What a gift the Shakuhachi is !

Today I played BANSHIKI with a student for the safe passage into its next incarnation of his beloved dog. His wife would take the dog with her to use in therapy for people in hospitals and nursing homes. This old dog had healed and given peace to 100s of people, but sadly had to be put to sleep yesterday. I have played this piece 100s of times over the past 40 years for the same reason that I have today. How grateful I am to have this wonderful gift to enable me to feel the joys and sorrows of human and animal existence! I feel very fortunate that the shakuhachi has enabled me to feel that I can sometimes hear and be at one with the heartbeat of the earth.