Japan Zen

Zen is a form of Mahāyāna Buddhism notable for its emphasis on praxis and experiential wisdom, particularly as realized in the form of meditation known as zazen, in the attainment of enlightenment as experienced by the Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama. As such, it de-emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and the study of religious texts in favor of what it terms a "special transmission outside the scriptures" that points to each individual practitioner's inherent Buddha-nature. Satori (awakening) has always been the goal of every school of Buddhism, but that which distinguished the Zen tradition as it developed in China, Korea, and Japan was a way of life radically different from that of Indian Buddhists.In China social circumstances led to the development of a temple and training-center system in which the abbot and the monks all performed mundane tasks. These included food gardening or farming, carpentry, architecture, housekeeping, administration, and the practice of folk medicine. Consequently, the enlightenment sought in Zen had to stand up well to the demands and potential frustrations of everyday life.

The fundamental Zen practice of zazen, or seated meditation, recalls both the posture in which the Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, and the elements of mindfulness and concentration which are part of the Eightfold Path as taught by the Buddha. All of the Buddha's fundamental teachings—among them the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths, the idea of dependent origination, the five precepts, the five aggregates, and the three marks of existence—also make up important elements of Zen

Zen training emphasizes daily life practice, along with intensive periods of meditation. Practicing with others is an integral part of Zen practice. Zen teachers have made the point that Zen is a "way of life" a life of humility; a life of labor; a life of service; a life of prayer and gratitude; and a life of meditation.

Koans are often meditated upon, these Koans often appear paradoxical or linguistically meaningless dialogues or questions. Answering a koan requires a student to let go of conceptual thinking and of the logical way we order the world. I dotted some between the lines to contemplate.

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We're nearing the end of my trip thru Japan, this being the 9th stage, just one more to go. In light of this posts Zen theme, the emphasis lies on contemplative side . To start of an e book of sorts a 100 poems collected 750 years ago in ancentury old translation, Ogura Hyakunin Isshu is a household word for most Japanese, here's your chance to fathom some of the Japanese spirit. Masters of Zen are two renowned musicians creating a great atmoshere with their Koto & Shakuhachi instruments playing neo-classical / traditional Japanese music. Hikashu's History is a compilation of a different kind, what else do you expect from these avant garde artists. Takahashi Yujiro brings the japanes folkmusic to life and as this has a rich and long tradition 26 tracks hardly covers it. Tujiko Noriko 's avant-pop consists of repetitive layers of samples and electronic beats and melodies being gradually added on top of each other. Yoshinori Sunahara displays his stylish dance minimalism with a depth. In my previous post i touched upon Cornelius, well considering how impressed i was with Point i couldnt let it pass here without offering it to you, in fact i've topped it up with PM an album that was compiled from the winners of the Point remix competition he wrote out.

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Fujiwara no Teika - Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (1300)
Masters of Zen - Koto & Shakuhachi (93)
Hikashu - History (01)
Yujiro, Takahashi - Min'Yo (99)
Tujiko Noriko - Hard Ni Sasete (Make Me Hard)(03)
Yoshinori Sunahara - Lovebeat (02)
Cornelius - Point / PM (01)

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Fujiwara no Teika - Ogura Hyakunin Isshu ( A hundred people, one poem each) ( 128k mp3 43mb) transl. William Porter

In 12th-13th century Japan there lived a man named Fujiwara no Teika (sometimes called Sadaie), a well-regarded poet in a society that prized poetry. At one point in his life he compiled the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (often known simply as the Hyakunin Isshu), which means “A Hundred Poems by A Hundred Poets” (literally “A hundred people, one poem [each]”).

This collection of a hundred poems is known to almost all Japanese, and over the years it has been translated by many different people. One of the early translators of the collection was William Porter. His translation, first published in 1909, was titled “A Hundred Verses from Old Japan”.

Total running time: 0:49:02, read by Kevin Steinbach

Librevox
Hyakunin Isshu @ Wiki

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It is too clear and so it is hard to see.
A dunce once searched for fire with a lighted lantern.
Had he known what fire was,
He could have cooked his rice much sooner.
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Masters of Zen - Koto and Shakuhachi  (93 flac 275mb)

Most of the music is neo-traditional composed by contemporary artists. Not completely devoid of western influence, neo-traditional Japanese continues in the classical Japanese tradition though the melodies are more complex. The pieces on this CD are played on koto (stringed instrument) and shakuhachi (flute). The shamisen (3 stringed instrument) is used along with the other two in the rendition of Star Dust. Only a duo such as Kuribayashi and Sugawara, who have been playing together for many years, could breathe together in this way and produce such intricate phrasing. The interplay between the two musicians creates an soothing and restful album, called "Masters of Zen", full of tension and release.



