| As I look about, Neither flowers nor autumn-tinted leaves Near the grass-thatched hut That stands alone by the shore. The autumn dusk. Fujiwara no Teika (1162-1241) *** For those who long for the flowers of spring Show the young grasses That push up among the snowy hills. Fujiwara no Ietaka (1158-1237) *** There are many ways to put into practice in our own lives the teaching of the great masters of the past. In Zen, truth is pursued through the discipline of meditation in order to realize enlightenment, while in Tea we use training in the actual procedures of making tea to achieve the same end. Sen Soshitsu 15th Grand Master Urasenke Tradition of Tea *** Tea has the blessings of all the deities, promotes filial piety, drives away the devil, banishes drowsiness, keeps the five viscera in harmony, wards off disease, strengthens friendships, disciplines body and mind, destroys the passions, gives peaceful death. Myoe Shonin Buddhist priest (1173-1232) *** Wa...is the complete harmony of all elements; its definition includes sincerity. Kei...gives a sense of profound reverence toward all things, and is used by tea men to identify characteristics of humility and respect. Sei...contains the thought of orderiness in life, cleanliness, and purity. Jaku...means tranquillity, calm. These four are essential to tea. Rand Castile, The Way of Tea *** If the water of our tea is drawn from the depths of mind Then we have true cha-no-yu. Sen Rikyu *** The real Way of Tea has degenerated in the hands of so many who seek to use it as a toy, a plaything of their prosperity. What we see now coming is a shallow tea, and if I live long, I alone will enjoy the tea of the grass hut, and no one will come to share it with me. How sad it is. Sen Rikyu *** Tea is in all pure and takes joy in meditation and delight in the dharma. Murata Shuko Tea master (d. 1502) *** Surely there is nothing easy about practicing seated meditation and understanding each other's minds or about achieving oneness through a bowl of tea. The main thing is the human mind seeking peace, whether in the spirit of seated meditation or sitting to drink tea. Sen Soshitsu XV Hounsai Oiemoto (b. 1923) *** Tea, like cleaning, is not a skill to memorize but one that is acquired slowly by the body and the spirit. Soshitsu Sen XV Hounsai Oiemoto (b. 1923) *** Remember that fine houses and rare food are mere panaceas of this mundane world, for shelter is enough if it protects from the rain, and food is sufficient if it satisfies hunger. These are the teaching of the Buddha and the Way of Tea. With your own hands bring wood and water, heat the water and make tea. Offer it to the Buddha, to others, and then partake of it yourself. Arrange flowers and burn incense. These actions are taken together for the purpose of following the example of the Buddha. Sen Rikyu *** Tea is naught but this: First you heat the water. Then you make the tea. Then you drink it properly.That is all you need to know. Sen Rikyu *** The original purpose of Tea has at its core the acceptance of the insufficient. *** To those who aspire to follow the Way of Tea, guard against jealousy. To place yourself at the center, to envy others, to tempt others--these are unpardonable. Know your duty, and as you immerse yourself daily in the Way of Tea, you will be rewarded with happiness. The more you look up to others, the clearer your own position in relation to them will become. Whenever something untoward happens, people try to make themselves look as good as possible. But if we remember the humble heart of the host in the tearoom, for he knows the spiritual taste of tea, then this persistent clinging to power for its own sake will be seen for what it is. Know what you know and know what you don't know, for only then will the limits of your strength become evident. To attain spiritual power, seize the chance when it offers itself; devote yourself to study and practice. In life are many who feign knowledge and lead others astray. No action can be more reprehensible. The Way is never exclusive. It is open to all to follow, but those who set out upon the path perforce need the help of those who have passed that way before. Sen Soshitsu XIV Tantansai Sekiso (1893-1964) *** I have toured the world with the goal, "peace through sharing a bowl of tea." Taking a bowl of green tea in your hands and drinking