Komusō

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

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

TheKomusō(Hư vô tăng)( "priest of nothingness" or "monk of emptiness" ) were wandering non-monastic lay Buddhists from the warrior-class (samuraiandrōnin) who were noted for wearing straw basket hats and playing theshakuhachibamboo flute, nowadays calledsuizen('Zen of blowing (the flute)'). During theEdo period(1600–1868) they obtained various rights and privileges from thebakufu,the ruling elite.

The 18th and 19th century saw a popularization of shakuhachi-playing among lay-people, accompanied by the interpretation and legitimation of this laicization in spiritual and esthetical terms derived from the Zen-tradition, to which thekomusōnominally belonged.In the 19th century thekomusō-tradition became known as theFuke-shū(Japanese:Phổ hóa tông,Fuke sect)orFuke Zen,after the publication of theKyotaku denki(1795), which created a fictitiousRinzai Zenlineage starting with the eccentric Zen masterPuhua(J.Fuke) ofTang China.This narrative legitimized the existence and rights of thekomusō,but also ushered in the “bourgeoisization” of shakuhachi-playing in the 18th century.

The rights of thekomusōwere abolished in 1867,like other Buddhist organisations. Interest in their music style stayed alive in secular audiences, and a number of the pieces they composed and performed, calledhonkyoku,are preserved, played, and interpreted in the popular imagination as a token of Zen-spirituality,continuing the narrative which developed in the 18th and 19th century.

Etymology

Wandering musicians were known at first askomosō( tiến tăng; literally "straw-mat monks" ). By the mid-17th century, different characters were used for the same pronunciation, resulting inkomusōasKomusō(Hư vô tăng)(alsoromanizedkomusouorkomuso), "priest of nothingness" or "monk of emptiness". The first two characters,kyomu(Hư vô)(orkomu) mean "nothingness, emptiness", withkyo(Hư)(orko) meaning "nothing, empty, false", andmu(Vô)meaning "nothing, without". The last character,sō(Tăng),means "priest, monk".

Fuke-shū(Japanese:Phổ hóa tông,Fuke sect),fromFuke(Ch.Puhua), an eccentric Zen master mentioned in theRecord of Linji,andshū,meaning school or sect.

History

The understanding of the history of thekomusōand theFuke-shuhad long been dominated by theKeichô Okite Gaki(c.1680) and theKyotaku denki Kokuti Kai(1795), a forged Governmental Decree and a fictional origin-narrative, respectively.Historical research by Nakazuka Chikozan in the 1930s showed the spurious nature of these texts, and a revised history has emerged since then, as set out bySanford (1977)andKamisango (1988).

Boroandkomosō(14th-16th century)

Predecessors of thekomuso'swere beggar-monks with unshaved heads known asboro's,boroboroorboronji,mentioned in theTsurezurega(c.1330).Theseboromerged in the late 15th century into thekomosō( "straw-mat monks," named after the straw sleeping-mats which they carried along), which played theshakuhachi,and are depicted in paintings and texts from around 1500 onwards. Thekomosōcame to be known askomusō.There is no evidence of any earlier tradition ofshakuhachi-playing monks, and it is recorded that in 1518 theshakuhachiwas regarded by some as an instrument for court music (gagaku), not for religious music.

The earliestkomosō,predecessors of the later "priests of nothingness", were poor beggar monks without any social status in society. The laterkomusō,on the other hand, had to be of samurai family, even though the practice of teachingshakuhachito townspeople had become very popular already in the early 18th century.

Institutionalization and privileges (17th century)

Thekomusōwere initially a loose affiliation of monks and lay pilgrims, but solidified as an organized group in the 1600s. After the civil wars of the 15th-16th century, masterless samurai (rōnin) joined thekomusō.Several uprisings involvingrōnintook place during the first half of the 17th century, and the Tokugawa Shogunate tightened its control of therōninandkomusōand other deviant groups, "extending authority through the Buddhist institutions." In response, thekomusō"banded together and formed a sect,"members of which, by their own regulations had to be ofsamuraidescent.Due to the temperaments of therōnin,the sect gained the reputation of harbouring troublemakers.

