Honkyoku
Encyclopedia
Honkyoku are the pieces of shakuhachi
or hocchiku
music played by mendicant
Japan
ese Zen
monks called komusō
. Komusō played honkyoku for enlightenment
and alms
as early as the 13th century. Honkyoku is the practice of suizen
("blowing Zen"). The Fuke sect which originated this practice ceased to exist in the 19th century, but a verbal and written lineage of many honkyoku continues today, though the music is now often practiced in a concert or performance setting.
There are many ryū
, or schools, of honkyoku, each with their style, emphasis, and teaching methods.
of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism
was commissioned to travel Japan
and collect these musical pieces. Although it is commonly thought that the 36 pieces of the Kinko Ryū Honkyoku repotoire were collected and played by Kinko Kurosawa, in fact these pieces as currently played were significantly changed and codified by later generations, including Miura Kindo and others.
At least three additional pieces were later added to the Kinko-Ryu repertoire:
Roshi in the 1950s, the Dokyoku Honkyoku repertoire consists of:
Shakuhachi
The is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of...
or hocchiku
Hocchiku
, sometimes romanized as hocchiku or hochiku, is a Japanese end-blown flute , crafted from root sections of bamboo. After cleaning and sanding, the heavy root end of the bamboo stalk reveals many small circular knots where the roots formerly joined the stalk...
music played by mendicant
Mendicant
The term mendicant refers to begging or relying on charitable donations, and is most widely used for religious followers or ascetics who rely exclusively on charity to survive....
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
monks called komusō
Komuso
A was a Japanese mendicant monk of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism, during the Edo period of 1600-1868. Komusō were characterised by the straw basket worn on the head, manifesting the absence of specific ego. They are also known for playing solo pieces on the shakuhachi...
. Komusō played honkyoku for enlightenment
Bodhi
Bodhi is both a Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English with the word "enlightenment", but which means awakened. In Buddhism it is the knowledge possessed by a Buddha into the nature of things...
and alms
Alms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
as early as the 13th century. Honkyoku is the practice of suizen
Suizen
is a Zen practice consisting of playing the shakuhachi bamboo flute as a means of attaining self-realization. The monks from the Fuke sect of Zen who practiced suizen were called komusō ....
("blowing Zen"). The Fuke sect which originated this practice ceased to exist in the 19th century, but a verbal and written lineage of many honkyoku continues today, though the music is now often practiced in a concert or performance setting.
There are many ryū
Ryu
* Ryū , a school of thought or discipline ., a book by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa* Ryū , a series by Masao Yajima and Akira Oze* Ryu , a common Korean family name...
, or schools, of honkyoku, each with their style, emphasis, and teaching methods.
Kinko Ryū
In the 18th century, a komusō named Kinko KurosawaKinko Kurosawa
Kinko Kurosawa was an 18th century Komuso of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism. He was commissioned to travel Japan and collect honkyoku, spiritual shakuhachi music pieces of his fellow mendicant monks....
of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
was commissioned to travel Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and collect these musical pieces. Although it is commonly thought that the 36 pieces of the Kinko Ryū Honkyoku repotoire were collected and played by Kinko Kurosawa, in fact these pieces as currently played were significantly changed and codified by later generations, including Miura Kindo and others.
- Hifumi - Hachigaeshi no Shirabe
- Taki-ochi no Kyoku (Taki-otoshi no Kyoku)
- Akita Sugagaki
- Koro Sugagaki
- Kyūshū Reibo
- Shizu no Kyoku
- Kyō Reibo
- Mukaiji Reibo
- Kokū Reibo
- a) Ikkan-ryū Kokū kaete, b) Banshikichō
- Shin no Kyorei
- Kinsan Kyorei
- Yoshiya Reibo
- Yūgure no Kyoku
- Sakae-jishi
- Uchikae Kyorei
- Igusa Reibo
- Izu Reibo
- Reibo-nagashi
- Sōkaku Reibo
- Sanya Sugagaki
- Shimotsuke Kyorei
- Meguro-jishi
- Ginryū Kokū
- Sayama Sugagaki
- Sagari-ha no Kyoku
- Namima Reibo
- Shika no Tône
- Hōshōsu
- Akebono no Shirabe
- Akebono Sugagaki
- Ashi no Shirabe
- Kotoji no Kyoku
- Kinuta Sugomori
- Tsuki no Kyoku
- Kotobuki no Shirabe
At least three additional pieces were later added to the Kinko-Ryu repertoire:
- Kumoi Jishi
- Azuma no Kyoku
- Sugagaki
Dokyoku
Founded by Watazumi DosoWatazumi Doso
Watazumi Doso Roshi was a master of the end-blown Japanese bamboo flute. He studied Rinzai Zen, attaining the title of roshi...
Roshi in the 1950s, the Dokyoku Honkyoku repertoire consists of:
- Daha
- Dai Otsugaeshi
- Hon Shirabe
- Jyakunen
- Kaze
- Koden Sugomori
- Koku
- Motogaeshi
- Mushirabe
- Reibo
- Sagari Ha (Kansai)
- Sagari Ha (Ōshū)
- Sagari Nami
- San'an
- San'ya
- Shingetsu
- Sokkan
- Tamuke
- Tsuru no Sugomori
- Ukigumo
- Yamagoe (also, Reiho)