A wooden fish, also known as a muyu, moktak, mogeo, mokugyo, Chinese temple block, or wooden bell is a type of woodblock that originated from China that is used as a percussion instrument by monks and lay people in the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism. They are used in Buddhist ceremonies in China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam and other Asian countries. They may be referred to as a Chinese block, Korean block or, rarely, as a skull.

Wooden fish often used in rituals usually involving the recitation of sutras, mantras, or other Buddhist texts. In Chan, Seon, Zen and Thiền Buddhism, the wooden fish serve to maintain rhythm during chanting. In Pure Land Buddhism, they are used when chanting the name of Amitabha such as during the nianfo/nembutsu.

Wooden fish come in many sizes and shapes, ranging from , for laity use or sole daily practice, or to 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 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.

Mythical origins

thumb|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 and 1658]]

There are many tales associated with its invention. One Buddhist legend says that a monk went to India to acquire sutras but on his way he found the way blocked by a wide, flooded river. A fish offered to carry the monk across the river because it wanted to atone for a crime it had committed when it was a human. Its simple request was that on the monk's way to obtain sutras, he should 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. On his return to China after 17 years with the scriptures, he came upon the flooded river. The same fish asked the monk if he had made the request to Buddha but the monk said he had forgotten. The furious fish splashed him into the river. A passing fisherman saved the drowning monk but all the sutras had been lost in the river. Filled with anger at the fish, the monk made a wooden effigy of a fish head which he beat with a wooden hammer. To his surprise, each time he hit the wooden fish, it made the sound of a Chinese character. He became so happy that he beat the wooden fish regularly. After a few years the monk had got back the lost scriptures he had lost to the flood from the mouth of the wooden fish.

Usage

thumb|A Korean monk playing a mogeo

Traditional versions

In Chinese Buddhism, wooden fishes are known as muyu (hanzi: 木魚, pinyin: mùyú). The original type of wooden fish is in the shape of a dragon-fish hybrid creature. 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 modern Buddhists.

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 where recitation of texts is necessary

In Japan, wooden fish are called mokugyo (kanji: ; hiragana: ), and some huge specimens found in Buddhist temples weigh more than 300 kg.

The Vietnamese name for the wooden fish is ' (chữ Nôm: ), and the Manchu name is toksitu ().

Modern types

The most common ones in use remain the traditional instruments that are round in shape and often made out of wood. However, other materials are now used as well such as composite plastic. All instruments are hollow with a ridge outside that provide the hollow sound when struck. The hollow tone differs among wooden fish because of their size, material, and the size of its internal hollow. 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.

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File:Muyu, White Deer Temple.jpg|Muyu at White Deer Temple in Hunan, China.

File:Guanghuasi muyu.JPG|Muyu at Guanghua Temple in Beijing, China.

File:Yulong at Fayuan Temple (old).jpg|Muyu at Fayuan Temple in Beijing, China.

File:潭柘寺石鱼.jpg|Stone muyu at Tanzhe Temple in Beijing, China.

File:Yangzhou - Jingzhong Temple - wooden fish - P1070168.JPG|Muyu at Jingzhong Temple in Yangzhou, China.

File:Large wooden fish.jpg|Muyu at Tianning Temple in Changzhou, China.

File:Moktak.jpg|Moktak, a Korean variant of wooden fish

File:Mok-eo at Bogwang-sa.JPG|Mogeo at Bogwangsa in Paju, South Korea

File:Bell Tower IMG 20161003 113624.jpg|Mogeo on the bell tower at Buseoksa in Yeongju, South Korea

File:보문사 목어와 법고.jpg|Mogeo at Bomunsa in Incheon, South Korea

File:Chapin Mill Mokugyu Drum.JPG|Intricate carvings on this huge mokugyo, over wide, at the Chapin Mill Zen Buddhist Retreat center in New York, USA.

File:Largest Mokugyo.jpg|One of the largest wooden fish in the world, located at Hasedera in Kamakura, Japan

File:Jochi-ji,-Kita-Kamakura Wooden-Bell.jpg|Mokugyo at Jōchi-ji in Kita-Kamakura, Japan.

File:Wooden plate.jpg|An original type of mokugyo at Manpuku-ji, Uji, Japan

File:ManpukujiFish.jpg|Head of the mokugyo at Manpuku-ji, Uji, Japan

File:Shofukuji Nagasaki January 2012 04.jpg|Mokugyo at Shōfuku-ji, Nagasaki, Japan

File:木魚.jpg|Mokugyo at Sharison-ji in Osaka, Japan.

File:Vowz Band 坊主バンド 2023.jpg|Mokugyos on stage, Yotsuya, Japan

File:Mõ Chùa Bút Tháp, Bắc Ninh.jpg|Mõ at Bút Tháp Temple, Bắc Ninh, Vietnam

File:Tây Ninh 2022 (tượng gỗ con cá rồng).jpg|Wooden fish at a temple in Tây Ninh, Vietnam

File:Tu viện Vĩnh Nghiêm, hậu đường (đầu gõ con cá).jpg|Mõ at Vĩnh Nghiêm Buddhist monastery, HCMC, Vietnam

File:Chùa Xá Lơi - Quận 3 - tpHCM - 2019 (3).jpg|Mõ at Xá Lợi Temple, District 3, HCMC, Vietnam

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See also

  • Fish drum
  • Bell tower (wat)
  • Drum tower (Chinese Buddhism)
  • Drum tower (Asia)

References