The Ritual:
OBJECTIVE: to live in this moment- Zen Buddhism.
Before the ritual the tea room and adjacent garden are cleaned, a fire is lit in the hearth, water is put on to boil, and a painting and a flower may be placed in an alcove for decorative purposes. At a particular time, guests enter the garden and one at a time, rinse their mouths and hands with water from a stone basin in the garden. As a token of humility and social equality, the guests enter the tea house/hut by crawling through a low door.
Every aspect of the ceremony is carefully regulated- the way the host greets his guests, the gestures made during tea preparation, the folding of the silk napkin used to wipe the tea ladle. Once arrived at the place where the tea ceremony will take place there will be a gate where that person will have to bow to their host to enter then the tea ceremony will begin which can take up to four hours to complete. The ceremony usually includes a meal (cha kaiseki) and two servings of tea (koicha and usucha).
The host focuses on simmering the water in the kettle and uses a bamboo ladle to scoop it into the tea bowls. When it comes time for the drinking of the tea the host will mix hot water with green tea powder in a bowl and whisk the powdered green tea into the right frothy consistency. He will then give it to his first guest. Traditionally, there are a limited amount of tea bowls used- the guests drink one after another. While one drinks, the host carefully washes the used bowl for the next drinker. The sharing of bowls is supposed to contribute to the sense of community among participants. Before drinking, the guest is supposed to reflect on the tea and admire the matcha and the ceremony that the host has put on.
It is said that you cannot learn how to do the ceremony by a book, it must be taught from master to disciple, yet many people still try to learn the art of the tea ceremony. There are schools entirely dedicated to teaching the art of the tea ceremony, Urasenke, Omotesenke, Mushakoji. All established by the ancestors of the great tea master Sen no Rikyu. The 3 schools above teach different branches of the tea ceremony all taught by grand tea masters.
Hosts or hostess could spend decades mastering measured procedures and learning to appreciate the old art that is Chanoyu.
Before the ritual the tea room and adjacent garden are cleaned, a fire is lit in the hearth, water is put on to boil, and a painting and a flower may be placed in an alcove for decorative purposes. At a particular time, guests enter the garden and one at a time, rinse their mouths and hands with water from a stone basin in the garden. As a token of humility and social equality, the guests enter the tea house/hut by crawling through a low door.
Every aspect of the ceremony is carefully regulated- the way the host greets his guests, the gestures made during tea preparation, the folding of the silk napkin used to wipe the tea ladle. Once arrived at the place where the tea ceremony will take place there will be a gate where that person will have to bow to their host to enter then the tea ceremony will begin which can take up to four hours to complete. The ceremony usually includes a meal (cha kaiseki) and two servings of tea (koicha and usucha).
The host focuses on simmering the water in the kettle and uses a bamboo ladle to scoop it into the tea bowls. When it comes time for the drinking of the tea the host will mix hot water with green tea powder in a bowl and whisk the powdered green tea into the right frothy consistency. He will then give it to his first guest. Traditionally, there are a limited amount of tea bowls used- the guests drink one after another. While one drinks, the host carefully washes the used bowl for the next drinker. The sharing of bowls is supposed to contribute to the sense of community among participants. Before drinking, the guest is supposed to reflect on the tea and admire the matcha and the ceremony that the host has put on.
It is said that you cannot learn how to do the ceremony by a book, it must be taught from master to disciple, yet many people still try to learn the art of the tea ceremony. There are schools entirely dedicated to teaching the art of the tea ceremony, Urasenke, Omotesenke, Mushakoji. All established by the ancestors of the great tea master Sen no Rikyu. The 3 schools above teach different branches of the tea ceremony all taught by grand tea masters.
Hosts or hostess could spend decades mastering measured procedures and learning to appreciate the old art that is Chanoyu.