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2CD compilation for Ant-Zen's 10th anniversary features Orphx, Roger Rotor, Iszoloscope, Synapscape, Asche, Axiome, Cell Auto Mata, Contagious Orgasm, This Morn Omina, PAL, Morgenstern and many more.
packaging: digifile [silver metallic cardboard].
"for centuries zen masters have said that daruma is zen. perhaps it would now be appropriate to say that daruma is japan. in neither case is the definition fully explicable or applicable. each is essentially a koan whose solution is acessible only to experience, not to rational analysis. this is to assert finally that daruma is one key to an authentic and rewarding experience of japan and the japanese people."
(h. neill mcfarland: daruma-the founder of zen in japanese art and popular culture)
there are many renderings of daruma figures (you can see some of them on the cover of this compilation), but what they want to express on the inside is always the same. it is the spirit of the founder of the zen sect - daruma daishi (about 5th cent.). daishi was the eighth generation great master after shakyamuni buddha. legend says that daruma was born the third prince in a south indian kingdom. as a child, he was already of a sharp mind and he followed the great master prajnaatara. daruma studied buddhism intensly and carried on prajnaatara’s tradition. he then left for china to preach buddhism. the zen teachings of daruma daishi entered japan during the kamakura period and he is revered as the first patriarch of the zen sect. during the middle of the edo period the famous zen priest and painter hakuin (1685 - 1768) painted many simple impressive pictures. these pictures were used to teach the townspeople who could not read.
the origin of papier-mâché dolls (hariko) comes from china. during the tang period (616 - 906), chinese culture reached a pinacle. during that time there was the custom of using a wooden doll with a pointed base, which was like a spinning top. when the doll fell, it pointed to a person who then had to drink the next cup of ricewine or do a short performance. (remember, the cups were really quite tiny.) time passed and we reach the meiji period of japan (1868 - 1912). the chinese drinking companion had changed to a japanese papier-mâché doll and was now called "old man who never falls down". this old man seemed to get healthier with the years and was the symbol of long life. japanese travellers to china brought the chinese dolls back as souvenirs, since they were light and easy to carry. the dolls were amusing as they fell down and tumbled up again - soon they turned into a toys for little children and hence the tumbler doll was born. it seemed to fit the parent's wish for children to grow up healthy and was a hit on the market. over time the doll went through many changes; the old man turned into daruma, as we know it today.
after the period of warring states, japan achieved 300 years of peace under the tokugawa regime. the tumbler dolls of papier-mâché, first made in kyoto, soon reached the new capital of edo. the inventive townspeople of edo painted a big black beard on the face of the old man and a visiting priest came to say: "well, if this is not the face of daruma daishi himself!" the red robe was the traditional garb of a priest. getting up after falling down was seen as the wish of an ill person to get better. it was also said that the stark red colour would ward off smallpox, so the red tumbler doll of daruma would be the best present for a sick child. this one blessing was soon followed by others and developed into "falling down seven times, getting up eight times" (nanakorobi yaoki); turning into a blessing for many generations of the family line, good business and others. thus daruma got a firm place in the heart of the japanese people and seemed to work for the good of people with its six heads and six arms. the faith in him grew steadily and soon the dolls were sold at many local temples during new years festivals. during this time the tradition to paint one eye for a wish started. you had to buy a new one every year and so the tradition expanded. we have to thank the founder of the zen sect for all of this.
(text excerpts by gabi greve (goku-raku-an), japan)
the expressions of human feelings that you can find in daruma's faces can be found in ant-zen's tenth anniversary compilation. from anger to relaxation, from happiness to sadness - all the variety of ant-zen can be found in here. but the most important thing is the main expression - if you fall down, you will rise up again - this is what this label did for ten years. so you are invited to celebrate with us. enjoy the essence of ten years of work and hopefully escort ant-zen for the next ten years.
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