01 - Emu
02 - Aïka
03 - Hoshun
04 - Ame
05 - Tanshi - 1er
06 - Tanshi - 5ème
07 - Star Dust
08 - Kaze no Uta

Sugawara @ Basez
Masters-Of-Zen @ Amazon

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The light of the eyes is as a comet,
And Zen's activity is as lightning.
The sword that kills the man
Is the sword that saves the man.
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Hikashu - History (01 flac 486mb)

Makigami Koichi is one of Japan's most popular underground performers and Hikashu History follows the journeys of his remarkable rock/pop band Hikashu through over twenty-five years of musical mayhem. From techno (before the Yellow Magic Orchestra) to noise/sampler improvisation (before Ground Zero) to jazz, folk and beyond -- all with a Japanese twist. Hikashu has been anticipating trends and charting new paths in Japanese music for decades. Hikashu History documents their musical explorations through private tapes, rare demos and exciting live recordings. A fascinating view of one band's visionary directions. Featuring Makigami Koichi, Otomo Yoshihide, Lauren Newton, Inoue Makoto, Torsten Rasch and many others.



01 - Tokyo Rain
02 - Nannimonai Otoko
03 - Hi-Ai Island
04 - Pool
05 - Muscles and Fruits
06 - Puyo Puyo
07 - Zo Azarashi
08 - Mask
09 - Suika no Koshin
10 - Ryuinji
11 - Rhetoric-S & Logic-S
12 - Kujira to Kamome
13 - Shuffer
14 - Pike
15 - Yochu no Kiki
16 - Great Conductor
17 - Biro Biro
18 - Rakuten
19 - Nervous Eyes
20 - Live With Viruses
21 - Fushigi o Mitsumete
22 - Chimera


Hikashu @ Japanese Base
Hikashu @ MySpace
Hikashu @ Amazon

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In spring, hundreds of flowers; in autumn, a harvest moon;
In the summer, a refreshing breeze; in winter snow will accompany your.
If useless things do not hang in your mind,
Any season is a good season for you.
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Takahashi Yujiro - Min'Yo  ( 99 flac 350mb)

Takahashi, the leader (not to be confused with the late Takahashi Chikuzan), was born in 1933 and raised in Akita in northern Japan, a hotbed of folk song and festival music. He has been one of Japan's leading folk song teachers, performers and recording artists since the early 1960s, and while living in Tokyo still retains his rural roots. This album provides a range of styles and genres, some using traditional "smelling of the earth" (tsuchikusai) voices, others more polished: unaccompanied work songs; traditional village dance songs; geisha songs; songs in free rhythm accompanied by shakuhachi bamboo flute; powerful, flashy Tsugaru shamisen "banjo", both in its improvised solo style and accompanying the equally flashy Tsugaru-region vocals; and so forth. Although there are tons of recordings of this sort of music issued in Japan (including some older field recordings), I believe that this is the only one with full translations. Well, of course I think you'll enjoy this.



01 - Tsugaru Yamauta
02 - Tsugaru Jongara Bushi
03 - Yamanaka Bushi
04 - Yagi Bushi
05 - Kuroda Bushi
06 - Soran Bushi (work song version)
07 - Soran Bushi (stage version)
08 - Tsugaru Sansagari Kyokubiki
09 - Akita Ondo
10 - Esashi Oiwake
11 - Kagoshima Han'ya Bushi
12 - Tsugaru Aiya Bushi
13 - Nambu Ushioi Uta
14 - Shinjo Bushi
15 - Akita Nikata Bushi
16 - Hakata Komoriuta
17 - Takeda no Komoriuta
18 - Edo Komoruita
19 - Tsugaru no Komoriuta
20 - Itsuki no Komoriuta
21 - Miyagi Nagamochi Uta
22 - Yasaburo Bushi
23 - Kokiriko
24 - Tsugara Jongara Kyokubiki
25 - Akita Magouta
26 - Donpan Bushi

full translations
Takahashi Yujiro @ Amazon

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To tread the sharp edge of a sword
To run on smooth-frozen ice,
One needs no footsteps to follow.
Walk over the cliffs with hands free.
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Tujiko Noriko - Hard Ni Sasete (Make Me Hard) (03 now in Flac 331mb)

Tujiko Noriko is a Japanese avant-pop, experimental musician, sometimes compared to múm or Björk. Much of her music consists of repetitive layers of samples and electronic beats and melodies being gradually added on top of each other, with her singing on top of that, her lyriccs are in Japanese and English.Tujiko had bought her first synthesizer and sampler in 1999. Her first album Keshou To Heitai (Makeup and Soldiers) she recorded in January 2000, with her first live performance of that material at around the same time in Kyoto. In the summer of 2000, she started vigorously making music again for Shojo Toshi. In December 2000, at Buro 30 in Tokyo, she met Pita and handed over her tape. During the same month she joined SlideLab (Yoshihito, Marumaru, Noriko) This, " Hard Ni Sasete" was released in Autumn 2002

In 2004 she teamed up with Peter 'Pita' Rehberg to form DACM making the album Stéréotypie. She is currently living in Paris and is also working on experimental short movies.



