Banji
鑁字
| [Genre] | Honkyoku |
| [School] | Chikuho Ryû |
Banji appears on the following albums
| Album | Artist | |
| Flare Up |
Shakuhachi : James Nyoraku 如楽 Schlefer | |
|
The dark mood of Banji is emphasized here by its performance on the very long 2.8 shakuhachi. The music is unusually melodic, and while sad in character, speaks to the dignity of solitude.
| ||
| Heart of Zen - Simplicity |
Shakuhachi : Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin | |
| Ichi on Buttsu - One sound Enlightenment |
Shakuhachi : Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin | |
|
Banji comes from the Dai-Hozan line of Meianji in Otamuro, the present day Koshu in Yamanashi Prefecture. This honkyoku makes use of the Japanese concept "in-ki." "In" is the equivalent to "yin," the Chinese symbol for female and darkness. Consequently, this is a sad piece with a dark quality, but speaks to the dignity of solitariness.
| ||
| Kaze no Kai; Shakuhachi Koten Honkyoku Shu |
Shakuhachi : Fukumoto Takudō | |
| Meditative Shakuhachi Solos |
Shakuhachi : Daniel Nyohaku Soergel | |
| Meian Sōda 明暗双打 volume 5 |
Shakuhachi : Sakaguchi Tetsushin | |
| Searching - Yearning for the Bell Volume 7 |
Shakuhachi : Riley Kōho Lee | |
|
The Character 'Ban' Banji is the sister piece of Ajikan (on Breath-Sight; vol. 1 (TPO15) of the Yearning for the Bell series). The character 'Ban' is the second sound or letter of the Sanskrit alphabet and many other alphabets as well. Banji is unique within the honkyoku repertoire with its distinctive melodic lines and its unusual modes. Like Ajikan, it is highly ornamented, with a relatively fast tempo. Within the Chikuho lineage, the piece Yamato Choshi is played as a prelude to Banji. | ||
 | Sui Zen - Blowing Meditation on the Shakuhachi - 03 |
Shakuhachi : Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin |
|
This Meian piece, played here on a 1.8, comes from the Dai-Hozan line of Meianji in Yamanashi-ken, Otamuru, the present-day Koshu in Yamanashi Prefecture. It has been designated an "invisible prefecture treasure." This sad and dark piece expresses the dignity of solitude. It is supposed to embody a female spirit. Inki would be the term to express this; in-yo represents the male-female duality, and is similar to yin-yang. Banji is like Ajikan in two ways; its name is related to a Sanskrit letter, and there is also controversy about its origin. As indicated by the title, his piece deals with the ''ii,'' original sound of the letter "ban." Each Sanskrit letter is symbolic of an ancient Indian god. The letters, themselves, were felt to embody godhead, so the papers on which they were written were revered. They could not be discarded, but had to be honorably destroyed by burning. There are two conflicting stories about the origin of this piece, one very romantic, and one rather prosaic. The romantic story is based on the retrieval of a piece that was lost in the 1870s, when the temples were banned and destroyed. People took parts of the one of these temples, the Kyoto Meianji temple, and rebuilt it elsewhere; today, there is only a small temple, with a gate and wooden statue remaining. The Echigo Temple, which gave us Echigo Sanya and Jimbo Sanya, is still standing, but one-third of the Meian Komuso temples in Koshu totally disappeared. Nothing remained but a document that indicates that a honkyoku called Banji was played at that temple. But nobody knew what the piece sounded like. Then Usan, a Koshu player, traveled in Wahayama prefecture, and heard a shakuhachi melody that was new to him. He asked what it was, and was told, "It is Banji, from the Koshu Temple." Usan learned the piece, and returned, playing the piece with five of his students in the 1970s on NHK television. The more pedestrian version of the story is that the piece is of relatively modem origin. The melody does sound like something that might have been composed in the early 20th century, as it incorporates the kind of melodies popular among shakuhachi players at that time. In favor of its older origin is the argument that Banji uses old-style fingerings for chi-meri, tsu-meri and imeri, and the u is played high and sharp; a "honkyoku u," rather than in Western pitch. Perhaps the truth contains a bit of both stories; with the modem transcription and interpretation of an almost lost temple treasure. | ||