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Mark,
I suppose that if you began playing, say, Shin Kyo Rei and somewhere in =
the midst of it you began an improvisation that was deeply inspirational =
and meaningful for you, you wouldn't be playing Shin Kyo Rei anymore, =
but something of your own design based on what you thought Shin Kyo Rei =
might be. Would that speak of the essence of the piece as it was =
perceived and intended by its originator? Does it matter? Again, it =
depends on your intention. As for the question: 'is improvisation okay =
within the honkyoku tradition?' , the answer at first would probably be =
a quick 'no'. But that 'no' is based on the idea that realization of =
the universal within the spiritual practice of honkyoku is something =
that comes after a great deal of jostling of your patterns of awareness =
(as has been found to be the case by our predecessors) while ecstatic =
glimpses are just encouragements and not attainments. Which begs =
another question: does your improvisation come with any sustained =
change in your consciousness? I believe the original purpose in the =
spiritual practice of honkyoku was to achieve a sustained consciousness =
shift. What I was trying to say in my first writing was that as history =
has brought us to the point we are, it takes a great deal of embodying =
of a piece (read: mindful practice) in order to remove the finish and =
reveal the grain.=20
Seen in another light, if you were chanting the heart sutra and in the =
middle of it began including words that seemed to sound like the words =
in the heart sutra, though with variation, would you be chanting the =
heart sutra anymore? Well, if your intention were to consistently chant =
the heart sutra, then you would have missed your mark.
jeff cairns
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mark,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I suppose that if you began playing, =
say, Shin Kyo=20
Rei and somewhere in the midst of it you began an improvisation that was =
deeply=20
inspirational and meaningful for you, you wouldn't be playing Shin =
Kyo Rei=20
anymore, but something of your own design based on what you thought Shin =
Kyo Rei=20
might be. Would that speak of the essence of the piece as it was =
perceived=20
and intended by its originator? Does it matter? Again, =
it=20
depends on your intention. As for the question: 'is improvisation =
okay=20
within the honkyoku tradition?' , the answer at first would =
probably be a=20
quick 'no'. But that 'no' is based on the idea that realization of =
the=20
universal within the spiritual practice of honkyoku is something that =
comes=20
after a great deal of jostling of your patterns of awareness =
(as has been=20
found to be the case by our predecessors) while ecstatic =
glimpses are=20
just encouragements and not attainments. =
Which begs another=20
question: does your improvisation come with any sustained change =
in=20
your consciousness? I believe the original purpose in the =
spiritual=20
practice of honkyoku was to achieve a sustained consciousness =
shift. =20
</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>What I was trying to say in my first =
writing was=20
that as history has brought us to the point we are, it takes a great =
deal of=20
embodying of a piece (read: mindful practice) in order =
to remove the=20
finish and reveal the grain. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Seen in another light, if you were =
chanting the=20
heart sutra and in the middle of it began including words that seemed to =
sound=20
like the words in the heart sutra, though with variation, would you be =
chanting=20
the heart sutra anymore? Well, if your intention were to =
consistently=20
chant the heart sutra, then you would have missed your =
mark.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>jeff cairns</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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