After a long hiatus for Covid, I opened the tearoom last spring. I did not teach any beginner classes for 2 and a half years while the tearoom was closed. There were about 20 people on the waiting list and when I opened the new introduction to Chado class, it filled quickly. Then I …
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There is a scroll hung in the tea room 独坐大雄峰 Dokuza Daiyūhō, Sitting alone on the great sublime peak. Or sometimes translated as Sitting alone on the great hero peak. Doku (alone,) za (sit), dai (great), yū (sublime), hō (peak).
The Zen story is that Hyakujo Zenji was asked by a monk, “What …
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“Some people think that holding on is what makes them strong. Sometimes it is letting go.”
Last year my father passed away and last weekend his longtime companion passed also. I am still at a loss after caring for my father for 10 years, and getting to know his companion in that time. They were …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/letting-go/
When choosing the toriawase, the arrangement of utensils for a chakai, or chaji the first thing you should consider is the scroll. It sets the theme for your event and gives the guests something to think about. Most scrolls displayed in the tea room are zen phrases written by Zen priests, monks, or …
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I have been having an extended discussion with a commenter about gomei. See this post and the comment thread.
For the guests, learning the gomei is of particular interest and in our discussion the commenter said,
“It sounds like the choice of a seasonal name is, at least partly, also the gift of …
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