Simple lodges provided accommodation for thekomoso,and thekomosolodge at Shirakata in Kyoto was chosen as its headquarters, calling itMyōan-ji.A temple was needed to be regarded as a religious sect, andMyōan-jiwas recognized as a temple in the early 17th century, at the beginning of the Edo period.While first a subtemple ofReiho-ji,in the 18th century a relation withKōkoku-ji,founded by Kakushin, was forged,and officially acknowledged in 1767;a move which was apologized in theKuotaku Denki.At the request of the government, the headquarters of thekomusōwere transferred to two temples in Edo, where they could better be controlled.A directive from the government from 1677 marks this recognition, and control over, thekomusō,as a distinct institution.

The purportedly oldest document granting privileges to thekomusōis theKeichō Okite Gaki(Governmental Decree of the Keichô Years, 1596–1615), a falsified decree signed 1614 but actually dated to around 1680,intended to lend legitimacy to already existingkomusō-practices.Presented with this forgery, the shogunate eventually accepted it, to provide refuge toroninand gain control over them.

Several versions of this document exist, which can be divided in short and long versions, reflecting the power-struggle between thekomusōand the government.The short versions show that the government designated the institutionalisation for the lodging ofronin,limiting and policing thekomusō,and instructing them to act as spies.

Travel around Japan was heavily restricted in theEdo period,but the longer versionsgave thekomusōa rare exemption from theTokugawa shogunate,most likely for political reasons. To be given a free pass in these times was a highly unusual and very special exemption from travel restrictions, and rumors from the period held that in return for this privilege thekomusōhad to report back to the central government about conditions in the provinces,a practice which helped seal the group's demise when the government itself fell. The authenticity of this decree was in doubt, despite it being treated as legitimate and amended by future leaders within the shogunate.

In the longer versions,komuso'swere also given exclusive right to play the instrument during the Edo period by theBakufuas a way to identify them,a provision missing from the shorter versions.They were not recognized as a legal monastic entity beyond these token exemptions by the shogunate, and were not eligible to participate in theDanka system.

While there were over 120komuso-associated "temple-lodges," early 17th century, their number decreased, as membership of thekomusowas strictly restricted to thesamurai.

Oldest documentedhonkyoku(1664)

The oldest documentation of any namedhonkyokupiece is in theShichiku shoshin-shū(Collection of Pieces for beginners on Strings and Bamboo, 1664). This text mentionsKyō Renbo,Goro,Yoshinoand other pieces, but it does not mention any of the pieces considered to be the "three classics" (Mukaiji/Mukaiji reibo,Kokū/Kokū Reibo,Kyorei/Shin no Kyorei).

TheKyotaku denkiand theFuke-shū(18th-19th century)

The nameFuke-shūdoes not appear before the 19th century, and the sect has never been officially acknowledged as a distinct Zen-school. The name is derived from theKyotaku denki,a text in classical Chinese that was published in 1795 together with a Japanese translation and commentary,theKokuji Kai,"to create a legitimate affiliation between the komusō and theRinzai-shu."It was published at a time when the komusō faced difficulties and started to lose privileges, and its publication may have been an attempt to strengthen their position.The legend itself seems to be older, already mentioned in theBoro-no Techô(1628) and theShichiku Shoshin-shû(1664).

TheKyotaku denkipictured a lineage back to the eccentric Zen masterPuhua(J.Fuke) ofTang China,a clowneske figure from theRecord of Linji.According to legend, Puhua roamed the streets ringing a bell while preaching. A man named Zhang Bai asked to become Puhua's student, but was rejected. He then made an instrument of bamboo to imitate the bell.

According to theKyotaku denki,Fuke Zen was brought to Japan byShinchi Kakushin( tâm địa 覚 tâm ) (1207–1298), also known as Muhon Kakushin ( vô bổn giác tâm ) and posthumously as Hotto Kokushi ( pháp đăng quốc sư ). Kakushin had travelled in China for six years and studied with the famous ChineseChanmasterWumen( vô môn ) of the Linji lineage. Kakushin became a disciple of the lay-teacher Chôsan, who claimed to be a 16th generation dharma-heir of Puhua.

Yet, no mention is made in Kakushin's diaries of the shakuhachi, and the four "disciples" who purportedly returned with him to Japan were just servants.NoFuke-school is known from China, and theFuke-shūseems to have been a Japanese creation.Typically, its "members" had no doctrines or scriptures, nor any parishioners,and Fuke-adherents rarely chantedsutrasor otherBuddhist texts.

