Frederick
I thought I'd just add my thoughts on the question of the use of shakuhachi
or music in tea ceremony or visa versa.
These two practices in their origins were contemplative and pretty much
exclusive of everything external, and in many ways, tea ceremony much more
so than shakuhachi playing. Though both tea ceremony and shakuhachi playing
have social applications as things of beauty to be experienced (especially
understood that way now-a-days), the basis of their practice is from the
point of view of the individual practicing in relationship to the universe
and not to the person watching/listening. As such, it would seem that the
two might be mutually uncomplimentary to the practitioners. In other words
'jama.'
Therefore, we might find pieces of music written for shakuhachi that are
about tea ceremony (cha undou), likely won't find pieces that were intended
to be played as a part of the ceremony. Conversely, I have never heard of a
particular tea ceremony that was intended to be performed to a honkyoku.
Nor have I heard of kyudo that was to be done with either of the above.
Similarly, though a piece of jiuta shamisen music might have been written
with love and romance in mind, it probably wasn't written to accompany the
'real time' situation but rather to express the sentiments of that situation
as an aspect of the human condition.
I don't write this with any other authority than my own observations here in
Japan. If anyone knows more about this situation, it would be great to hear
about it.
Cheers
jeff
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