The way of the tea

[Steve Bildermann]

While I was studying Iai-Jutsu my teacher send me round to learn both tea cermony and flower arranging. I don't think I was any good at either but I did learn that in the end both promote deep relaxation. Perhaps I should dust off the old Hakama and give it another go.

Anyway in the 'spirit' of raising the 'Seishin' level here on FG I give Chanoyu - the way of tea.

Welcome and thank you for coming to TeaHyakka
We are a group of people in London and in New York who are interested in Japanese tea ceremony. Our goal is to introduce Japanese culture through 'Chanoyu' on a bilingual web site which updates quarterly.

Everything you need to know and more about the Chanoyu

Some Subjects

Tea Mind, Zen Words, and Spiritual Reflections

In this space named "Tea Mind, Zen Words, and Spiritual Reflections", thanks
to his kind permission, we are pleased to introduce writings by Sen Soshitsu
Hounsai Iemoto, fifteenth generation Grand Tea Master of the Urasenke
Tradition of Chanoyu.

A Brief History of Chanoyu

The custom of drinking tea was prevalent in China before the time of Christ.
Tea was first imported from China as a beverage and over the course of several hundred
years was developed into the art of Chanoyu from which developed Chado.
The study of tea is effective in teaching discipline and instilling respect for others.

Illustrated explanation of the tea room.

A chashitsu is a building or a room in which the tea ceremony is performed. The purpose of a chaji, or full tea ceremony, is to allow the host an opportunity to express the utmost hospitality to his or her guests. Together, the chashitsu, roji (tea garden), and mizuya (preparation room) should provide the optimum physical and spiritual setting for expressing this hospitality

[Taro Toporific]

first boil water then infuse the tea
and drink it
- - -Sen no Rikkyu, a master of tea.

[Taro Toporific]

...my teacher send me round to learn both tea cermony and flower arranging....

Dang Steve. The same thing happened to me when one of my directors at Maybe-the-Largest Inc. invited me to study Chanoyu. He giggled to my baka reply, " ichigo, ichie...NAI"---"one time, one meeting...not'.

The director was a close friend of my ex-hockey player father who studied ballet in his off-season time .... so my previous budo study and his new tea instruction was not exactly "one time, one meeting".

[Steve Bildermann]

first boil water then infuse the tea
and drink it
- - -Sen no Rikkyu, a master of tea.

Sen no Rikyu was born in 1522 in Sakai to a merchant family. He was born Soeki, but Hideyoshi changed his name in 1585 to Rikyu, to give him the status of a koji, a distinguised Buddhist layman. This allowed Rikyu to surpass his commoner status. As one of the most influential tea masters of Japan, he would serve both Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Rikyu was preceded by two tea masters: Murata Juko (1422-1502) and Takeno Joo (1502-1555). Rikyu emphasized the wabi aesthetic. Wabicha stressed rusticity and simplicity in the tea ceremony and tearoom. The Taian teahouse is an example of a space designed with wabi aesthetics. Rikyu established wabicha as an upper class activity. Although Hideyoshi and Rikyu were considered close acquaintances,

Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered Rikyu to commit Seppuku in 1591. Sen no Rikyu died at the age of 69.

Guess Hideyoshi didn't like the tea.

[Kanchou]

"The mind of a fuedal lord, who knows that?"

Hmm... Conversations with Daimyo and Shogun?

[Taro Toporific]

... Rikyu emphasized the wabi aesthetic. Wabicha stressed rusticity and simplicity in the tea ceremony and tearoom...Rikyu established wabicha as an upper class activity. Although Hideyoshi and Rikyu were considered close acquaintances, ... Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered Rikyu to commit Seppuku in 1591. Sen no Rikyu died at the age of 69. ......Guess Hideyoshi didn't like the tea.

Ahhhh, the gentle Way of the Tea.
Some of the quietest insults uttered on the planet have occurred in tearooms. I was visiting some rich ladies and the offered me tea in the little teahouse in their garden. Admiring the teacups is part of the "polite" talk after the tea is served. The elder of the ladies, picked up a museum-quality 300 year old teabowl and said, "This is charming mingei.

The mingei--'folk craft" tea cup was appraised and insured for 12 million yen. Sheesh.

[GomiGirl]

A good tea ceremony is awesome.. One of my friends was on a 3 year cultural visa and studied tea ceremony. Even after 3 years of intensive training she was still considered a novice.

One of the hardest things was learning to walk correctly, she said. She even got used to the taste of it.. personally I can't drink the stuff as it is too bitter and the sugar candies they serve with it are even to send me into a diabetic coma.

[Taro Toporific]

A good tea ceremony is awesome....One of the hardest things was learning to walk correctly, she said....

shooooop, shooooop, shooooop ....


{{Ahhh. How I can I ever forget that sound? Your feet must glide forward as not to raise tatami dust with toes slightly inward...effortlessly.}}