it, you feel one with nature, and there is peace. This peace can be spread by offering a bowl of tea to another. I hope you will drink and share this peace with me. Sen Soshitsu XV Hounsai Oiemoto, Tea Life, Tea Mind *** Tea is a miraculous medicine for the maintenance of health. Tea has an extraordinary power to prolong life. Anywhere a person cultivates tea, long life will follow. Eisai Zenji, Kissa Yojoki (d. 1211) *** The spirit of cha-no-yu is to cleanse the six senses from contamination. By seeing the kakemono in the tokonoma and the flower in the vase, one's sense of smell is cleansed; by listening to the boiling of water in the iron kettle and to the dripping of water from the bamboo pipe, one's ears are cleansed; by tasting tea one's mouth is cleansed; and by handling the tea utensils one's sense of touch is cleansed...thus...the mind itself is cleansed of defilements. Nakano Kazuma, Hagakure (c. 1710) *** In the summer, impart a sense of deep coolness, in winter, a feeling of warmth; lay the charcoal so that it heats the water, prepare the tea so that it is pleasing –these are the secrets. Sen Rikyu *** It is the mind that aspires to enter the path that is my own true teacher. Sen Rikyu *** See with your eyes, hear with your ears, and smell the incense. While asking questions, arrive at understanding. Sen Rikyu *** The sun, Lord of the East, grinds the fragrant dust of tea. Bejeweled nectar on the teeth, revives me. A pure wind envelops my body. The whole world seen in a single cup. Kokan, Zen priest (1278-1346) *** The real essence of tea – ...a tea house beneath the bamboos with water and stones, trees and shrubs, a place for burning coals, kettle, flowers and the tea utensils; being able to taste the joy of nature in a single tea house. Such a heaven on earth, in the spring with white cherry blossoms everywhere, of nature in the fall – the moon, in summer – its breezes, and winter – snow, the delicate changes throughout the four seasons. *** House and dewy ground. Guest and host both joined as one, share a cup of tea. In tranquil meditation, no margin divides their hearts. The roji is a way apart from this bustling world and its many cares. How will that path sweep away the dust from within our hearts? *** Let your manner be natural and unobtrusive. Arrange flowers as befits the room, with an air of lightness. When you burn incense, light it so that it does not billow upward as though it were all there was. The utensils used should be appropriate to the person’s age, to old and young, respectively. Upon entering the tearoom, it is important above all else that both host and guests compose their frame of mind so as to be completely free of extraneous thought; this attitude should be harbored within and not displayed outwardly. Murata Shuku *** Of the two characters with which the word "roji" is written, the first means "to reveal or expose." The second means "heart." Thus, together they mean "the revelation of one’s essential being." We call it "roji," because it reveals the innate self as it truly is, apart from all one’s evil passions....Based on this definition, the significance of the tea room is that it is a hall of spiritual training where one reveals one’s innermost essence, and we call it "roji." Thus, "roji" is one name for the tea room itself. Jakuan Sotaku, Zen-cha Roku *** Tea is not play; it is not technique; it is not entertainment. Murata Shuko *** Chanoyu should be made with the heart, not with the hand. Make it without making it, in the stillness of your mind. Hamamoto Soshun, senior instructor Urasenke tradition of Chado *** The way of tea: trace it, and ever deeper it goes; like the fields of Musashi where the moon is lucent, its depths draw us on. Sen Soshitsu, VI Rikkansai Taiso (1654-1726) *** Chanoyu is conveyed through the mind, through eye and ear– Without a single stroke of the brush *** If asked the nature of chanoyu say it’s the sound of wind-blown pines in a painting. Sen Sotan Third-Generation Grand Master (1578-1658) **** |
| urasenke foundation seattle branch |
| Compiled by Donna Fellman Boulder, CO |
| POEMS |
| | home | the way of tea| about us | events | membership | volunteer | study | links | contact us | bulletin | |
| Transmitting the living art of Chado, the Way of Tea, to affirm our shared humanity through harmony, respect, purity and tranquility. |