We are lucky this time of year to be able to participate in Hatsugama, the first kettle of the year. It is one of the biggest events of the year, and I have been preparing for this since early November. I have developed over the years a countdown checklist that starts about 2 months out …
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Every year, the Emperor of Japan chooses a theme, or Chokudai for the year. Many artists create works of art, tea utensils commemorating the theme for the year. For 2014, the theme is shizuka. It will be interesting to see what artists come up with for shizuka. My dictionary defines the word as calm, quiet, …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/chokudai-2014-shizuka/
In these dark days, it is always good to have a few books to curl up with to take us away. Here are two more books that I have added to my bookshelf:
Japan and the Culture of the Four Seasons, Nature, Literature and the Arts, by Haruo Shirane. ISBN: 978-0-231-15281-5 I heard a lecture …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/more-reading/
I am not a student of Zen, but I am a student of tea, so anything in English that helps me understand the relationship of Zen to tea captures my interest. One of the overt examples of Zen in the tea room is the scroll displayed in the tokonoma. It is often a Zen saying. …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/one-taste-of-truth/
Some of my newer students are learning a new temae or procedure for making tea. One of them said that we haven’t spent enough time on it for her to feel competent. She only did it a few times before we changed to the Ro season and now she feels like she has to start …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/competency-in-the-tea-room/
