practice

In simple terms the practice of Suizen is the practice of 'Blowing Zen' Suizen is a spiritual practice, similar to Zazen it derives from an ancient Buddhist practice of contemplation. The term 'Zen' comes from a changed pronunciation of the Chinese word 'Chan' which itself is an alteration of an the Sanskrit term 'Dyana' a practice of focused concentration taught by the Buddha. The term 'Sui' means to blow, in our case the shakuhachi flute. So our practice is a method of deeply focused concentration on the playing of the ancient sounds of the bamboo flute. Many of the pieces have been handed down through centuries of Zen practice and most can be traced back to specific Temples or sects in Japan. The pieces vary in length from short meditations of a few minutes long to extended masterworks of 20 minutes or more. Some works have remained unchanged from their ancient beginnings whilst others have been developed into highly refined and musically sophisticated artworks. Most of the old works are solo meditations but there are a few duets and trios also.