Fuke sect Michael Kucera JAP116

Fuke sect
Table of contents: 1. Traditional history 2. Introducing Fuke into Japan 3. History up to Edo 4. Tokugawa period 5. The prohibition after Meiji 6. Resurrection 7. Fuke today 8. Connections to contemporary music

Traditional history of the sect

Fuke sh traces its roots back to China of 9th century. The Fuke school counted as its founder Puhua1. Puhua was multi-talented monk, well-known for his abilities regarding nonverbal dharma. In the Record of Linji, his somewhat rough manners are mentioned. On another ocassion, asked to draw his teachers likeness, he turned a somersault in response. That fellow is going to teach others in crazy manners some day his master then said and passed away. Japanese works mentioning this person are Kyotaku Denki and Monumenta Nipponica. Puhua was a disciple of Panshan Baoji who was a dharma-heir student of Mazu,

a patriarch in the line of Dharma transmission from "Sudden Enlightenment"2southern Chan. Baoji appears in Blue Cliff Records,37.
However, connection between this mythical founder and Japanese Zenbuddhism sect was probably forged by later monks in order to legitimize their teaching.

1 2

P'u-hua also read as P'u-k'o; the name is read as Fuke in Japanese.

, school originating with the sixth and final Patriarch of Chan, Huineng
1

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Introducing Fuke into Japan

The monk who brought this teaching to Japan was Shinchi Kakushin3, aka Hotto. He received trainig in Rinzai and Soto, as well as Shingon. Kakushin then went to China, where he attained elightment under master Wu-men Huikai and introduced famous koan4 selection Mumonkan, the Gateless Gate, to the Japanese Zen upon returning in 1254. During his studies in China, he supposedly met Chang Ts'an, 16th heir of Puhua who
transmitted the Empty Bell teachings onto him.

History up to Edo
In the early 16th century, flute began its association with the wandering beggars called komos "straw-mat priests. The tool used by these komoso was hitoyogiri, instrument almost
identical with shakuhachi. The only difference between shakuhachi and hitoyogiri is the weight. Substitution of hitoyogiri for shakuhachi probably took place for wholly practical reasons as the latter was more useful weapon.

Shakuhachi is a bamboo flute with a notched mouthpiece and five finger holes. The name is derived from the standard length of the instrument in traditional measuring units shaku, 21.46 inches, or 54.5 cm. The shakuhachi is made from bamboo(Phyllostachys bambusoides). Plant is cut near the root, which becomes the bell of the instrument. Four finger holes are placed equidistant on the front face, with an upper thumb hole on the rear face. Loosely organized community of ascets became very attractive for masterless samurai, rnin, as it put importance upon pilgrimage and disguise of monk`s identity. This was done with a basket hat tengai. Concept was that by covering his face the monk was able to surpass his ego while practicing.

Hotto (also read as Hatto), was a well-known scholar of Zen. There is no mention whatsoever of Koan is a means of teaching used by most of Zen sects. The purpose is to make student leave all

Chang Tsan nor the flute in diaries he wrote in China.

4

rationalization behind and transcend duality.

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Sect during Tokugawa period

Worth mentioning is the fact that the coming to power of Tokugawa had been done with many sacrifices, and that a great number of Samurai following the defeat of their clan became rnin, wandering samurai through the force of circumstance. In order to control this mass of masterless warriors and to calm down their wounded pride, it was the high time for shogun to find some use for them. In 1614 Ieyasu supposedly issued a charter5 giving komuso6 some privileges. Komuso were given permission to travel freely, quite an advance compared to usual travel restrictions of the time. Probably most important was their exterioriality, i.e. they were not liable to any local authorities. Instead, they were under the direct supervision of shogunate through jisha-bugyo Among their other privileges belonged the right to carry dagger and single-stick, free admission to plays and sumo contests etc. In exchange for these rights, some members of this sect were working for the government. Sometimes the monk was put under a test, required to play honkyoku, a demanding piece. But these tests did not really matter because some of the primarily religious men of Fuke were government spies as well. Under the dictate of the Tokugawa government, the Komus monks were gathered around temples which allowed controlling them more easily. Ichigetsuji and Reihooji were two temples of early komuso era that contributed to establishing Fuke as a fully acknowledged Zen sect. Control of members was made possible with 3 seals and 3 implements each monk of Fukeshu was required to bear.
5

Several versions of charter of 1614 survived, implying the document was falsified by Fuke. Shogun

realized, though, that it serves his purposes. Therefore noone made a complaint about it until 1670s when abusing of privileges by monks started to be unbearable. Little did this discovery mattered then though
6

lit. Monks of Emptiness

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Characteristic distinction between Kyoto and Edo did not bypass this sect. While Ichigetsuji and Reihoji, both located in Edo, developed fukiawase7 system, not bothering themselves with musical aspect anymore, the standard maintained at Myoanji remained quite high. In other words, Myoanji remained primarily religious institution but both ichigetsuji and Reihoji became more concerned with politics than buddhism. During the Edo era, Komus contributed to the maintenance of law and order established by Tokugawa. This stabilized domestic policy and enabled to preserve a lasting peace during 265 years.

