Watering the Bamboo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nara

The Sound as Void unmanifest 間

間

Fujiwara no Yasumasa (958-1036) was a famous musician at the Heian court. He and his brother, Kidomaru, had parted ways when Kidomaru became an outlaw rather than serve under the powerful warrior Raiko.  Playing his flute on the lonely moor of Ichihara while walking home one night, his brother snuck up on him, intent on robbing him of his elegant robe, but enchanted by Yasumasa's beautiful music, he stopped in his tracks. Kidomaru instead followed his brother home, who only then became aware of his presence and happily gave him a robe. Woodblock print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1832-1892), published 1883.

Sick of what it is called
Sick of the names
I dedicate every pore
To what’s here.
—Ikkyu

Nara

Ur-Rothko

 

Before the Door

Praying Respect

1884 Drawing: Komuso and Samurai

Medieval Japan's Komuso

solitude and mystery

Kuniteru II 1829 - 1874

Dueling Shakuhachi

Meiji era sketch of Samurai and Komuso

the road

Torii Kiyomasu I, 1715

Katsukawa Shunsho, 1783

The Thousand Mile Sound

Goma Jinashi

Goma jinashi, raw bamboo cracked.  
Bound at curved node between holes 
with only a 4 thread binding.

Stage