Komusō facts for kids

A komusō (monk of the Fuke sect) wearing a basket hat (天蓋 tengai or tengui) and playing the shakuhachi, as depicted by J. M. W. Silver

The entrance to Myōan-ji temple in Kyoto. Myōan-ji, a subsidiary of Tōfuku-ji, was the head temple of the Fuke sect, founded by the komusō Kyochiku Zenji.

The Komusō were unique wandering people in ancient Japan. Their name means "priest of nothingness" or "monk of emptiness." They were not regular monks but came from the samurai warrior class. You could easily spot them by their special straw basket hats, called tengai, which covered their whole heads. They also played a bamboo flute called the shakuhachi. Today, this flute playing is sometimes called suizen, or "Zen of blowing."

During the Edo period (1600–1868), the Komusō had special permissions from the Japanese government, known as the bakufu. Over time, more ordinary people started learning to play the shakuhachi. This led to new ideas about the music, connecting it to Zen spiritual practices. In the 1800s, the Komusō tradition became known as the Fuke sect or Fuke Zen. This name came from a story written in 1795, which linked them to an old Chinese Zen master named Puhua. This story helped explain their special role and rights.

However, in 1867, the Komusō lost their special rights. Even so, people still loved their music. Many of the songs they created, called honkyoku, are still played today. These songs are often seen as a symbol of Zen spirituality, carrying on the ideas that grew popular in the 1700s and 1800s.

What's in a Name?

The name Komusō has an interesting history. At first, these wandering musicians were called komosō. This meant "straw-mat monks," because they carried straw mats for sleeping. By the mid-1600s, the name changed to Komusō, using different Japanese characters.

The word Komusō (虚無僧) breaks down like this:

• The first two characters, kyomu (虚無), mean "nothingness" or "emptiness."
• Kyo (虚) means "nothing" or "empty."
• Mu (無) also means "nothing" or "without."
• The last character, sō (僧), means "priest" or "monk."

So, Komusō means "priest of nothingness" or "monk of emptiness."

The name Fuke-shū (Fuke sect) comes from a Chinese Zen master named Puhua. He was a very unique and unusual teacher. Shū simply means "school" or "sect" in Japanese.

A Look Back at Komusō History

For a long time, what we knew about the Komusō came from old stories. Some of these stories were even made up to give the Komusō more importance. But thanks to modern historians, we now have a clearer picture of their past.

Early Days: Beggars and Straw Mats

The Komusō had ancestors called boro in the 1300s. These were beggar-monks who didn't shave their heads. By the late 1400s, these boro became known as komosō, or "straw-mat monks." They got this name because they carried straw mats to sleep on. These early Komosō started playing the shakuhachi flute. At first, the shakuhachi was mostly used for court music, not religious songs.

The first Komosō were poor and didn't have much social standing. But later, to become a Komusō, you had to come from a samurai family. Even so, teaching the shakuhachi to regular townspeople became very popular in the 1700s.

Becoming Organized and Gaining Privileges

In the 1600s, after many wars, many samurai lost their masters. These masterless samurai, called rōnin, often joined the Komusō. Because some rōnin caused trouble, the government, led by the Tokugawa shogunate, wanted to keep a close eye on groups like the Komusō.

To become a recognized group, the Komusō formed a sect. They made rules that only samurai could join. Their main meeting place was a lodge in Kyoto, which they called Myōan-ji. This place eventually became a recognized temple. The government even moved their headquarters to Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to keep better control over them.

The Komusō gained special permissions from the government. One important document, the Keichō Okite Gaki, gave them privileges. This document was actually created later to make their existing practices seem more official. The government eventually accepted it. This helped the rōnin find a place and allowed the government to monitor them.

Special Travel Rights

Traveling around Japan was very difficult during the Edo period. But the Komusō received a rare permission to travel freely. This was very unusual! Many believed that in return for this freedom, the Komusō would share information about what was happening in different parts of the country with the central government. This role as observers eventually contributed to their decline when the government itself changed.

The Komusō also had the special right to be the only ones allowed to play the shakuhachi in public. This helped identify them. However, they were not considered a full religious group in the same way as other Buddhist temples.

Oldest Known Honkyoku Music

The earliest record of a specific honkyoku piece dates back to 1664. It was found in a collection of music for strings and bamboo instruments. This text mentioned songs like Kyō Renbo and Goro. However, it didn't include the pieces now considered the "three classics" of Komusō music.

The Fuke Sect Story

The name Fuke-shū (Fuke sect) became popular in the 1800s. It came from a book called the Kyotaku denki, published in 1795. This book told a story linking the Komusō to an ancient Chinese Zen master named Puhua. The story said that Puhua wandered around ringing a bell. One man, Zhang Bai, wanted to learn from Puhua. When Puhua refused, Zhang Bai created a bamboo instrument to imitate the bell.

The Kyotaku denki claimed that Fuke Zen came to Japan with a monk named Shinchi Kakushin in the 1200s. He had studied in China. However, Kakushin's own writings don't mention the shakuhachi. Also, there was no known Fuke school in China. It seems the Fuke-shū was a unique Japanese idea. Its followers usually didn't have specific teachings or holy books, and they rarely chanted traditional Buddhist prayers.

Changes and Decline

At first, only samurai could join the Komusō. But after the mid-1700s, these rules became less strict. People who weren't samurai could join if they paid a fee. This led to some members joining just for the special travel rights.

By the late 1700s, the Komusō were no longer needed as observers for the government. Japan was peaceful, and their special privileges were questioned. Playing the shakuhachi also became popular among wealthy ordinary people. This led to new spiritual ideas about the music, connecting it deeply to Zen.

