JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY

          Different people have different views on the Japanese tea ceremony. Some say the ceremony is an artistic hobby or pastime to bring the host and guests together, while for others it is an aesthetic way of appreciating poverty and imperfection in an isolated tearoom. The different aspects of the ceremony make it important in both ways. The purpose, four spiritual conditions, and the preparations are all important parts of the ceremony that have to be understood by the host and guests to have a successful tea ceremony.

 

          The Japanese tea ceremony is also known as chanoyu, which means "hot water for tea", and chado or sado, which means "the way of tea". It started in the sixteenth century at first as an artistic pastime among Japanese rulers, elite warriors, and wealthy merchants to build relationships with each other while drinking their tea. Tea was first used by Zen Buddhists as a stimulant while they were meditating, and it was valued for their therapeutic effects. Some say that the emphasis is on the interactions between the people and the objects in the room, such as the garden surrounding the tea room, and the tea utensils themselves. Others say that the purpose of the ceremony is to isolate oneself in the room and forget about all human worries and focus on the nature around them and the aesthetic of tea. Over time, tea masters and teachers added onto and change parts of the tea ceremony to improve them, which is why many people have various opinions on it. Although the ceremony might seem about only drinking tea, it requires a long process of following certain guidelines and procedures, all of which must be done correctly. First, the host had to have access to a tea room which is called a cha-shitsu, which is usually detached from the main part of the house. The low door suggests humility and respect, as all warriors must remove their weapons to preserve the peace, and all guests must bow to enter as a sign of respect towards the host and their preparations. As the tea ceremony attempts simplification, the tea room is quite small and can usually hold up to four or five people. The walls and floor are simple and bare, except for a sunken fireplace called ro and an alcove called the tokonoma. In the tokonoma, the host places a hanging scroll (kakemono) and Japanese flower arrangement (ikebana) that depicts the season at the current time. The ro is used to heat and boil the water during the winter, when it is colder, whereas a portable brazier is used in the summer. During the ceremony, the host is the one to prepare everything and thinks of the guests before themselves. The guests only drink the tea and admire what the host has done for them. Although the ceremony seems easy, there are many spiritual factors that have to be considered throughout it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

           Sen no Rikyu, a well-known tea master, said there are four spiritual elements that a person must understand and feel to appreciate the art of tea. These four elements are needed for a successful tea ceremony and have the name Wa Kei Sei Jaku. One of the elements is peace and harmony, or wa, between the guests and utensils; or else the peace of the room would be disturbed. The spirit of harmonious blending on Heaven and Earth means universal peace, the original intention of the ceremony. At the end of each ceremony, the guests examine each utensil that had been used by the host as a sign of admiration and respect, which is the next of the four elements. Respect or reverence, otherwise known as kei, is essential in the tea ceremony because, without it, nobody would be able to appreciate the others' presences. Cleanliness, purity, or sei is yet another crucial element. A stone washbasin called a tsukubai is provided in front of the tea room. There, guests will ritually clean and purify their hands with the water and rinse their mouths. Once everyone is cleansed, they enter the room and the ceremony starts. This is to strip away all of the impurities and imperfections caused by humanity. Nakano Kazuma says in the Hagakure that the spirit of the ceremony is to clean each sense of contamination. Examining the hanging scroll (kakemono) and smelling the flower arrangement (ikebana) in an alcove in the room (called a tokonoma) cleanses one's sense of sight and smell. While drinking, the guests can hear the boiling of the water and the gentle, steady dripping of the water from the pines and bamboo trees outside. Drinking tea cleanses the mouth, using the tea utensils cleanses touch, and lastly, the mind and spirit are cleansed after all of the other organs are. Last but not least, some say that tranquillity, or jaku, is the most important factor of all, as it is considered a spiritual quality. The tearoom is isolated to prevent the host and guests from worrying about their troubles or concerns, and so they may rest happily while drinking tea and appreciating the nature around them. Therefore, without tranquillity, the tea ceremony would not be what it is now. In Zen Buddhism, tranquillity has a strong spiritual significance and connects to the realm beyond birth and death. With these four spiritual elements, the tea ceremony is successful, and an orderly life can be achieved.