Honkyoku

KomusoHonkyoku (本曲) are the pieces of shakuhachi or hocchiku music played by wandering Japanese Zen monks called Komuso. Komuso played honkyoku for enlightenment and alms as early as the 13th century. There are many ryu, or schools, of honkyoku, each with their style, emphasis, and teaching methods.

Kinko Ryu

In the 18th century, a Komuso named Kinko Kurosawa of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism was commissioned to travel Japan and collect these musical pieces. The results of several years of travel and compilation were 36 pieces known as the Kinko Ryu Honkyoku, listed below.

  1. Hifumi – Hachigaeshi no Shirabe
  2. Taki-ochi no Kyoku (Taki-otoshi no Kyoku)
  3. Akita Sugagaki
  4. Koro Sugagaki
  5. Kyûshû Reibo
  6. Shizu no Kyoku
  7. Kyô Reibo
  8. Mukaiji Reibo
  9. Kokû Reibo
  10. a) Ikkan-ryû Kokû kaete, b) Banshikichô
  11. Shin no Kyorei
  12. Kinsan Kyorei
  13. Yoshiya Reibo
  14. Yûgure no Kyoku
  15. Sakae-jishi
  16. Uchikae Kyorei
  17. Igusa Reibo
  18. Izu Reibo
  19. Reibo-nagashi
  20. Sôkaku Reibo
  21. Sanya Sugagaki
  22. Shimotsuke Kyorei
  23. Meguro-jishi
  24. Ginryû Kokû
  25. Sayama Sugagaki
  26. Sagari-ha no Kyoku
  27. Namima Reibo
  28. Shika no Tône
  29. Hôshôsu
  30. Akebono no Shirabe
  31. Akebono Sugagaki
  32. Ashi no Shirabe
  33. Kotoji no Kyoku
  34. Kinuta Sugomori
  35. Tsuki no Kyoku
  36. Kotobuki no Shirabe

At least three additional pieces were later added to the Kinko-Ryu repertoire:

  1. Kumoi Jishi
  2. Azuma no Kyoku
  3. Sugagaki

Dokyoku

Founded by Watazumi Doso Roshi in the 1950s, the Dokyoku Honkyoku repertoire consists of:

  1. Daha
  2. Dai Otsugaeshi
  3. Hon Shirabe
  4. Jyakunen
  5. Kaze
  6. Koden Sugomori
  7. Koku
  8. Motogaeshi
  9. Mushirabe
  10. Reibo
  11. Sagari Ha (Kansai)
  12. Sagari Ha (Oshu)
  13. Sagari Nami
  14. San’an
  15. San’ya
  16. Shingetsu
  17. Sokkan
  18. Tamuke
  19. Tsuru no Sugomori
  20. Ukigumo
  21. Yamagoe (also, Reiho)
buddha monk

buddha monk