A wooden fish, also known as a Chinese temple block, Muyu or Mokugyo, is a wooden percussion instrument. The wooden fish is used by monks and laity 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.
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.
Living life, money mean the world
Higher than a kite, I'm higher than a fly
Used to burn reggie, not the gang got my rights
Belt looking like I'm Babe Ruth, bet I won't strike
All-star gang George, that's when I'm blowing
Astral plane, damn right, shit puffing
Get this hoes open, ask some crazy questions
Tongue stroke it, smell it when it's open
Yeah, it's just something I love
Spinning vanilla dutches with different color buds
You can light it, smoke it, fill it, tone it
Roll this shit right and you can be roasting
Yeah, we still here rockin', this is DJ Smoky lot
Hey, I like this shit man, I like this shit, man
I like this shit
I'm a stoner like a hippie, I fell in love with trippy
In '99 but now I'm on a sour D sticky, got to happen
A new addition, I call it Ricky
I'mma tight the roller cone up and throw in a 50
With a little bit of leaf from a marijuana chief
Win a lot, get the paper, sex in between the sheets
I twist the top of the class, I made the honor roll
I won the heist, man, not the chronic bow
You know that medical smell soon as you pop the top
I'm on a space state, baby, captain Kirk got the spot
Capone hate it, baby,
I'm a big bamboo roll, this the bong
This was smoking in the hallway or spin in the yard
Rank in out in a robe, wait
I smoke till my eyes bloody red, hoe
Laid up, let the stress go
Yeah, Smoky right back at you motherfuckers with a big, fat joint
We gonna roll up behind the plain right now, we keeping lifted
Capone and young Haiti
Could these motherfuckers smoke like a motherfucker? Motherfucker
Hey yo pass my shit