Mujō

About the piece

"Flower petals fall, but the flower endures. The form perishes, but the being endures. "
—— Kaneko Daiei

Mujō is a Japanese word originated from Buddhist philosophy. By definition, mujō means impermanence. In Buddhism, all beings, without exception, are constantly in the state of mujō. They are not permanent, coming into being and dissolve. Driven by desire, the being was trapped in the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

To me, mujō inspires the artistic idea of constant transition. In this piece, the musical material is constantly morphing, symbolizing impermanence. Various character was formed by the constant changes; some changes subtle, while some are abrupt and contrasting, reflecting the multiple states of life. The piece was to be played quite freely to emphasize the sense of unpredictability.