I have a few students who can no longer sit seiza on tatami. Some of them are sad because there are only a few table style temae you can do. And there is no difference in the seasons for table style. So I had a plan for them.
In Portland, we have been rather snowed …
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One line of the kotoba reads: As we diligently learn the Way, we shall not forget the humble but eager heart of the beginner. To many of us who have been studying the Way of tea for a number of years, it is easy to forget what it is like to be a beginner. It …
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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 …
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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. …
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The student says, “I am very discouraged about my tea study. What should I do?”
Sensei says, “Encourage others.”
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