Retrospective on My Komuso Practice in the Streets of America

Above: practicing formal shakuhachi Takuhatsu Komuso alms begging and weaving my Tengai hat

From roughly 2012 to 2020, I practiced Komuso shakuhachi Takuhatsu alms begging in the streets of America. I tried to keep my practice itself far from the internet’s gaze. That’s why I’ve only got one picture of me in those moments, as seen above (the other photos are not of me practicing alms begging). A photographer from a news publication actually snapped that photo without my consent. I asked the publication to remove it from their website out of respect for my religious practice. However, they refused! Now, a decade later, and I must admit that I’m truly glad to have at least one photo of me out there.

To begin my practice, I patiently wove my own Tengai Komuso hat. From what I could gather, I might actually be the first non-Japanese person to weave one. This isn’t too surprising though because it’s a highly rare object to weave. At the start of the 2020 COVID outbreak I actually sold it for charity.

Uchiyama Kosho Roshi (1912-1998) wrote that, “The attitude of one on takuhatsu must be one of equanimity, whether no donation is received or a large one is received. In fact, the attitude of the mendicant on takuhatsu is one of giving an opportunity to people to materially support a life of one dedicated to zazen and the teaching of the Buddhadharma.”

As for my own experiences, I hope sharing a little bit here offers value to others. A lot of it was about how I reacted or didn’t react to things, both from living creatures and the elements, from ‘positive’ moments to ‘negative’ ones. As Kosho Roshi said above, equanimity was central.

My intention was never to present “myself.” Instead, I aimed to embody the act of playing shakuhachi as a Komuso in the streets. My hope was that my identity wouldn’t or shouldn’t matter. I wanted the shakuhachi and its rich history to take center stage.

However, when you don a Tengai and play shakuhachi in public, especially in a society that barely recognizes, let alone respects the Komuso image, interesting things happen. Many interactions were beautiful. I connected with others, the environment, this experience (no separation). Yet, there were also many concerning situations. You could say that doing this in America is asking for trouble and you’d be right.

Lessons from the Streets

As a Komuso, people often invaded my personal space. While playing, some touched my fingers, clothing, and even my shakuhachi. Others peered up under the Tengai. They’d talk about “me” as if I wasn’t there under the hat. Sometimes I faced threats and was even physically attacked. Other times I was praised, even borderline worshipped. I suspect mental health issues were at play in these extreme encounters.

For some of us this all sounds far too familiar, no Komuso practice required. Unfortunately, dehumanization is a daily reality for many people in the form of bigotry and its cousin idealization. With or without a Tengai, we often encounter people projecting onto us.

By remaining calm or equanimous most troubling situation diffused themselves. In other words, when people got the sense that I wasn’t going to react they left. When my instincts told me I was in real danger, I acted from a place of calm which allowed solutions to arise that never would have if I had acted from the naturally arising “fight, flight, and fawn” response. You might say it allowed for a clean and quick assessment of a situation.

It’s important to note that when I began my Komuso practice in 2012 I had over a decade of regular meditation practice prior.

Tips for Komuso Street Practice

I’ve got some practical tips for anyone thinking about playing shakuhachi in the streets. First, always keep your back to a wall so people can’t come up behind you and be sure nothing can fall or be dropped on you from above. Similarly, avoid corners of buildings/structures where people can come up beside/behind you on one side where you’re unable to see them. Lastly, giving some of your alms money to an angry or otherwise disturbed person can defuse a situation fast. Most importantly, unlike me, try not to go out alone.

Lastly, I’ll just share that one of the most vivid memories I have of my time out there is of a little kid who gave me a flower. Josen