Codification, laicization, spiritualization and decline (18th-19th century)

Initiay, membership was restricted to thesamurai,but after the mid-18th century restrictions watered down, and non-samurai who could pay the entrance fee were also admitted.Discipline laxed, and members joined who were only attracted by the privileges of thekomuso.By the late 18th-century, thekomusohad lost their usefulness as spies, due to the peaceful life-circumstances created by the Tokugawa shogunate, which no longer tolerated their privileges.Playing the shakuhachi lost its distinguishing feature, as lay-people from the richer classes learned to play the instrument, a development accompanied by the development of a Zen-derived spiritual narrative, building on the Zen-narrative of thekomuso.

Kurosawa Kinko (1710-1771)

Historically, approximately forty komuso temples across Japan nurtured their unique collections of Honkyoku. In the 18th century, the master Kurosawa Kinko (1710–71), the founder of the Kinko-ryu, embarked on a journey to these temples, seeking out local compositions. He meticulously 'arranged' or 'composed' over 30 pieces, shaping the cornerstone of the Kinko school's Honkyoku repertoire today.According to Deeg, "the systematisation of certainly already existing elements legitimising Fuke-shu in the Denki, probably originated in the proto-organisation of the Kinko-ryu which was itself starting towards the end of the 18th century. This proto-organisation, with its legend and related musical tradition, consolidated the Fuke-sh as a Zen denomination in its own right."

Kinko's influence extended beyond musical creation; he played a pivotal role in introducing Fuke shakuhachi teachings to lay practitioners, fostering the ascent of Fuke shakuhachi in the Japanese cultural landscape while supplanting its precursor, the hitoyogiri shakuhachi. Kinko was also instrumental in the spiritualization of the shakuhachi.

Hisamatsu Masagoro Fuyo (1790-1845)

Deeg notes that in the 19th century there was a process of laicization, spiritualization and aesthatization of the distinguishing feature of thekomuso,the playing of the shakuhachi.According to Deeg, "The only extant writing which really has Zen-inspired content was composed by Hisamatsu Masagoro Fuyo (1790-1845)," namelyHitori-gotoba( độc ngôn, "Monologue," before 1830),Hitori-mondo( độc vấn đáp, "Monologous dialogues," 1823) andKaisei-hogo( hải tĩnh pháp ngữ, "Dharma-words of the silent sea," 1838).Hisamatsu Fuyo frequently uses expressions likeichion jobutsu( nhất âm thành phật ( phật ), "to achieve enlightenment by one sound,"chikuzen ichinyo( trúc thiền nhất như ), and "bamboo [the shakuhachi] and Zen are one and the same"; theshakuhachi is calledhoki( pháp khí ), "instrument of the dharma."

Nevertheless, according to Deeg, "Hisamatsu’s texts contain amazingly few “Zenist” expressions and instead focus on the actual practice of the playing of the instrument. "According to Deeg, Hisamatsu's "spiritualisation and aesthetization" has to be understood in the context of the laicization of shakuhachi-practice, with all the teachers of theKinko-ryu,who were not fully ordainedkomusobutshuen josui,"assistant flutists related to the (Fuke-)shu," mainly training lay-people.Deeg concludes that the spiritalization is not a development from within thekosumo,but "a strategy of legitimation for a more and more bourgeois musical tradition of the late Tokugawa-period," harking back to an (imagined) glorious Zen-past.According to Deeg, theDenkiserved also as a legitimation of this laicization, or “bourgoisization,” which explains why householders have such a prominent place in its fabricated lineage.

Abolishment (1871)

TheTokugawagovernment revoked all formal privileges for thekomusōin 1847.

In 1871, after thefall of the Tokugawa Shogunateand the start of theMeiji Restoration,thekomusōceased to exist as a semi-religious institute. It was prohibited by the Meiji-administration during its persecution of Buddhist institutions.The Meiji government attempted to continue theDanka system,but the komusō were outlawed as they were not a part of this system. Practice of theshakuhachiwas banned entirely for four years by the Meiji government, after which it was decreed that secular playing was permitted, and practitioners went on to teach theshakuhachias a secular instrument.No attempts were made by the Buddhist mainstream to re-establish the sect, possibly due to its marginal position and the loose connection to the Rinzai-shu, and the laicization of shakuhachi-practice.

