The shakuhachi is a Japanese flute made of bamboo. They are played from the end, rather than transversely as many concert flutes are played. One blows on a reed carved into the lip in much the same way we used to blow on the lip of soda bottles to make a sound.
The shakuhachi was traditionally played by Zen monks known as komusō or ‘Priests of Nothingness’, as a form of meditation known as suizen – ‘Blowing Zen’. As with sumi-e painting or Zen calligraphy, the monk is instructed to clear their mind, and let the art flow from the ‘emptiness’ which translates into English poorly, as emptiness isn’t empty at all. Voidness is another word used to describe it, but still it lacks in the translation. However you imagine it, the idea is to let the art flow into and through you and for you to be a worthy tool in the expression of that art. You are more the brush than the painter. Songs from the void, played in this manner, were known as honkyoku — original pieces or original music.
Nowadays, the shakuhachi is played in a variety of forms of music, the blues, modern jazz, folk songs, and yes, even honkyoku. Back in the 18th century, a monk was commissioned to travel across Japan collecting these original compositions, which formed the basic repertoire for formal shakuhachi schools. Today, students are instructed to learn each piece perfectly; every note, every inflection, to learn to reproduce the music exactly as it was originally played.
This seems to me to be the complete opposite of what the ‘Priests of Nothingness’ were trying to do.
Yes, the opposite. Why do they recommend that?
I’m not certain, but I suspect two reasons. First, this ‘music from the void’ is very powerful. It’s not terrifically melodic, but it is very powerful. So, shakuhachi schools recognize this and wish to preserve this powerful music in its pure form. Remember, these were the days before digital recording devices, so, this was the only way to faithfully reproduce the songs from generation to generation.
Secondly, I believe that shakuhachi playing diverged from Zen practice into a musical practice where the focus was more on composition, creating something, rather than emptying yourself and letting music express itself through you. Two different things!