Riley Lee shakuhachi concert

Riley Lee is one of the world’s foremost performers, composers and teachers of the shakuhachi, an end blown bamboo flute. The shakuhachi has been used by some Zen sects as part of their meditative practice, calling it suizen (“blowing meditation”). In the shakuhachi tradition a collection of original pieces of music (“honkyoku”) are passed down from teacher to student in an unbroken lineage.

Riley Lee has also been a long friend of Robert Aitken Roshi, and the Sydney Zen Centre. He has played at the end of sesshin retreats in Diamond Sangha’s Hawaii zendo, in Sydney at our own Kodoji, and he even started his teaching career in Sydney in the Sydney Zen Centre’s garage.

This is a special benefit concert for the 100th birthday of Robert Aitken Roshi, the founding teacher of the SZC:

1) Gillian Coote Roshi of the SZC introduces the event and Robert Aitken Roshi
2) Song: “Murasakina Reibo”
3) Song: “Shingetsu”
4) Gillian Coote shares a story about Robert Aitken Roshi
5) Song: “Hifumi Hachigaeshi”
6) Maggie Gluek Roshi of the SZC shares a story about Robert Aitken Roshi
7) Song: “Sokkan”
8) Song: “Tamuke”
9) Riley Lee shares a story about teachers and students
10) Song: “San’ya”