Honkyoku

Honkyoku (本曲, "original pieces") are the pieces of shakuhachi music played by mendicant Japanese Zen monks called komusō. Komusō played honkyoku for enlightenment and alms as early as the 13th century. Honkyoku is part of the practice of suizen (吹禅, "blowing Zen"). The Fuke sect which originated this practice ceased to exist in the 19th century, after which several shakuhachi guilds were formed, and the verbal and written lineage of many honkyoku continues today, though the music is now often practised in a concert or performance setting.

There are many ryū, or schools, of honkyoku, each with their own style, emphasis, and teaching methods.

Kinko Ryū

In the 18th century, a komusō named Kinko Kurosawa 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 repertoire were collected and played by Kinko Kurosawa, these pieces were significantly changed and codified by later generations, including Miura Kindo and others.

	Shika no Tōne A honkyoku piece recorded by Araki Kodō III
Problems playing this file? See media help.

1. Hifumi—Hachigaeshi no Shirabe
2. Taki-ochi no Kyoku (Taki-otoshi no Kyoku)
3. Akita Sugagaki
4. Koro Sugagaki
5. Kyūshū Reibo
6. Shizu no Kyoku
7. Kyō Reibo
8. Mukaiji Reibo
9. Kokū Reibo
10. a) Ikkan-ryū Kokū kaete, b) Banshikichō
11. Shin no Kyorei
12. Kinsan Kyorei
13. Yoshiya Reibo
14. Yūgure no Kyoku
15. Sakae-jishi
16. Uchikae Kyorei
17. Igusa Reibo
18. Izu Reibo
19. Reibo-nagashi
20. Sōkaku Reibo
21. Sanya Sugagaki
22. Shimotsuke Kyorei
23. Meguro-jishi
24. Ginryū Kokū
25. Sayama Sugagaki
26. Sagari-ha no Kyoku
27. Namima Reibo
28. Shika no Tōne
29. Hōshōsu
30. Akebono no Shirabe
31. Akebono Sugagaki
32. Ashi no Shirabe
33. Kotoji no Kyoku
34. Kinuta Sugomori
35. Tsuki no Kyoku
36. Kotobuki no Shirabe

At least three additional pieces were later added to the Kinko-Ryu repertoire:

1. Kumoi Jishi
2. Azuma no Kyoku
3. Sugagaki

Notes

• Shakuhachi Meditation Music, a 1997 CD release from Sounds True, features 13 selections from the Kinko Ryū, performed by Stan Richardson.^[1]

References

1. Shakuhachi Meditation Music, Stan Richardson. Boulder, Colorado: Sounds True (1997) (liner notes)

External links

• Kinko Ryū information
• Kinko Ryū repertoire
• Dokyoku repertoire