Kurosawa Kinko's Influence

In the 1700s, a master named Kurosawa Kinko (1710–1771) traveled to many Komusō temples. He collected and organized over 30 honkyoku pieces. These pieces became the foundation of the Kinko school of shakuhachi music. Kinko also helped introduce Fuke shakuhachi teachings to people outside the Komusō. He played a big role in making the shakuhachi a spiritual instrument.

Hisamatsu Masagoro Fuyo's Writings

In the 1800s, Hisamatsu Masagoro Fuyo (1790–1845) wrote texts that connected shakuhachi playing to Zen. He used phrases like "achieving enlightenment through one sound." He also said that "bamboo [the shakuhachi] and Zen are one." He called the shakuhachi an "instrument of the dharma" (religious tool).

However, Hisamatsu's writings mostly focused on how to actually play the instrument. This spiritual connection was likely a way to make shakuhachi playing seem more important as more ordinary people started learning it. It helped link this new, popular music to an imagined glorious Zen past.

The End of the Komusō as an Institution

The Tokugawa shogunate took away all formal privileges for the Komusō in 1847. Then, in 1871, after the government changed during the Meiji Restoration, the Komusō stopped being a semi-religious group. The new Meiji government even banned playing the shakuhachi entirely for four years. After that, it was allowed again, but only as a secular (non-religious) instrument. Other Buddhist groups didn't try to bring the Komusō back.

Shakuhachi Music Lives On

Even after the Komusō institution ended, the music of the shakuhachi survived. Grandmasters like Araki Kodo II and Yoshida Ittcho successfully asked the new government to allow secular shakuhachi music to continue. Their efforts helped preserve this unique musical tradition.

Modern Shakuhachi Schools

Today, many schools continue the Komusō's musical heritage. These schools often come from local Fuke temples that kept parts of the original music. Some notable schools include:

The main shakuhachi music schools today come from two older groups: the Meian and Kinko guilds. These guilds combine traditions from the earlier Fuke-shū Komusō priests.

The Myoan Kyokai is a big supporter of this tradition. Groups like the Kyochiku Zenji Hosan Kai (KZHK) in Kyoto hold yearly meetings for shakuhachi players and Zen fans. Many Rinzai monks still practice as Komusō during special events at former Fuke-shū temples.

In Hakata Ward, there is still a temple where Komusō perform. People can learn to play the shakuhachi there. If they learn all 60 traditional songs, they can even become certified shakuhachi masters.

Modern Komusō

Even today, some people choose to live temporarily as Komusō for spiritual reasons or to learn. Hõzan Murata, a famous shakuhachi player, lived as a Komusō for eight months in 1974. Other well-known modern Komusō include Kokū Nishimura and Watazumi Doso. Nishimura called his shakuhachi a kyotaku ("empty bell"), referring to the Puhua legend. Doso was known for bringing new life to shakuhachi music.

What Made a Komusō Unique?

A Komusō

People in Japan recognized the Komusō by their special look and music. They played solo songs called honkyoku on their shakuhachi flutes. This practice is now known as suizen. They also wore a large woven basket hat, called a tengai, that covered their entire head while they traveled.

The Shakuhachi Flute

The shakuhachi flute gets its name from its size. Shaku is an old Japanese unit of measure, about 30 centimeters (1 foot). Hachi means eight. So, a shakuhachi is typically one shaku and eight-tenths of a shaku long. Real shakuhachi flutes are made of bamboo and can be quite valuable.

Suizen: Zen of Blowing

A Buddhist monk begging as a Komusō

Suizen means "Zen of blowing (the flute)." It refers to playing honkyoku on the shakuhachi in exchange for donations. This practice is seen as a form of meditation.

Some Western shakuhachi players have emphasized the spiritual side of "shakuhachi-Zen." They connect it to ideas like "achieving enlightenment through one sound." For many suizen practitioners, honkyoku pieces are played as a personal spiritual practice, not just a public performance.

Their Special Outfit

The Komusō were known for their unique straw basket hat, the tengai. This hat covered their entire head. It was meant to show that the wearer had no specific ego. It also helped them travel without being recognized.

Komusō wore traditional kimono, often a formal style with five crests. They also wore an obi (sash) and an o-kuwara, a garment over their shoulders. They carried a second shakuhachi flute. This might have been a replacement for the short sword (wakizashi) that samurai usually carried. Their main shakuhachi was typically about 1.8 shaku long.

They also wore inro (small containers for medicine or tobacco) on their belts. They had kyahan (shin coverings) over their tabi socks and waraji (sandals). A hachimaki headband was worn under their tengai. They also wore tekou (hand and forearm covers) and carried a gebako, a box for collecting donations and holding documents.

Honkyoku: Original Pieces

Honkyoku means "original pieces." It is a collection of solo songs for the shakuhachi flute. These songs come from the Fuke Sect of Zen Buddhism. They were first created for the wandering Komusō to play while asking for donations.

Kinko Ryū Repertory

The following Honkyoku pieces make up the Kinko Ryū Shakuhachi Honkyoku Repertoire:

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

1. Kumoi Jishi 雲井獅子
2. Azuma no Kyoku 吾妻の曲
3. Sugagaki 菅垣

The earliest list of these songs is from the early 1700s. These compositions don't directly mention Zen ideas. This suggests that the strong connection between Zen philosophy and shakuhachi music, or "shakuhachi-Zen," became more common in the 1800s.

Complete Recordings

Complete recordings of the honkyoku of the Kinko School have been made by:

• Araki Kodo V (Chikuo II)
• Aoki Reibo II
• Yamaguchi Goro

See also

• Puhua
• Shakuhachi
• Hotchiku
• Zen
  • Rinzai
  • Ōbaku