Shakuhachi flutes have a certain appeal as they are specially made with root ends from mature bamboo. The beauty of the smooth stem contrasts with the gnarly roots, reminding us that life manifests in similar fashion: happiness and suffering are not separate.
Bamboo's appearance is deceptive, looking like a tree but is actually a grass. In fact it is often viewed as an unwelcome weed because it is difficult to eliminate once it populates an area.
Harvesting it is a tedious manual task in the first stage of flute making. It would seem the plant lost its life, but at the hands of a craftsman it takes on a new life, transformed from a weed into a lively instrument. In the Edo period of ancient Japan it was regarded as a dharma instrument (法器, hoki) that helped monastics in their meditation practice. The humble bamboo continues beautifully in a new form, the shakuhachi (尺八) -- "death" does not bring an end.
Harvesting it is a tedious manual task in the first stage of flute making. It would seem the plant lost its life, but at the hands of a craftsman it takes on a new life, transformed from a weed into a lively instrument. In the Edo period of ancient Japan it was regarded as a dharma instrument (法器, hoki) that helped monastics in their meditation practice. The humble bamboo continues beautifully in a new form, the shakuhachi (尺八) -- "death" does not bring an end.
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