Secular popularisation (19th-20th century)

Survival of theshakuhachi-tradition

TheKinko RyuGrandmasters Araki Kodo II (Chikuo I) and Yoshida Ittcho successfully petitioned the new government to allow secular shakuhachi music to continue.Practice of theshakuhachisurvived thanks to these efforts, and documentation of the musical repertoire of the performers survived through the period.

Present-day schools

Several smaller schools persisted, often stemming from local Fuke temples preserving fragments of the original repertoire, and small associations and organizations work to continue this musical tradition in the modern era.Notable Honkyoku schools are:

School	Founder
Chikuho Ryū	Sakai Chikuho ISơ thế tửu tỉnh trúc bảo
Chikushinkai (Dokyoku)	Watazumi Doso hải đồng đạo tổ/Yokoyama Katsuya hoành sơn thắng dã
Jikishō Ryū	Tajima Tadashi điền 嶋 trực sĩ
Mu Ryû	Miyata KohachiroCung điền canh bát lãng
Myoan Shinpo Ryū	Ozaki Shinryu vĩ kỳ chân long
Nezasa Ha / Kimpu Ryū	Kurihara (Einosuke) KinpuLật nguyên cẩm phong
Seien Ryū	Kanemoto SeienKiêm hữu tây viên
Taizan Ha	Higuchi TaizanThông khẩu đối sơn
Tozan Ryū	Nakao TozanTrung vĩ đô sơn
Ueda Ryū	Ueda HodoThượng điền phương sung

The major schools of shakuhachi music that survive to today come from two guilds: the Meian and Kinko. These guilds are a synthesis of two sects of an earlierFuke-shūguild of komusō priests.

The Myoan Kyokai stands as a significant bastion of this tradition, but lack organizational unity.

The contemporaryKyochiku Zenji Hosan Kai(KZHK) group inKyotoorganizes annual meetings for hundreds of shakuhachi players, Rinzai clerics, and Fuke Zen enthusiasts. The related Myōan Society, as well as other small groups throughout Japan. KZHK and the Myōan Society operate from their base temples ofTōfuku-jiand Myōan-ji, the latter being the former headquarters of the Fuke sect. Many Rinzai monks still practice as komusō during certain celebrations in former Fuke-shū temples that have, since the 19th century, reverted to traditional Rinzai Zen. Notable temples includeKokutai-jiandIchigatsu-ji.

Hakata Wardholds one of remaining temples where Komusō continue to perform.

Members of the general public can learn to play the shakuhachi at the dojo at Icchoken inHakata-ku,and players who learn all 60 songs of the tradition can be certified as shakuhachi masters.

Contemporarykomusō

At least several particular individuals in modern times have been known to pursue temporary itinerant lifestyles as komusō, for spiritual or learning purposes. Hõzan Murata,a famous shakuhachi player, maker, anddai-shihan(grandmaster), lived as a komusō for 8 months in 1974. Perhaps the most well known contemporary komusō areKokū Nishimura—who famously carried on the tradition of dubbing shakuhachikyotaku( "empty bell" ), in reference to the legend of Puhua (Fuke)—andWatazumi Doso,known for his innovations with and revitalization of the shakuhachi repertoire, and the popularization of thehotchiku.

Characteristics of thekomusō

Komusō

A Buddhist monk begging as akomusō

Sketch of akomusō(right)

Thekomusōwere characterized in the public imagination of Japan by their playing of solo pieces,honkyoku( "fundamental pieces" ), on theshakuhachi(a type of bambooflute), a practice known today assuizen,while wearing a large woven basket hat ortengai(Thiên cái)that covered their entire head as they went onpilgrimage.

Flute

Main article:Shakuhachi

Theshakuhachiflute derives its name from its size.Shakuis an old unit of measure close to 1 foot (30 cm).Hachimeans eight, which in this case represents a measure of eight-tenths of ashaku.Trueshakuhachiare made of bamboo and can be very expensive.

Suizen

The playing ofhonkyokuon theshakuhachiin return foralmsis known today assuizen,('Zen of blowing (the flute)'), and interpreted as a form ofdhyana,"meditation" ).

