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A khakkhara or shakujo (; ; ; ), sometimes referred to in English as a 'pewter staff', is a staff topped with metal rings traditionally carried by Buddhism monks, particularly in East Asian Buddhism.
Originally used as a noisemaker to announce a monk's presence and frighten away animals, it was adapted for use as a rhythmic instrument during chanting and sutra recitation, and for use as a weapon. THE NINE VERSES OF THE SHAKUJO at www.quietmountain.org music dictionary : Sf - Si at www.dolmetsch.com It is also known as a "tiger pewter staff" (p=Hǔ xī), due to its traditional use of driving away predatory animals. The earliest recorded description of a khakkhara is in the writings of the Chinese pilgrim monk Yijing who traveled between China, Indonesia, and India in the years 671 to 695 AD.The Sculpture of Indonesia. Jan Fontein; with essays by R. Soekmono, Eddie Sedyawati. Catalog of an exhibition held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. ISBN 0-89468-141-9
In the Mahayana sutra known as the Pewter Staff Sutra (p=Dé dào tī chéng xízhàng jīng), the Buddha instructed his bhikshu that they should have one of these staffs, because the Buddhas of the past, present and future also kept such a staff.
According to the Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms by Faxian, the capital city of Nagara, once had a vihara that held the staff that belonged to the Buddha. The staff was made of "bulls-head sandalwood" (Sanskrit: gośīrṣa candana) and was about 16–17 chi in length. It was encased in a wooden sheath and too heavy for even a thousand men to move.
The khakkhara came to symbolize monks in Chinese literature, serving as an emblem similar to the robe and bowl. A popular name for a wandering mendicant monk is "Fei Xi" (p=Fēi xī) (flying staff). Alternatively, a monk who dwells comfortably in a monastery may be referred to as "Gua xi" (p=Guà xī) (hung-up staff). A monk who belongs to a monastery but frequently travels for various religious duties may also be called a "Gua xi or a Zhuo xi (p=Guà xī or a Zhuō xī), indicating the laying down of his staff. 'Planting a staff' similarly refers to a monk who has taken up a long-term residence.
The number of loops and rings featured on the staff was also assigned symbolic significance, according to a variety of Buddhist numerical formulas- four loops symbolizing the Four Noble Truths, six rings representing the Six Perfections, or twelve rings representing the twelvefold chain of cause and effect.
A notable carrier of the staff is Kṣitigarbha, the bodhisattva of children and travelers. He is usually depicted holding a khakkhara in his right hand. It is also often held by images of the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara in Chinese and Japanese statuary.
The "eye-cleansing well"() at Enkōji in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan is said to have been created by means of a khakkhara. The temple's legendary account tells that in 795, Kōbō-Daishi used his staff to break the ground and pull water in order to save the nearby village from drought.
In Japan, the shakujō became a formidable weapon in the hands of a practiced Buddhist monk . It could be used as a staff to block and parry attacks, and the metal rings at the tip could be slammed into an opponent's face to momentarily blind him. At the very tip of the metal finial is a sharp point which can be used to attack weak points of the body. The bottom end of the khakkhara has a metal butt which can be used to thrust and hit an opponent.
Shorinji Kempo contains methods of self-defense using the khakkhara, but these are rarely practiced today.
Folklore
Baiyun Mountain in Guangzhou, China features a spring known as "Pewter Staff Spring" (p=Xī quán). According to legend, a monk struck the earth with his staff which caused the spring to appear.
Martial arts
The wooden shaft can either be long for use as a walking stick or short for accompaniment in chanting. As a staff, the khakkhara could be wielded as a weapon; in Chinese wuxia novels the khakkhara is often the weapon of warrior monks, especially those of Shaolin Monastery. It has been used in defensive techniques by traveling Buddhist monks all over East Asia for centuries, and monks at the Shaolin temple in China specialized in its use.
Outside Buddhism
Other chinese literature makes mention of the staff in the context of filial piety. It is argued that if one's parents fall into hell, it is due to their own wickedness. How then can the Buddha's pewter staff save them? (p=Qǐ fútú xízhàng suǒ néng jiù ér chū zhī zhě hū)?
See also
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