JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY

                       As said before, different people have different views on the 'purpose' of the tea ceremony. Zen Buddhist monks believe that the purpose of the ceremony is to have wabi or sabi, which is appreciation or finding beauty in poverty, imperfection, and plainness. Zen Buddhism and the art of tea are similar because both attempt simplification. Zen Buddhists can eliminate the unnecessary by using the 'final reality' which is preparing and serving tea. Another aim of the ceremony is to remove oneself from their intellect or challenge it and truly be themselves, 'stripping off all the artificial wrappings humanity has devised'. They have to combat their intellect because having intellect goes against philosophical questions that one cannot solve by thinking rationally or realistically, which in turn will not give them spiritual satisfaction. Spiritual satisfaction has to be accessible to everyone, whether they are smart or not. However, philosophy is also only accessible to people who are intellectually equipped. The philosophy of tea is the philosophy of poverty or emptiness. Emptiness is an important part of Zen Buddhism. It is often mistaken for nothingness, but emptiness is a place for infinite possibilities. As Sen nō Rikyu once said, "The water that fills the kettle is drawn from the well of mind whose bottom knows no depths". To further simplify oneself, they must cast away everything they think they possess and go back to the 'original abode', which is their own father or mother (who we would be nothing without). This is the last step of simplification.

 

 

                         There is also the idea of eliminating the unnecessary. In this sense, a strong principle is that everything should be treated equally and is emphasised. This is also why people wash their hands and mouths before entering a cha-shitsu, to remove all impurities and falseness from themselves that humanity has caused. During the ceremony, the guests and host cleanse their six senses from contamination. Seeing the kakemono and smelling the ikebana cleanses their sight and smell, listening to the water boil and the water drip from the bamboo cleanses hearing, drinking cleanses their taste and using the tea utensils cleanses their sense of touch. When all of their organs and senses are cleansed, their mind is also purified. This method of cleansing one's senses was said by Nakano Kazuma in the Hagakure. While in the cha-shitsu, the host and guests forget all of their worries and troubles by separating themselves from reality. In the tea ceremony, classes and statuses do not matter. Samurai warriors have to take off their weapons when going through the low door so everyone can be viewed as the same and to also preserve the peace. Some say that an inner field of consciousness is generated when one notices the things that are going on outside of the cha-shitsu as well as the inside, and can appreciate them. 

 

 

                           Wabi or sabi is one of the most important principles in the art of tea. There are many meanings for wabi and sabi, but for the tea ceremony, they mean poverty, simplification, aloneness, and tranquillity. Wabi or sabi is the appreciation or finding beauty in imperfection, humbleness, the cycle of life, and temporariness. Although both words have the same meaning, they are used in different situations or contexts. Wabi is usually subjective or personal and is used in the term "wabi-zumai ", which means "the wabi way of living". People who live wabi lifestyles are not wealthy and do not own expensive objects. They appreciate the simple things and life, accept old age and death, and find beauty in imperfect things. Meanwhile, sabi is used to describe objects, such as the tea utensils. Sabi is said to have come from the renga masters who show appreciation for feelings opposed to warm ones and are usually negative, such as desiccation, obscurity, etc. The idea of wabi or sabi is like a single branch of a plum tree blossoming during a snowy winter. The branch is alone and is the only one that is blossoming. This is the idea of wabi or sabi, that in harsh times things can be beautiful. In the art of tea a hidden joy of living in poverty, the wabi way of living is expressed in the ceremony. The bitterness of the tea, the small cha-shitsu, and the minute amount of snacks are a few examples of how the tea ceremony has an aesthetic contemplation for poverty. Poverty allows no room for anything.

 

 

                              Tea is often said to be solitude or isolation, while sake, which is said to be more boisterous, is the complete opposite. Tea is aristocratic while sake is democratic. While sake is good for drinking with friends or at parties, while tea is the best for drinking alone in isolated areas. Sake can make one intoxicated or disruptive, but tea is curative and soothing. This is why it is used for the ceremony.