Prohibition after Meiji

Following the Meiji restoration, the sect was banned in 1871 due its connections with former government. Playing shakuhachi was outlawed as well. Four years later, playing shakuhachi for secular reasons was permitted. From this point on, performing honkyoku made a slow recovery which continues up to today. In 1890, Myoan Kyokai was founded and located in Tofukuji temple, aiming to revive
shakuhachi music tradition. The one who organized this whole society was former abbot of Myoanji. Thus Myoan Kyokai and several other groups preserved shakuhachi music into 20th century.

Shakuhachi has always been more than a sect, but a musical principle and a philosophical school of thought. If for political reasons, this philosophical school born from the Buddhism Zen was structured during the Edo era, its essence resides above all in its music and musical bases. Fuke Shakuhachi never disappeared even though its teaching was often transmitted in the secret.

System of Fukeshu-licensedd music academies, not located in major temples.

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Just like it is the case in the majority of the great traditional schools, one can consider that the teaching is transmitted on two levels: the basic teaching given to the members of the sect, and fundamental teaching to some initiated only. The tradition wants that the heir of a school transmits the secrets of his heritage to one or two disciples so that the teaching does not disappear. These disciples in their turn are charged to transmit the heritage. The tradition and teaching of Master to disciple thus continued to be transmitted until nowadays via some Grand Masters like Miyakawa Nyozan, Kobayashi Shizan, Okazaki Meido, Katsuura Shozan, Takahashi Kzan, and today Fujiyoshi Etsuzan. One of the characteristics of the Fuke sect was its assortment. Indeed, the different temples situated in the various provinces of Japan transmitted parts of identical name pieces but often of different contents. The reasons are simple; in order to preserve the secrets, the pieces were often transmitted only partially to the monks coming from other temples. Moreover, it did not exist until recently of written music sheet, and the memory is sometimes capricious.

Fuke sect Michael Kucera JAP116

It is Takahashi Kzan who gathered and synthesized teaching to transmit the original pieces and their variations. He would have inherited more than 260 parts whereas it continued his spiritual search through Japan ( Musha-shugy or spiritual search of the warrior monks). Thus, it is known that Suzuru ( ) is the oldest version of the piece "the nest of the crane", which gave rise to different variations and whose name evolved to give parts known under the name of Tsuru No Sugomori ( ). One also knows that various pieces coming from different provinces were transmitted under the name of Reibo (). In order to classify them, one often added the name of origin; thus Kysh-Reib and many other pieces were renamed to preserve the traditional and various repertory of the sect. It is also the case of the parts Shirabe ( )(piece sometime transmitted under the name Chshi which is a mistake) where the name evolved to Yamato-No-Shirabe, etc, according to their origin, and of many other pieces Today, pieces transmitted in Fuke-sh school are notified with their place of transmission ( Fudai-ji temple, Ichigetsu-ji, Reih-ji, Myan-ji etc). It is thus possible to go up again with the origin. Parallel to this teaching centered around the traditional pieces (which remain its base), the training today also turned to other styles of music such as Miny-Shakuhachi or folk Shakuhachi, Western classical music, folk music of the world, jazz and as well as others, giving a universal dimension to this instrument and this music absolutely unique in the world During the Edo period, Hirosaki City, located in Aomori Prefecture, used to be a castle town of Tsugaru-Han. This town was a center for Shakuhachi "Koten" Honkyoku of the Kinpu Ryu. "Azuma No Kyoku" was a representative piece of the Nezasa-Ha. Later, Yoshida Iccho rearranged this piece and adopted it as a Kinko Ryu Honkyoku. It is noted for its beautiful flowing melody. Utterance In one sound become a buddha or Ichion jbutsu is attributed to the founder of Kinko ryu, Kurosawa Kinko.

Bibliography

Fuke sect Michael Kucera JAP116

Shakuhachi Zen. The Fukeshu and Komuso, James H. Sanford

The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion,Shambhala,Boston,1989

The illustrated encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism, Helen Josephine Baroni,2002