The early beginnings of Buddhist
Taiko (…continued)
From this initial experience, the interested supporters incorporated
the group as KINNARA in August, 1970. The name KINNARA, a Sanskrit term,
was selected because it represents a supernatural being of music. The
Kinnara image that can be found at the Todaiji Temple in Nara, Japan,
for example, is depicted as a guardian deity playing the flute. The goal
of KINNARA was to get the young as well as the old more involved in the
Buddha Dharma. As the name of the group suggests, music was the initial
medium used to try to meet this ambitious goal. However, KINNARA did not
limit itself to music and also actively engaged itself in conducting
seminars and workshops, finding and publishing writings on Buddhism, and
other activities. The retreat program, for example, was continued for a
number of years by KINNARA until the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA)
under the office of the BCA Youth Director took over the program. This
retreat program later became the Institute of Buddhist Studies Summer
Youth Seminar.
As an example of another project started by KINNARA, Kinnara Taiko
was started about a year after KINNARA was officially incorporated. From
this beginning, other temples became interested in taiko and groups were
organized in San Jose, Ogden, Denver, and Chicago initially. Today,
taiko has become very popular and many temples throughout the BCA have
organized groups. Kinnara Taiko became the role model for many of the
temple taiko groups that formed and directly assisted in helping to
organize groups at Orange County Buddhist Church and Vista Buddhist
Temple. Unfortunately, despite this widespread appeal some temple taiko
groups have failed. One of the major reasons for this is of the many
taiko groups that have been started some wanted to become performance
oriented. This often resulted in losing the meaning behind Buddhist
Taiko, which will be discussed below, disharmony and eventual
dissolution.
The "Meaning" of Buddhist Taiko
The uniqueness of Buddhist taiko comes from its being developed by
Japanese American Jodo Shinshu Buddhists, inculcating the Japanese,
Indian, American Indian, and Afro-American influences into its pieces.
Because of this background, Buddhist Taiko is quite different from
Matsuri Taiko (Festival Taiko) that is commonly practiced in Japan.
As mentioned before, it is not unusual to find a drum at a Buddhist
Temple. These drums are called "Ho-ko" or "Dharma
Drum." These drums symbolize the "commanding voice of the
Buddha." Given this "meaning" of the drum, the expression
of Buddhist Taiko is also unique because it becomes a way in which one
can enjoy the Buddha-Dharma, or what is referred to as "Horaku (joy
or delight of the Dharma)." In Buddhist Taiko, the drum, from its
"Ho-ko" meaning, becomes the Buddha, the true reality of Namo
Amida Butsu or the calling name of Amida Buddha that sounds throughout
the ten directions of the Universe. The drummer becomes part of the
Sangha or the body of "players" that despite their delusions
or attachments to the world of birth and death (samsara) become able to
hear Namo Amida Butsu together. The bachi, or sticks used to hit
the drum, becomes the Dharma or the link between the realm of
enlightenment and the human realm of birth and death.
Buddhist Taiko, then, becomes the three treasures of Buddha, Dharma,
and Sangha working and revealing itself to us. Because of this fact, the
joy that can be found in taiko becomes the joy of hearing the
Buddha-Dharma. To perform becomes an expression of one’s joy and
gratitude at being able to hear and receive that which is most difficult
to hear and receive. It is for this reason that this joy, Horaku, is
accompanied by a sense of deep respect and reverence. For example, one
notes that the beginning of a performance often begins with the blowing
of the Hora (conch shell). This signals the movement of one’s entering
into the path of the Dharma (the voice of the Buddha-Dharma), and the
performers will put their hands together in gassho with the bachi held
between the thumb and index finger and bow with reverence and repeat
Namo Amida Butsu.
On the other hand, however, when one disregards the Buddha, Dharma,
and Sangha, disharmony and discord result. This is reflected in the
performance. The performance becomes filled with ego, and the harmony
that can be found in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha disappears. Hence,
Buddhist Taiko represents the beauty and joy of the Buddha, Dharma, and
Sangha working harmoniously, or represents the discord that can result
when the ego works in opposition to the Buddha and Dharma and becomes
more important than the Sangha.
As a means of Jodo Shinshu Buddhist propagation, the primary purpose
and goal of each taiko player and the listener is to teach and learn the
Dharma by being embraced in both body and mind to the three treasures of
Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
