“The Sound of One Hand Clapping” By Manoj

HEARING THE HERE

It is generally assumed that both the practice of Zen and the practice of art can help a person become more self-aware. How these two practices relate to one another, can be seen in the work of John Cage.

In 1952 Cage, a artist, composer and a student of Zen showcased a composition entitled 4′ 33″, which involved four minutes and 33 seconds of silence. Cage intended for the audience to recognize that the sounds all around them in the environment were as interesting as anything they would hear in a musical performance. Cage was inviting them to listen, in an unfiltered way, to the reality of the moment; the here and now.

Instead, almost everyone in the audience got angry.

Before moving on, click HERE to be taken to our special

ONLINE CONCERT HALL to listen to 4′ 33″

Continue Reading below after visiting THE ONLINE CONCERT HALL.

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WELCOME BACK FROM THE ON LINE CONCERT.

PLEASE CONTINUE READING BELOW.

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I apologize about the trick recording. But, how else could I get you to listen to what is going on around you? I’ll make up for tricking you by providing you a “treat” at the end of this exercise.

If your concert experience was one of exasperation, wondering what was wrong with the recording or why the start button didn’t work you probably have some sympathy for those audience members at the 4′ 33″ performance who were angry. If so, why not try it again? You don’t need to go to need to go to “THE ON LINE CONCERT HALL” to do this. Just simply sit for a few moments and listen to whatever is going on in your own private concert hall.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Do you know why there was no applause at the end of the recording of 4′ 33″ you just listened to at The Online Concert Hall? Half of the audience-those who did not “get it”-left before the performance was over. The other half -those who “got it” -were clapping with one hand.

NOW YOU KNOW.

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The sense of hearing seems to be a big deal in Zen. The literature is full of stories of students’ enlightenment being triggered by the song of a bird or the croak of a frog. Just to keep things real, let’s forget about the the full enlightenment type of awakenings most often written about in the literature. Rather, let’s focus on those momentary experiences where we emerge from being entranced in our ordinary thoughts to find ourselves aware that we are aware. After all, these “Big Awakenings” followed years of sitting in Zazen practicing with such “mini-awakenings”.

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John Wesick, is a student at The Vista Zen Center and an accomplished poet. In the poem below he hints at the importance of sound in the practice of Zazen.

COUNTING BREATHS, by Jon Wesick

In – one, out – one, in – two, out – two…

Tightness in the chest – dizzy

Always out of breath when counting breaths

Let go of the breath. Just sit.

An evening breeze enters through the open window – cooling.

Robes too hot for summer

Tired of listening to my thoughts

Give the mind a rest.

Listen to the birds instead.

Oh! There it is!

The whine of a gasoline edger

Whzzzz!

(Click HERE to see more poetry by Jon Wesick and read his excellent, short essay on “Zen and Writing”.)

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Consider the line in Jon’s poem that reads: “Tired of listening to my thoughts”

This is a wonderful insight because we often forget that thoughts primarily take the form of an “internal dialogue”, (either with ourselves or an imagined other). So, when we are lost in thought we are really listening to that inner discussion and necessarily “tuning” out other sounds that are taking place all around us.

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Imagine what the typical audience member at the 4′ 33″ concert was hearing instead of what was actually going on around them at the time.

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Most people who have practiced mediation for a while have experienced a temporary awakening from

there own private “thought dream” upon suddenly hearing the caw of a crow or the dog next door barking. Such momentary awakenings bring us into the present moment. They also

provide us with a glimpse of what it might be like to be fully awakened.

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“The whine of a gasoline edger” Whzzzz

How often has such a sound led to thoughts like this among meditators?

“Dam, that sound is ruining my meditation.” “I’d like to edge my neighbor’s nose hair with that thing.”

Interestingly, Jon precedes the last line of his poem with “There it is”, as if he was actually looking forward to the “Whzzzz!”

Is this a sound you would welcome during meditation or any other time, for that matter?

Just for the fun of it, let’s see. After you click on the “sound1″ link below, sit back, close your eyes and relax. Yeah, yeah, I know. You probably are skeptical after the trick I played on you earlier. But, this is a real sound and it should start automatically without you having to push the PLAY button on the Radio Player. After listening to the sample several times, scroll down the page and continue. It may take a few seconds for the sound to load.

sound1

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What was your reaction to the sound?

Did you really listen or were the effects of the sound tuned out by the sounds of your own mind?

Did you just hear it or could you feel the impact of the sound somewhere in your body?

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Sound is a vibration and can affect organs other than just the ear drum.

Try the sound sample again, this time feeling the sound rather than hearing it.

Could you feel it? If so, where did you feel it?

What happens to the internal dialogue when you switch to feeling the sound?

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The sound you heard above was a gasoline weed wacker. Maybe the person

in Jon Wesick’s poem was hearing an electric weed wacker. UMMMM!

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It is pretty well established that listening to music results in relaxation and other health-inducing changes. But, what happens when there is no music? Could you listen to/feel the environmental sounds around you and experience the same results. Jake Sensei calls this “the practice of listening”. This is what Cage apparently wanted to happen to the audience when he performed 4′ 33″.

When Zen students sit in Zazen, a Cage-like performance is always a possibility. Just sitting, being with whatever happens. I’m guessing that had Cage’s audience been trained in Zazen, his performance would have been a complete success.

But, what if it were really really silent, and there were no sounds at all?

Try listening to the natural sounds of your own body. It may take a while to find them, but your own

internal sounds can become the source of a symphony to capture your attention. Try it. This is your “home work” assignment. You can also try it during the “treat” below.

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During your performance, who was the composer? Who was the conductor? Who was the performer?

You are the music while the music lasts.

T.S Elliot

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DID YOU KNOW.

Eric Curtis, a student at The Vista Zen Center has created an online Zendo complete with bells and clapper sounds to guide you through mediation cycles of various length. This is an ideal way of bringing the Zendo experience into your own home. Check it out at www.myzendo.com

NOW YOU KNOW!

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And now for a reward for playing your way through Post #1 you are in for a Video treat. Click on 4′ 33′ below

and you will be able to see a video of John Cage’s performance. Note that this was not the first performance and that the audience came knowing what to expect. After watching the video, please take the time to add further comments in the Reply Box below, even if you did so at THE ON LINE CONCERT HALL. Remember, if you don’t want your name published simply write in “Anonymous” in the NAME box.

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You are the music, while the music lasts.

T.S. Elliot

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