01 - Sunahama Angel (5:58)
02 - Give Face (7:12)
03 - Hae (Fly) (7:39)
04 - Sen (Call My Name) (6:30)
05 - Karappo (5:25)
06 - Penguin (8:02)
07 - Mugen Ressha (6:12)
08 - Bikini (3:03)
09 - Umi (Sea) (10:55)

Tujiko Noriko @ MySpace
Tujiko Noriko @ Base
Tujiko Noriko @ Amazon

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When the question is common
The answer is also common.
When the question is sand in a bowl of boiled rice
The answer is a stick in the soft mud.
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Yoshinori Sunahara - Lovebeat   (02 flac 309mb)

Born on in Hokkaido, Japan, Yoshinori Sunahara started his music career heavily influenced by electronic music pioneers such as the Yellow Magic Orchestra, Kraftwerk and Art Of Noise. After playing in several different amateur bands, he joined Japan's biggest selling techno act, Denki Groove in 1992. While earning nationwide fame and international recognition with Denki Groove, Yoshinori also became known for his much inspiring solo works.

Yoshinori's music is conceptual as well as divers in musical elements. The music can sometimes be so visual that you can almost see the reflections of Yoshinori's imagination, artwork design too is another important element in Yoshinori's work. The Lovebeat video clip recieved an award at the 2001 (5th) Media Arts Festival in Japan.

After the release of LOVEBEAT , Yoshinori has been expanding his workfield to production and remixing of other artists. Such artists include ACO, Supercar and Miu Sakamoto. With the successful results of such collaborations, not only as a musician, Yoshinori is being highly rated as a producer and remixer. Recently a double cd Works ' 95 - ' 05 has been released.



01 - Earth Beat (4:56)
02 - Balance (6:24)
03 - In And Out (5:00)
04 - Lovebeat (7:25)
05 - Spiral Never Before (5:37)
06 - Echo Endless Echo (3:13)
07 - Hold'on Tight (4:48)
08 - Sun Beats Down (5:48)
09 - Bright Beat (7:30)
10 - The Center Of Gravity (7:43)

Yoshinori Sunahara @ Base
Yoshinori Sunahara @ Amazon

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Some Zen students do not realize the true man in a mask
Because they recognize ego-soul.
Ego-soul is the seed of birth and death,
And foolish people call it the true man.
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Cornelius - Point  (01 flac 290mb)

Cornelius (born Keigo Oyamada January 27, 1969 in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese recording artist and producer. Oyamada's first claim to fame was as a member of the pop duo, Flipper's Guitar, one of the key groups of the Tokyo Shibuya-kei scene. Following the disbandment of Flipper's Guitar in 1991, Oyamada donned the "Cornelius" moniker and embarked on a successful solo career. Release first solo album, “First Question Award” (94) followed by a remix album “96/69 “Cornelius Wakusei Kengaku”. In 98 he got his first international release with Fantasma, after the succesful release in Japan the previous year.

Fall 98, the remix album FM/CM came about, released in 99 in which year he would be seen at Glastonbury and Roskilde to name some. Being a true multimedia artist he released a movie "Eus" and another book “Cornelius Wakusei Kengaku”., more remix work and all that not withstanding in 2001 he released "Point" in Japan , a year later the rest of the world got to hear this masterpiece. Point is the best-sequenced and smoothest album I heard that year. It is very clearly set up to be an album as opposed to a collection of singles. It may well have turned out too perfect, too cool, when after 45 min the silence lingers it can only be to wonder how full it was..

In 2003 his second remix album “CM2”, “PM” a contest Pointmix added as bonus cd to the DVD “Five Point One” , well ive added it as a bonus to the original here. In 2004 he got to join, tour with several former YMO member projects ( Human Audio Sponge (Sakamoto) and Sketch Show) In 2005 he worked on a second videoworks project this time for the opening of 21st Century Art Museum in Kanazawa.

The music of Cornelius could be described as experimental and exploratory, and often incorporates dissonant elements alongside more familiar harmonically "pleasing" sounds. This tension, plus his practice of bringing in sounds and samples from mass culture, pure electronic tones, and sounds from nature ( Point) lead him to being sometimes categorized as an "acquired taste" hmmmm



01 - Bug (Electric Last Minute) (0:38)
02 - Point of View Point (3:53)
03 - Smoke (5:48)
04 - Drop (5:53)
05 - Another View Point (5:35)
06 - Tone Twilight Zone (3:38)
07 - Bird Watching at Inner Forest (4:22)
08 - I Hate Hate (1:42)
09 - Brazil (3:27)
10 - Fly (5:40)
11 - Nowhere (4:47)



PM Point Humans remixes ( flac 301mb)

01 - Another Psychedelic Point (Dritt Drittel Remix)
02 - Kawatolius (Kawatory Remix)
03 - Noise Of The Apache (Teruhito Tomioka Remix)
04 - MC Cat Genius' BomBassTic Re-bomb (Animal Family Remix)
05 - A Point RE:view ( Masaki Sakamoto Mix)
06 - Free From The Point ( DJ Kodomo Mix)
07 - The Walk Of The Basset Hound ( Syuhei Toyoda Remix)
08 - Rinikanau Shirimetsuretsuna Kotoba Tekkai?? (Samurai Distortion Mix)
09 - Multi-ebbing View Points (Fashion Flesh Re-Product)
10 - Flugsnappare ( Viktor Sjöberg Mix)
11 - Pointer ( Masakatu Inoue Remix)

Cornelius @ MySpace
Cornelius @ Base
Cornelius @ Amazon

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All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !