Wooden fish
Wooden fish
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	木魚
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin mùyú
Tibetan name
Tibetan	ཤིང་ཉ།
Transcriptions Wylie shingnya
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese	mộc ngư mõ
Korean name
Hangul	목탁
Transcriptions Revised Romanization moktak
Japanese name
Kanji	木魚
Transcriptions Revised Hepburn mokugyo

A wooden fish, also known as a Chinese temple block.^[1][2] is a wooden percussion instrument. The wooden fish is used by monks and lay people in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. It is often used during rituals usually involving the recitation of sutras, mantras, or other Buddhist texts. The wooden fish is mainly used by Buddhist disciples in China, Japan, Korea, and other East Asian countries where the practice of Mahayana, such as the ceremonious reciting of sutras, is prevalent. In most Zen/Ch'an Buddhist traditions, the wooden fish serves to keep the rhythm during sutra chanting. In Pure Land Buddhism, it is used when chanting the name of Amitabha.

The Taoist clergy has also adapted the wooden fish into their rituals.

Types of wooden fish[edit]

There are two kinds of wooden fish.

Most commonly today, it is the traditional instrument that is round in shape and often made out of wood, but sometimes other materials are used as well; this form is actually a later development from the original. The fish is hollow with a ridge outside of the wooden fish to help provide the genuine hollow sound when striking the fish; the instrument is similarly shaped like a jingle bell. The sound can differ amongst wooden fish depending on the size, type of wood used, and how hollow the wooden fish is. The instrument is carved with fish scales on its top, and a carving of two fish heads embracing a pearl on the handle (to symbolize unity), hence the instrument is called a wooden fish for that reason. In Buddhism the fish, which never sleeps, symbolizes wakefulness. Therefore, it is to remind the chanting monks to concentrate on their sutra. Often the mallet used to strike the fish has a rubber coated tip to provide a muffled, but clear sound when struck. A simplified form is given in the temple block.

Wooden fish come in many sizes and shapes, ranging from 150 millimetres (5.9 in), for laity use or sole daily practice, or to 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) for usage in temples. Wooden fish are often (in Chinese temples) placed on the left of the altar, alongside a bell bowl, its metal percussion counterpart. Wooden fish often rest on a small embroidered cushion to prevent damage and unpleasant knocking sounds caused from the fish lying on the surface of a hard table or ground, as well as to avoid damage to the instrument.

The Korean version of a wooden fish is simpler in shape and no design is carved onto the fish. It is more oblong in shape. It has a handle for easy carrying during portable uses. The Korean versions of a wooden fish are different in the sense that they provide a deeper, more wooden-like hollow sound when struck.

Original[edit]

Original type

The original type of wooden fish is literally in the shape of a fish. Along with a large temple bell and drum, It is found suspended in front of Buddhist monasteries. When proceeding with various duties (such as eating, lectures, or chores), a monk and a supervisor utilize the instrument to call all monastics to go to their tasks. Historically, this was the first wooden fish developed, which gradually evolved into the round wooden fish used by Buddhists today. One of the most noted examples is at the temple of Manpuku-ji.^{[citation needed]}

Legends & nomenclature[edit]

A mendicant with a "wooden fish" (sitting in the middle, with a big hat), drawn by Johan Nieuhof (Description générale de la Chine 1665) between 1655-1658

Many legends describe the origin of the wooden fish, which take place in China. One legend says that a monk went to India to acquire sutras. On his way to India, he found the way blocked by a wide, flooding river. There appeared neither bridge nor boat.^[3]

Suddenly, a big fish swam up. It offered to carry the monk across the river. The fish told the monk that it wanted to atone for a crime committed when it was a human. The fish made a simple request, that on the monk's way to obtain sutras, to ask the Buddha to guide the fish on a method to attain Bodhisattvahood.

The monk agreed to the fish's request and continued his quest for seventeen years. After getting the scriptures, he returned to China via the river, which was flooding again. As the monk worried about how to cross, the fish came back to help. It asked if the monk had made the request to the Buddha. To the monk's dismay, he had forgotten. The fish became furious and splashed the monk, washing him into the river. A passing fisherman saved him from drowning, but unfortunately the sutras had been ruined by the water.

The monk went home full of anger. Filled with anger at the fish, he made a wooden effigy of a fish head. When he recalled his adversity, he beat the fish head with a wooden hammer. To his surprise, each time he beat the wooden fish, the fish opened its mouth and vomited a character. He became so happy that, when he had time, he always beat the fish. A few years later, he had got back from the wooden fish's mouth what he had lost to the flood.

Uses[edit]

The wooden fish is often used for rites of death and resurrection.^[1] During funerals, people may walk in processions while sounding wooden fishes in a slow and unison rhythm.^[1] Other purposes may include prayers for rain.^[1] In Confucianism, the wooden fish is struck at specific intervals to signify certain stages of ceremonies at temple.^[1] In Buddhism, it is struck during chants of Buddha's name.^[1]

The wooden fish symbolizes wakeful attention.^[1] It can also symbolize wealth and abundance.^[1]

Gallery[edit]

• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  A Korean styled Moktak(Wooden fish)
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Intricate carvings on this huge Mokugyo, over 3-foot (0.91 m) wide.
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  One of the largest wooden fish in the world, located at Hasedera in Kamakura, Japan
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  An original type of wooden fish at Manpuku-ji, Uji, Japan
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Head of the wooden fish at Manpuku-ji, Uji, Japan
  

  
  

  
  

See also[edit]

• Fish-drum

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Media related to Wooden fish at Wikimedia Commons