"Myō-An" - The dualistic pair
of the "Bright" & the "Dark"
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Myōan Shakuhachi
Beyond the illusory duality of the "Bright" & the "Dark"
There are, basically, two approaches to shakuhachi practice:
You may play in a way so as to entertain and enjoy your listeners which is known as Kanshō no ongaku,
鑑賞の音楽,
"Music for appreciation"; or you may blow the shakuhachi as a means of "intensive mental discipline":
Shugyō,
修行,
which is termed
Gyō no ongaku,
行の音楽, "Music for ascetic Buddhist practice".
These essential distinguishing terms were formulated by Uramoto Setchō,
浦本浙潮,
1891-1965, founder of the Fuke Myōan-ha,
普化明暗派,
branch of modern Fuke Shakuhachi.
The latter, esoteric practice of shakuhachi asceticism, may be as much as five hundred years old and has - among other places in Japan -
been preserved till today at the Zen temple Myōan-ji in south-eastern Kyōto -
the most important center of the original Japanese ascetic bamboo flute tradition known historically as "Fuke Shakuhachi":
"Myōan Shakuhachi can not be likened to the playing of an ordinary wind instrument.
Such thing as a fixed way of playing does not exist.
What I can say is, plainly, that I am only concerned with directing my blowing towards my own Self - with a gentle mind."
- - -
"There are people who can produce changing sounds depending on technical skill, but as for the shakuhachi practice of the Myōan Temple,
I believe that the ideal way of Zen Shakuhachi is to let one's true Mind listen to the sounds and to cultivate one's own Self in accordance with those sounds.
I can not easily express this in words but to practice Shakuhachi Zen is indeed a way of mental training and self-cultivation that does not depend
on an egocentric approach but on having an open mind.
The accumulation of this daily practice will, eventually, bring about a realization of the true Self of one's own Human Nature.
It is, in any case, wrong to act against Nature.
I am devoting myself every day to follow Nature and not to be mistaken about the Way."
Expressed by Yoshimura Fuan Sōshin, head [Jap.: kanshu] of the Myōan Zen Temple Taizan-ha Shakuhachi School, Kyōto, in 1977.
Private communication, 1977. Trsl. by T.O.
"Myōan Shakuhachi is related to the Fuke Sect of Shakuhachi and it has as its purpose to employ the ancient Japanese shakuhachi flute as a Dharma instrument [hō-ki]
in order that one may understand the Ultimately Adual Nature of "Brightness" and "Darkness"
[myō-an] and experience the Essence of Emptiness and Non-substantiality [kyo] through self-cultivation.
This practice is called Suizen."
Expressed by Osawa Seizan Sensei, my Fuke Shakuhachi teacher at the Myōan-ji Zen Temple in Kyōto, in 1977-78.
Quotation from a letter of recommendation, 1978. Trsl. by T.O.
The former, Edo Period Myōan-ji in Eastern Kyōto
Present-day Myōan-ji at Tōfuku-ji in SE Kyōto
Statue of Kyochiku Ryōen Zenji, legendary founder
of the Myōan Temple in Kyōto
Higuchi Taizan, 1856-1914, founder
of the Taizan line of modern Myōan Shakuhachi
"Mu-ku-teki suizen" - calligraphy (n.d.)
by Myōan Taizan, alias Higuchi Taizan
Page bottom picture gallery credits:
Black & white photos from Tomimori Kyozan:
Myōan Shakuhachi Tsūkai, Tokyo, 1979.
Color photos by Torsten Olafsson, 1977.
"Mukuteki suizen" calligraphy: In the possession of T.O.
Relevant links:
Biography of Higuchi Taizan:
www.komuso.com/people/Higuchi_Taizan.html
Myōan-ji lineage chart:
www.komuso.com/schools/Taizan_Ha.html
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GYŌ
Ascetic practice
Yoshimura
Fuan Sōshin
Kyoreizan
Myōanji
Ozawa Seizan, 1978
Photo: T.O.
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