Reply-to: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
Karl wrote:
>I'm not sure I go along with the strong distinction made in the west =
between Hinayana and Mahayana, e.g. that Hinayana is more concerned with =
personal development than compassionate action.
>Spiritual practices seem to me to require a specific focus on =
compassion
I agree completely. Maybe the distinction was always suspect. =
Shantideva (at least in translation) sometimes seems so tribal, so =
concerned with asserting the superiority of his point of view over that =
of the earlier Nikaya Buddhists that his great message of emptiness is =
obscured by his partisan passion. Even the terms Hinayana and Mahayana =
(for lesser and greater vehicle) feel vaguely offensive. Spiritual =
practice should be about personal and interpersonal transformation, not =
about what sort of vehicle you use to get there.=20
I agree also that shakuhachi practice can be a vehicle for spiritual =
transformation and especially that such a practice =93needn=92t derive =
from any particular sectarian doctrine=94. One of the great things =
about music is that it transcends doctrine, which is another aspect of =
the Mahayana point of view that might be relevant here. Music can go =
beyond, beyond=85=20
On the other hand, the doctrine, or view, can help ground the practice. =
There are many great teachers of zazen in the west. Where are the great =
teachers of suizen? I=92m sure the teachings are passed down to us =
through the music, but I suspect also that there is a gap between our =
understanding of what it means to practice the shakuhachi, and that of =
the historical komuso. Whereas the philosophical view and spiritual =
meaning of zazen is amply preserved and skillfully expressed in Buddhist =
texts and by our teachers, the same doesn=92t seem to be true of =
shakuhachi playing as suizen. What did the komuso think they were =
doing? What was the view? How is flute playing spiritual? How is it =
like zazen? How is it different? Transformation is (sometimes) the =
result of practice that is focused in a very particular way. What is =
the way of the shakuhachi? Maybe we have to find out for ourselves. =20
Mark Miller
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