Bill,
Your point is well taken. My characterization of the shakuhachi as more of
a musical instrument in Japan than a meditation instrument is not based on
anything more than a hunch and certainly nothing that could be proved in
any way by survey responses. I certainly don't expect Japanese people to
open up so readily about their personal beliefs and practices the way that
Americans do. We will never know what individual musicians do in their
private moments, but we can certainly find out a lot from what musicians
talk about and how they behave in public.
Based on survey responses and various web postings, many Americans do
engage in explicit discussions of philosophy and meditation in connection
with shakuhachi. In contrast to this, some of the Japanese responses have
very explicitly rejected any conflation of shakuhachi music and spiritual
philosophy or practice. In Japan, music is music, talk is talk and
meditation is meditation. Such compartmentalization strongly reflects
Japanese society and philosophy, but we may never know what individuals
really believe or do in private. Zen shakuhachi practice in Japan today
could very well be, as William Malm would say, one of Japan's "hidden views."
In any case, it seems that many American players have explicitly conflated
shakuhachi and Zen in a holistic approach that is hard to find in
contemporary Japan. Such an individualistic practice doesn't seem to fit
the dominant model of the iemoto-centered group in Japan (nor the monastery
group). Some Japanese shakuhachi players do seem to take the
individualistic renegade route which opens the door to new music, jazz, and
just about anything one wants do with the instrument.
The Hitori Mondo is a wonderful article, but while the Zen-inspired,
anti-rationalist dialogue of Hisamatsu Fuyo seems to make for suitable
reading by shakuhachi philosophers in the West, perhaps it is of little
importance to those involved in iemoto-led groups in the East. Right now
I'm wondering if the Annals of the International Shakuhachi Society is
published in Japanese, and if not, why not?
I will close with a question posed to the discussion list:
Is it possible that an individualistic style of Western Zen shakuhachi is
developing that may become an alternative to the Japanese model of the
iemoto-centered group? If so, perhaps many Japanese players would be
receptive to such an approach. But then again, perhaps East will never
really meet West.
Perhaps I'm only imagining things. I'll be quiet now and go play flute.
Jay Keister
At 04:48 PM 2/18/2003 +0900, you wrote:
>Hi folks,
> The recent discussions on Shakuhachi and Zen were pretty
>interesting...
>The International Shakuhachi Society have kindly agreed to put the
>'Hitori Mondo' translation up on their web site, it's an Q&A session
>with a Shakuhachi teacher (tooter tutor) written 180 years ago. Makes
>quite interesting reading! Check it out (even if you don't like the rest
>of my rap)... http://www.komuso.com/people/Hisamatsu_Fuyo.html
>
>Jay Keister said in the introduction to his/her survey....
> "In Japan, the Shakuhachi seems to function primarily as a musical
>instrument (outside of its use in a few Zen temples) similar to koto and
>
>shamisen, while in America the Shakuhachi has much more explicit
>religious
>and philosophical connotations that lead players to engage in the
>instrument as a tool of meditation."
>I wonder what is the source of this data?
>
>I think it's a mistake to assume that people practising Shakuhachi in
>Japan are not aware of it's religious connotations, but if you're hoping
>to hear Japanese players talk about their religious beliefs, or their
>own 'enlightenment', you are likely to be disappointed. It's a
>generalisation of course, but people in Japan don't seem happy talking
>about such personal things...I think it's a humility thing (and also
>quite convenient). Hisamatsu Fuyo says...
>"If you do not make it your purpose to abandon all greed and desires,
>even if you blow the bamboo, it is not Zen practice."
>I think this includes greed and desire for religious attainment or
>enlightenment. Catch 22!
>
>As the man says..."I just hold the bamboo and blow it."
>
>Forgive me for boring you!
>
>Bill O'Connor.
>Nagano-Ken
>
>
>____________________________________________________
>
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