Islam, Jazz and Zen
becoming one with the natural rhythm
Abdullah Ibrahim
Abdullah Ibrahim from Ian Henderson on Vimeo.
Interpretation
"The universe has a natural rhythm that everything adheres to, that everything submits to: the flow of the river, the flight of the birds." In process theology we speak of this rhythm as the way or dao of the divine lure. Submission to this flow is the islam of the natural world. The rivers and birds are natural muslims. They adhere to the rhythm.
Our aim is to become muslims, too. Music is one way that we can do this; compassion for others is another. The two are complementary. "When we play the music, the goal and essence is also to become one with the natural rhythm." In order to do this, we must practice and practice. Sometimes it can be lonely. But eventually something drops away and in our very playing, including the improvisation, we awaken into mu-shin, or no-mind. We arrive at a moment where there is no past of future; just this precise moment. Just the music. In its own way this moment is a "place" of love. We feel no conflict with the universe or with others. Our real inner self is this no-conflict. It is our nature and our destiny.
Of course playing music is not enough, we must also express this mu-shin in our daily life. We do this through compassion and care: bearing witness to the all-compassionate. We do this by helping create a more just world, with nobody left behind. Acts of lovingkindness, acts of justice-making, are jazz, too. They are mu-shin in action.
This is how Islam and Jazz and Zen come together. They are not the same, but they are not three.
Jay McDaniel
Our aim is to become muslims, too. Music is one way that we can do this; compassion for others is another. The two are complementary. "When we play the music, the goal and essence is also to become one with the natural rhythm." In order to do this, we must practice and practice. Sometimes it can be lonely. But eventually something drops away and in our very playing, including the improvisation, we awaken into mu-shin, or no-mind. We arrive at a moment where there is no past of future; just this precise moment. Just the music. In its own way this moment is a "place" of love. We feel no conflict with the universe or with others. Our real inner self is this no-conflict. It is our nature and our destiny.
Of course playing music is not enough, we must also express this mu-shin in our daily life. We do this through compassion and care: bearing witness to the all-compassionate. We do this by helping create a more just world, with nobody left behind. Acts of lovingkindness, acts of justice-making, are jazz, too. They are mu-shin in action.
This is how Islam and Jazz and Zen come together. They are not the same, but they are not three.
Jay McDaniel