Komuso: The Healing Art of Zen Shakuhachi

Zen literally means "meditation". The shakuhachi is the only melodic instrument used for meditation. The idea of the Zen art is to become one with the music so that you experience no other distractions, worries, problems, illnesses, or stresses. The chakuhachi has existed in Japan for 1200 years. At first it was used to play court music, or gagaku. "The kind of shakuhachi music I play here is honkyoku, or music that is performed for one's own enlightenment and that is an outgrowth of Zen Buddhism. The word honkyoku refers to origin, hon. And origin, in this case, means the place inside yourself that is the origin of your being or the origin of the truth. Part of the purpose of this music is to promote unit between what is within you and your outward manifestation".