Meeting: #13 Subject: Tea Ceremony Date: 8-13-97
The custom of drinking tea was imported into Japan from China -- where it originated, according to legend, some 5,000 years ago, when a Chinese emperor was sitting under a camellia tree, with a pot of boiling water in front of him. Leaves falling from the tree landed in the pot, sending out a fragrant aroma. The emperor taste-tested the new brew and immediately named it Heavenly Dew. Emperor Shomu (701-756) is credited with introducing tea drinking into Japan when Ganjin, a Chinese priest, brought him some medicines, among which was tea. This tea was called tan-cha and came in the form of steamed tea leaves pressed into bricks and dried, for either chewing or steeping in hot water.
During the Heian period (794-1185), matcha, a tea made of steamed and dried green tea leaves ground into powder and stirred into hot water, became popular. It is the kind of tea used in tea ceremony. In the early decades, tea drinking was widespread only among priests, who used it to help fight off fatigue while they were studying. Because priests were the primary source of learning, the custom gradually spread among the general population.
Tea drinking was raised to an art form by Sen-no Rikyu (1521-1591), a famous Sakai (Osaka) merchant, who developed the tea ceremony as a way of countering the snobbery and pretension that existed among his rich fellow merchants. He stressed simplicity and spiritual tranquility and communion with nature in the sado, or tea ceremony. He developed wachiba, or the style of tea that reflects a simple and quiet taste.
When the tea plant was first imported into Japan, it was primarily seen as a medicine which was highly prized for its power to relieve fatigue, repair the eyesight, strengthen the will, and delight the soul (that's the caffeine talking). The Taoists in China used it in their immortality elixir, and the Buddhists used it to help them stay awake during their long hours of meditation.
There are several tea ceremony schools, each of which has its own style. Some are very formal; others are rather casual and may include food. But in all cases, the purpose is the same -- to exercise and sharpen the aesthetic sense, still the spirit, and develop harmony with the universe. In the more formal schools the ceremony takes up to three hours. There are several tea houses in Japan that are over 300 years old, some of which are registered as National Treasures.
Basically, a ceremony begins when a host invites guests and then begins the preparations well before their arrival. The location may be inside or outisde, but it should be a quiet room in which disruptions are unlikely. Devotees prefer a Japanese-style room or a separate cottage (in some exceptionally beautiful place) made especially for the ceremony.
Any conversation before the ceremony begins should be light and calm and designed to inhance a contemplative, serene mood. The taste of the tea is atringent. It is meant to stimulate the taste buds and help the person feel alive and at one with nature and the universe.. Once the tea is drunk, the guests take turns commenting on the beauty of the tea cups and expressing their appreciation to the host for their hospitality.
An essential part of the tea ceremony is scrutinizing and appreciating the utensils used. The various items are passed one at a time from each guest, who is expected to demonstrate both taste and refinement in commenting on and appreciating the beauty and artistry of the implements. Genuine "teaists" look forward especially to the first tea ceremony of each new year, called hatsu gama, or first ceremony.
Today the tea ceremony is most popular among women -- when they are young, as a way of developing good manners and a calm, harmonious attitude; and as they grow older, as a way of sustaining the spirit and, along with their friends, communing with nature.