Shakuhachi Master - John Singer
12. SHIN KYOREI (TRUE BELL)
This piece is one of the "Bekkaku" (traditional three) pieces. It was transmitted to Ikkei to Kinko Kurosawa in Nagasaki.
"Kyorei" (or Kyotaku) was written using a different Chinese character meaning "Bell" in other Shakuhachi schools. In the Kinko school "Kyorei" means "spirit" or "Bell of Enlightenment".
Fuke Zen Shi, the founder of the Fuke Sect, used to ring a bell and scream chants throughout the town where he lived. In an episode of the document called the "Rinzai Roku", in the story "Kyotaku", the term "taku" has the same meaning as "Rei" which means "bell". This is why the title "Kyorei" was used.
There are other pieces called "Kyorei" in the other Shakuhachi schools, however, their content is different.
Sometimes the piece "Banshiki" is used as a prelude to "Shin Kyorei".
Copyright 2001 John Singer. All rights reserved.