Ro-Buki in Rhyme

Ro-Buki in Rhyme : Reflections on Blowing Zen (2018 by Samarpan David Kent)

This year turns out my spiritual path involves breathing and plastic

The simple practice called blowing zen has really been fantastic!

In spiritual traditions breathing is utilitarian

For monotheists, polytheists, even Unitarians

In my spiritual journey, I’ve had philosophies galore.

Atheism, agnosticism, anarchism, and more.

Pantheism, panentheism, pacifism … Oh my! … What schisms!

Existentialism, theism… and many many more “isms.”

Forty five years I searched for Truth. To find practices, there was no dearth.

Searching philosophies… Religious traditions … Of Planet Earth.

And from all that searching, what have I learned… of what I was after?

I found the non-verbal most valuable: silence, music, laughter.

This year I began a new Zen nothingness practice, Ro-Buki,

Breathing into emptiness with Shunya, my plastic Shakuhachi.

I AM thankful to be alive, to STILL be alive… and breathing.

My search led me to Shunya … Had nothing to do with believing.

From Mahāyāna Buddhism Shunya is short hand for Shunyata

By blowing zen, Buddhist emptiness comes right straight back atcha

Now I no longer meditatively dance my way to pure stoned bliss

Due to an M. R. I. diagnosing osteoarthritis

With all five holes covered the lowest Shakuhachi note is Ro

Ro-Buki means to blow Ro, so every day … Ro I must blow

Ro-Buki inspires “shugyo,” which is a deep body-mind training

I practice Ro-Buki every day … Sun shining or raining

Ro-Buki … Suizen .. is important … Both for playing and being

Enlightenment through a single pure note … And new ways of seeing.

The Shakuhachi flute is paradox … both form and emptiness…

Form is emptiness. Emptiness is form. Gotta love those Buddhists!

My flute is a Shakuhachi Yuu, made of plastic not bamboo

Will not dry or crack in desert climate … and my heart, it did woo.

Recommended for beginners… this Shakuhachi .. Y .. U .. U

Wet will not harm it… and amazon dot com gave a good review!

Shakuhachi arrived in Japan fourteen hundred years ago

Not an ensemble instrument … Meditatively played … Solo

Shakuhachis are part of Zen culture … As very sacred tools

The Komuso, “monks of emptiness” who played them were smart, not fools

Komuso of Fuke Zen Sect… Suppressed by Meiji Restoration

Their honkyoku song pieces are still here for meditation

The works they composed used sound and silence in their originality

The gaps between notes express beautifully Zen non-duality

Instead of sitting watching breath, a sitting practice called zazen

Tengai baskets over their heads they were always blowing sui zen

Wandering monks, baskets covering faces, eyes following the ground

Playing Shakuhachis … Uniting opposites: Silence and sound

Suizen practice has breathed energy into my spiritual life.

Thankfully I have a very supportive, understanding wife!

Suizen gets me out of bed … Ro-Buki … Five a. m. … A new day

Age sixty-nine … Beginner … Blowing Ro … Emptiness … On my way.