According to Deeg, the image of "shakuhachi-Zen" as a spiritual practice is reinforced by westernshakuhachi-players, giving it spiritual connotations it never had in Japan.According to Deeg, this spiritualisation "can be comprehended with the aid of two concepts, those of “attaining buddhahood through one sound” (ichion-jōbutsu nhất âm thành phật ) and “the Zen of blowing (the flute)” (suizen xuy thiền ). "refers to "the content of the two published volumes of the Annals of the International Shakuhachi Society (ISS)" as an example.For example:

• According to Blasdel, the concept ofichi on jōbutsu– the attainment ofenlightenmentthrough a single note– became an important aspect of theFukesect's ‘blowing Zen’ as it developed in later periods.
• According toChristopher Yohmei Blasdel,theshakuhachiwas used as ahoki(religious tool) "to enter the realm of enlightenment."
• According to Ralph Samuelson, for suizen practitionershonkyokupieces are traditionally played in the manner of a personal spiritual practice and not as a public performance.

Disguise and outfit

Thekomusō(Hư vô tăng /こむそう)were characterized by a strawbasket(a sedge or reed hood known as atengai) worn on the head, manifesting the absence of specific ego but also useful for traveling incognito.

Komusōwore atengai(Thiên cái),a type of woven straw hat orkasa,which completely covered their head like an overturned basket. The idea was that the wearing of such a hat removed the ego of the wearer, whilst also concealing their identity. Further, the government granted thekomusōthe rare privilege to freely travel the country without hindrance; one reason doing so may have been an interest on behalf of the shogunate to receive first-hand information about conditions in the provinces, the collection of such information made possible by the concealed nature of thekomusō.

Komusōworekimono– especially of a five-crested, formalmon-tsukistyle – andobi,as well as ano-kuwara,arakusu-like garment worn over the shoulders.Komusōwould wear a secondaryshakuhachito accompany their primary flute, possibly as a replacement for the samurai'swakizashi;their primaryshakuhachi,usually a 1.8 size instrument (I shaku ha sun), would be pitched in rough equivalence to the D or D flat in thetwelve-tone scale.

Komusōworeinrofrom their belt – a container for medicine, tobacco and other items –kyahanshin coverings above theirtabisocks andwarajisandals, and ahachimakiheadband, covered by thetengai.They woretekou,hand-and-forearm covers, afusatassel,and carried agebako,a box used for collecting alms and holding documents.

Honkyoku

Honkyoku( bổn khúc, "original pieces" ) comprises a repertoire of solo compositions for the shakuhachi, rooted in the heritage of the Fuke Sect of Zen Buddhism. They were initially cultivated for the solicitation of alms by solitary wandering mendicants.

Kinko Ryū Repertory

The following Honkyoku make up what is now known as the Kinko Ryu Shakuahchi Honkyoku Repertoire, the pieces played by the Kinko school:

1. Hifumi—Hachigaeshi no Shirabe nhất nhị tam bát phản の điều
2. Taki-ochi no Kyoku (Taki-otoshi no Kyoku) lang lạc の khúc
3. Akita Sugagaki thu điền gian viên
4. Koro Sugagaki 転 gian viên
5. Kyūshū Reibo cửu châu linh mộ
6. Shizu no Kyoku chí đồ の khúc
7. Kyō Reibo kinh linh mộ
8. Mukaiji Reibo vụ hải trì
9. Kokū Reibo hư không
10. a) Kokū Kaete (Ikkan-ryū) hư không thế thủ ( nhất quan lưu ) b) Banshikichō bàn hồ điều
11. Shin Kyorei chân hư linh
12. Kinsan Kyorei cầm tam hư linh
13. Yoshiya Reibo cát dã linh mộ
14. Yūgure no Kyoku tịch mộ の khúc
15. Sakai Jishi vinh sư tử
16. Uchikae Kyorei đả thế hư linh
17. Igusa Reibo vĩ thảo linh mộ
18. Izu Reibo y đậu linh mộ
19. Reibo Nagashi linh mộ lưu
20. Sōkaku Reibo 巣 hạc linh mộ
21. Sanya Sugagaki tam cốc gian viên
22. Shimotsuke Kyorei hạ dã hư linh
23. Meguro-jishi mục hắc sư tử
24. Ginryū Kokū ngâm long hư không
25. Sayama Sugagaki tá sơn gian viên
26. Sagari Ha no Kyoku hạ り diệp の khúc
27. Namima Reibo ba gian linh mộ
28. Shika no Tōne lộc の viễn âm
29. Hōshōsu phượng tương sồ
30. Akebono no Shirabe thự の điều
31. Akebono Sugagaki thự gian viên
32. Ashi no Shirabe lô の điều
33. Kotoji no Kyoku cầm trụ の khúc
34. Kinuta Sugomori châm 巣 lung
35. Tsuki no Kyoku nguyệt の khúc
36. Kotobuki no Shirabe thọ の điều

