're going to have problems.
Personally, I think the story illustrates behavior of
a teacher who knows that he cannot get through, so he
just presents reality and leaves it to the student to
catch up.
Regards,
John
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