OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/happy-new-year-3/
Last keiko of the year
As a teacher, even though I teach keiko during the week, I don’t get much chance to practice my own temae unless there is an intensive training in town, or I travel 300 miles to study with my own sensei. During the last 7 years with my sensei, I think I only saw her make tea four times.
Last week at the last keiko of the year, I made koicha for my Tuesday class so they could observe me making tea. I asked them to observe very closely and tell me at the end of the temae what they observed and what they learned. It was like a mini chakai.
They were paying attention. One student observed the little puffs of tea rising out of the tea bowl as I turned it out of the chaire. They noticed the sound of the whisk and how the water sounds different when it is poured into the bowl depending on if it is cold or hot. They were also suprised at how thin the tea seemed for the first guest, but as it cooled it thickened up for the last guest.
The first guest commented at how smooth the temae seemed as one movement flowed to the next and how it appeared that I didn’t hesitate about what to do next. Another noticed that I could talk to the guest and continue cleaning up, and how relaxed I was making tea and how that relaxed everyone in the room.
It wasn’t as if it was a perfect temae. Plenty of mistakes were made, but by not calling attention to them and recovering quickly and moving on, they were barely noticeable. As my sensei says, “If you are going to make a mistake, make it beautifully.” Even though we used the dogu that we have used in keiko every week, they became fresh with new gomei and stories about them from using them in keiko from past years.
It was a good way to end the year. We will see students back at keiko after Hatsugama, which will be January 17, Sunday. Everyone have a Happy New Year.
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/last-keiko-of-the-year/
End of the year
Evening chabana
We are coming down to the end of the year, when the days run shallow and the nights long, we look forward to the return of the light at the winter solstice. A good gomei for these times is: Yonaga – long night.
Already I am becoming nostalgic for the year of the sheep. As I look back on the year, I think of my travels to Japan and France and the many kind people I met that made these trips so memorable. It was also a year filled with many classes, and new students. Other students have moved on.
The holiday season is also upon us. It is a time to get together with family and share. For those far away from family or who are estranged, we can share with friends. Whatever your circumstances it is a time to come together, to be charitable, and connect with others.
For tea people, December is a busy time. Before the end of the year, everything needs to be cleaned top to bottom, shoji repaired, and get ready for Hatsugama. My mother always said that besides cleaning up your space, you should clean up your relationships. Apologize to the people you hurt, forgive the people who have hurt you, pay your debts, keep your promises, and communicate with people you have lost touch with. Start the New Year with a clean house, a clean conscience, and a clean slate.
To end this year, I’d like to express my gratitude to all of my students for being so dedicated to the way of tea. Thank you for coming to class every week, for pitching in, for teaching younger students and for working together so harmoniously. To all of my teachers and Sensei, thank you for investing your time and energy in teaching me. To all of my sempai, thank you for all your care, sharing and teaching. To my dear husband, thank you for supporting my dream of teaching the way of tea. To all of my tea friends and acquaintances who have read and commented on this blog, thank you for your interest and encouragement.
I hope you all have a marvelous holiday season.
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/2374-2/
Introduction to Chado Class
Introduction to Chado, the Japanese Tea Ceremony
Harmony, purity, respect and tranquility. These are the four principles of tea ceremony distilled from Japanese culture. In this ten week class, students will be introduced to Chado, the way of tea. The arts of Japan will be examined through the ritual preparation and drinking of matcha, Japanese ceremonial tea. Students will participate in at least six tea ceremonies, an incense ceremony, and kimono dressing. Japanese architecture, gardening, flower arranging and calligraphy will also be covered.
When: Starting Wednesday, January 6, 2016 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Where: Classes will take place in a Japanese tea room located 4 blocks south of PCC Rock Creek campus.
Fee: $250, materials will be available for purchase at class.
Places are limited. Please reserve your spot with a $50 deposit via Paypal at right:
Call Margie Yap, 503.645.7058 with questions
Email: margie at issoantea dot com
17761 NW Marylhurst Ct.
Portland, OR 97229
Tea ceremony in Japan is called Chanoyu, literally “hot water for tea.” Sen Rikyu, who established the foundations of the spiritual path of Chado (the way of tea), lived in the 16th century teaching wabi-cha, or tea of quiet taste. In Chado the spiritual aspect is most important. We learn the heart of Chado through the ceremony of drinking tea. The basic principles are expressed in the words harmony, respect, purity and tranquility. Harmony can be created between persons, between objects, between a person and an object – among all matters of the world. This is illustrated in the interactions between a host and a guest and the tea utensils handled. In Chado, we should respect every one and everything without distinction of status or rank. Spiritual purity is essential. We can embody tranquility only when we make harmony, respect, and purity our own. By learning Chado, we seek to obtain an ultimate peace of mind. The present Grand Tea Master teaches the thought of “peacefulness through a bowl of tea.” It is very simple if we are just making tea and drinking tea, but if we trying to understand the heart of Chanoyu, we can find that it is not just making and drinking tea. Through preparing a bowl of tea we learn to look within ourself, respect one another, make peace with others and express gratitude toward all things.
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/introduction-to-chado-class/
Kokoro, the heart of tea
I recently had a return visit from someone who came to visit Issoan last year. We served her tea and sweets and treated her as we would any other guest. This time when she came back, she said that she was struck by how open and welcoming the students were. In her experience, tea people can be a little reserved if you are not part of the group. She said that she felt the kokoro, and the sincere welcome from the students as they made and served tea. She could taste the love that went into the bowl of tea. Not only that, she was struck by how well everyone worked together to set up and clean up in the mizuya.
So I want to thank our visitor for the wonderful feedback in the observation of our tea group, but also the students who treated this guest as we treat any other guest, be they fellow students or visitors, with love and respect.
When I was in Midorikai, my sempai asked me to make him a bowl of tea in the mizuya. I did it quickly and with not much thought. I didn’t warm the bowl, so the rim and the kodai were cold. I really didn’t take the time to whisk it properly either. I served it to him and it was not a pleasant experience to drink it. Later he told me that the next time I make a bowl of tea, to take the same care in making it as if I was doing it in the tea room. Every bowl of tea is the real tea. No short cuts. Put your heart into making tea because guests can taste it in the tea.
And as a guest, we can honor the making of the tea when we lift the bowl for kansha. In gratitude we receive not only this bowl of tea, but honor the growing of the tea, the processing the tea, the grinding of the tea, the potter who made the bowl, the care and love that went into making the tea just for us. In fact, kansha for everything that made this bowl of tea, this moment in time, possible.
Now I am beginning to understand what Sensei says: The form is a vessel for the content. You need a strong vessel to hold what goes inside or it leaks away.
While we may go through the forms of tea, what it holds is the heart. A strong vessel holds the pure heart, the kokoro, and keeps it alive, fresh and present.
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/kokoro-the-heart-of-tea/