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

1. Kumoi Jishi vân tỉnh sư tử
2. Azuma no Kyoku ngô thê の khúc
3. Sugagaki gian viên

The earliest list of the repertoire is dated to the first half of the 18th century, and the compositions don't contain direct references to the terminology of theKyotaku denki,indication that the incorporation of Zen-philosophy, or "shakuhachi-Zen," is a 19th-century phenomenon.

Complete recordings

Recordings of the complete honkyoku of the Kinko School have been recorded by

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

See also

• Puhua
• Shakuhachi
  • Honkyoku
  • Hotchiku
  • Suizen
• Zen
  • Rinzai
  • Ōbaku

Sources

• Baroni, Helen J. (2002).The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism.The Rosen Publishing Group.
• Buswell; Lopes (2014). "Fukeshu".Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism.Princeton University Press.
• Deeg, Max (2007)."Komusō and" Shakuhachi-Zen ": From Historical Legitimation to the Spiritualisation of a Buddhist denomination in the Edo Period"(PDF).Japanese Religions.32(1–2): 7–38. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2013-04-08.
• Ferguson, Andy.Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings.Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2000.ISBN0-86171-163-7
• Hughes, David W. (2017-02-03).The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music.Routledge.ISBN978-1-351-69760-6.
• Kamisango, Yuko (1988)."The Shakuhachi. History and Development".Komuso.Translated by Christopher Yomei Blasdel.
• Linder, Gunnar Jinmei (2012).Deconstructing Traditional Japanese Music: A Study on Shakuhachi, Historical Authenticity and Transmission of Tradition(PhD Dissertation). Stockholm University.
• Linder, Gunnar Jinmei (2017)."Analysis of Transmission in Japanese Traditional Art Forms: Part 2, A Comprehensive study of Shakuhachi Lineages".Journal of East Asian Identities.2:117–127.
• Mau, Christian (2014).Situating the Myōan Kyōkai: A Study of Suizen and the Fuke Shakuhachi(PhD thesis). University of London.
• Mau, C.T. (2018). "Gathering to Study: the Case of the Myoan Shakuhachi's Benkyo-kai".Community Music in Oceania: Many Voices, One Horizon.University of Hawai' Press.
• Pope, Edgar W. (2000). "The Shakuhachi, the Fuke-shu, and the Scholars: a Historical Controversy".Journal of Hokusei Jr. Col.36:31–44.
• Watson, Burton; tr.The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-Chi: A Translation of the Lin-chi lu.New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.ISBN0-231-11485-0.
• Sanford, James H. (1977). "Shakuhachi Zen. The Fuke-shu and Komuso".Monumenta Nipponica.32(4): 411–440.doi:10.2307/2384045.JSTOR2384045.
• Shin Meikai kokugo jiten( tân minh giải quốc ngữ từ điển ),SanseidoCo., Ltd., Tokyo 1974

Further reading

• Deeg, Max (2007),Komuso and “Shakuhachi-Zen”: From Historical Legitimation to the Spiritualisation of a Buddhist Denomination in the Edo Period,Japanese Religion 32 (1–2), 7-38

External links

• Media related toKomusōat Wikimedia Commons
• The Zen Teaching of Rinzai(a.k.a. The Record of Rinzai)PDFTextArchived2009-05-08 at theWayback Machine
• TheKyotaku Denki
• Hisamatsu Fūyō.Hitori Mondō

Honkyoku

• Kinko Ryū information
• Kinko Ryū repertoire
• Dokyoku repertoire
• The Systemisation of the Musical Language of theFukezen Shakuhachi HonkyokuArchived2017-11-07 at theWayback Machine
• Komuso and "Shakuhachi-Zen" From Historical Legitimation to the Spiritualisation of a Buddhist denomination in the Edo Period[1]