Blowing zen finding an authentic life pdf

Jun 03, Duc Do rated it really liked it. This book is such a joy to read. An honest account of how an amateur would "stumble" upon the shakuhachi - one of the most difficult musical instruments to master - then went on to to be guided by this instrument to encounter extraordinary people and zen, and find an authentic way of life through musical mastery.

This book is another testament to the fruits of the inner discovery journey that, sooner or later, beckons all of us. I would love to hear the author Ray Brooks play the shakuhachi live This book is such a joy to read.

I would love to hear the author Ray Brooks play the shakuhachi live some day. From what he wrote here, he is one of a kind. This book is a treasure that needs to be passed on to the next reader or musician. And next. Excellent read. Kirk McElhearn rated it really liked it Jul 04, Russell Carney rated it it was amazing Jan 26, Sarah rated it it was amazing Nov 09, Paul rated it really liked it Jan 02, John Martin Marks rated it really liked it May 01, Lisa rated it did not like it Dec 28, Shunyata rated it really liked it Oct 15, Margaret rated it really liked it Jan 25, David Guest rated it liked it Aug 27, Kirsty rated it it was amazing Jul 15, Deborah rated it liked it Dec 26, Sentient Publications rated it it was amazing Jan 30, Lazza rated it it was amazing Oct 16, Kr rated it really liked it Nov 22, James rated it really liked it Mar 25, Erin rated it liked it Sep 26, Noel Burkman rated it really liked it Jul 24, Fred Isler rated it it was amazing Dec 05, Shawn rated it it was amazing Mar 22, Dana rated it really liked it Sep 19, Katrin rated it it was amazing Jul 23, Bill rated it it was amazing Mar 10, Samuel Rodriguez rated it it was amazing May 19, Audioreader rated it really liked it Aug 06, D Andrews rated it really liked it Jul 20, Onsetsu Evan Cordes rated it really liked it Mar 18, Cody Westheimer added it Oct 09, D Andrews added it Jun 21, Chris Feldman marked it as to-read Jul 28, Enter the wonderful world of shakuhachi, the traditional Japanese bamboo flute, brought to you with the aid of Ricoh Corp.

In this edition of The Sound of Bamboo printed pages throughout the book are linked to a broad array of digital media content including websites, music, and multimedia videos. The Sound of Bamboo is divided into three main sections: 1.

A discussion of the origins of shakuhachi within the wider context Japanese culture and its close association with Zen Buddhism as a vehicle for meditation.

A sampling of beautiful and inspiring Zen- and shakuhachi-themed Japanese sumi-e ink brush paintings by two renowned artists. Exploration and analysis of the acoustical physics of the shakuhachi, in an effort to unravel the mystery of how breath is transformed into sound. Embedded in pages of the book, however, is a fourth section composed of hyperlinks that open you to the wide world of shakuhachi created by many of the instrument's foremost players, teachers, makers, and authorities.

The beauty of this new interactive technology goes beyond broadening the informational parameters of a printed book. It also adds a temporal dimension allowing an edition to be expanded and enhanced past the date of its initial publication. Like any online web browser, linked content can be updated or otherwise modified well into the future, keeping a book relevant and up to date.

All additions, modifications, and other changes will be logged online for future reference. This is a book that will never become obsolete or limited in scope to the time of its publication. Analyzing the relationship between digital technologies and society this book explores a wide range of complex social issues emerging in a new digital space. Itexamines both the vexing dilemmas with a critical eye as well as prompting readers to think constructively and strategically about exciting possibilities.

Parent has given me very effective methods for working with thoughts and emotions, and for taking the negatives out of the picture. The goal of achieving clear thought is also at the heart of Buddhist teachings. With his gaze directed steadily inward, Ray's quest for solutions led him to a doorway that opened to the ancient wisdom of the East. In the pages that follow, an incredible journey unfolds. It is the voyage of one man's self-discovery through the conduit of the shakuhachi.

This rustic five-hole flute made from the root of a bamboo became a portal through which the author came face-to-face with a wider view of his life and his place in the cosmos.

As a maker of shakuhachi flutes since , at the hub of the informational wheel of this unique tradition, I have been privy to several amazing stories of folks who have encountered shakuhachi completely outside of its traditional context. Many recognized its potential and opened to its special gift. Few, however, have taken the call as earnestly, passionately and unabashedly as Ray Brooks, who follows its sweet melodic intensity to the ends of the earth in search of a rendezvous with his true self.

A lovely spirit blows through this book" - Jack Kornfield, author of a Path with Heart. In sharing his quest, he has enriched my life, and may inspire many others on the path of music, the ways of Zen" - Dan Millman, author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior and Everyday Enlightenment.