Komuso

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Komuso

A was a mendicant

Mendicant

The term mendicant refers to begging or relying on charitable donations, and is most widely used for religion followers or asceticism who rely exclusively on charity to survive....
monastic of the Fuke

Fuke Zen

Fuke Zen was a branch of Zen Buddhism which existed in Japan from the 13th century until the late 19th century. Fuke monks were noted for playing the shakuhachi flute as a form of meditation....
school of Zen

Zen

Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Ch?n. Ch?n is itself derived from the Sanskrit Dhyana, which means "meditation" ....
Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religionand is based on the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as "The Buddha" , who was born in what is today Nepal....
. Komuso were characterised by the straw basket (a sedge or reed hood named a tengai) worn on the head, manifesting the absence of specific ego. They are also known for playing solo pieces on the shakuhachi

Shakuhachi

The is a Japanese end-blown flute flute. Its name means "1.8 feet", referring to its size. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in wood and plastic....
(a type of Japanese bamboo flute

Flute

The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike other woodwind instruments, a flute is a reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air against an edge....
). These pieces, called honkyoku
Honkyoku

Honkyoku are the pieces of shakuhachi or hocchiku music played by mendicant Japanese Zen monks called komuso. Komuso played honkyoku for Bodhi and alms as early as the 13th century....
("original pieces") were played during a meditative practice called suizen
Suizen

is a Zen practice consisting of playing the shakuhachi bamboo flute as a means of attaining self-realization. The monks from the Fuke Zen of Zen who practiced suizen were called komuso ....
, for alms

Alms

Alms or almsgiving exists in a number of religions. In general, it involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue....
and as a method of attaining enlightenment

Satori

is a Japanese Buddhist term for enlightenment . The word literally means "understanding". Satori translates into a flash of sudden awareness, or individual Enlightenment....
.

The komuso was also used as a disguise by samurai, particularly ronin, and possibly also ninja, who were seldom members of the samurai class.

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