--part1_54.182f5b1c.2c849aee_boundary
Thanks Jeff and Mark for your interesting discussion about honkyoku and=
=20
improvisation. I've learned from both your insights. One small point: =20
Jeff, I like your phrase, "it takes a great deal of embodying of a piece (re=
ad:=20
mindful practice) in order to remove the finish and reveal the grain." Nic=
e.=20
=20
You also write, "I believe the original purpose in the spiritual=20
practice of honkyoku was to achieve a sustained consciousness shift." I ag=
ree=20
with you, but I also wonder if some of the Fuk=E9 and lay shakuhachi players=
=20
experienced their moments of ecstasy and their consciousness shifts within t=
he=20
greater context of both their Japanese culture and their Buddhist practice.=20=
I=20
don't know that much about Japanese culture, so I can't comment on that. =20
Perhaps a cultural historian in the crowd could suggest ways that a consciou=
sness=20
shift in a Japanese person might be experienced and interpreted differently=20=
by,=20
say, an American who undergoes a "similar" shift.
I know a little more about Buddhist practice. I think it's safe to sa=
y=20
that for all the major Buddhist lineages, the Buddha's teachings are=20
important, especially the (eventually disappearing) roadmap of the Four Nobl=
e Truths=20
and the Eightfold Path. I'm guessing that for shakuhachi players who are=20
Buddhist, ecstatic experiences and consciousness shifts would be tested and=20=
held=20
within the context of the Buddha's other teachings, primarily his teaching=20
about the ubiquitous nature of suffering and how we might find liberation. =20=
The=20
Eightfold Path includes:
Right Understanding (samma ditthi)
Right Aspiration (samma sankappa)
Right Speech (samma vaca)
Right Action (samma kammanta)
Right Livelihood (samma ajiva)
Right Effort (samma vayama)
Right Mindfulness (samma sati)
Right Concentration (samma samadhi)
A thorough-going Buddhist shakuhachi player would probably check himself or=20
herself out in each of these eight directions in each note, in each piece, a=
nd=20
in a lifetime of playing the instrument. There would be a deep, essential,=
=20
organic connection between consciousness, beauty, joy and morality. =20
In each breath many associated koans arise--e.g., "Who am I?" and "How=20
am I living?"
Respectfully,
Jonas
--part1_54.182f5b1c.2c849aee_boundary
<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Times" FA=
MILY=3D"SERIF" SIZE=3D"4"> Thanks Jeff and Mark for=20=
your interesting discussion about honkyoku and improvisation. I've le=
arned from both your insights. One small point: Jeff, I like y=
our phrase, "it takes a great deal of embodying of a piece (read: mindful pr=
actice) in order to remove the finish and reveal the grain." Nice.&nb=
sp; <BR>
You also write, "I believe the original purp=
ose in the spiritual practice of honkyoku was to achieve a sustained conscio=
usness shift." I agree with you, but I also wonder if some of the Fuk=
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Times" FAMILY=3D"SERIF" SIZE=3D"4">=
=E9 and lay shakuhachi players experienced their moments of ecstasy and thei=
r consciousness shifts within the greater context of both their Japanese cul=
ture and their Buddhist practice. I don't know that much about Japane=
se culture, so I can't comment on that. Perhaps a cultural historian=20=
in the crowd could suggest ways that a consciousness shift in a Japanese per=
son might be experienced and interpreted differently by, say, an American wh=
o undergoes a "similar" shift.<BR>
I know a little more about Buddhist practice. =
I think it's safe to say that for all the major Buddhist lineages, the Bud=
dha's teachings are important, especially the (eventually disappearing) road=
map of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. I'm guessing tha=
t for shakuhachi players who are Buddhist, ecstatic experiences and consciou=
sness shifts would be tested and held within the context of the Buddha's oth=
er teachings, primarily his teaching about the ubiquitous nature of sufferin=
g and how we might find liberation. The Eightfold Path includes:<BR>
<BR>
Right Understanding (samma ditthi)<BR>
Right Aspiration (samma sankappa)<BR>
Right Speech (samma vaca)<BR>
Right Action (samma kammanta)<BR>
Right Livelihood (samma ajiva)<BR>
Right Effort (samma vayama)<BR>
Right Mindfulness (samma sati)<BR>
Right Concentration (samma samadhi)<BR>
<BR>
A thorough-going Buddhist shakuhachi player would probably check himself or=20=
herself out in each of these eight directions in each note, in each piece, a=
nd in a lifetime of playing the instrument. There would be a deep, es=
sential, organic connection between consciousness, beauty, joy and morality.=
<BR>
In each breath many associated koans arise--e.g., "=
Who am I?" and "How am I living?"<BR>
<BR>
Respectfully,<BR>
Jonas<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Times" FAMILY=3D"SERIF" SIZE=3D"4"></=
FONT></HTML>
--part1_54.182f5b1c.2c849aee_boundary--
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