Ancient tea philosophy evolves into ceremony<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Centuries-old tea ceremony is still alive among Japanese,
\nincluding Japanese community in Jakarta because -- according to
\nsome -- it touches all the human senses in silence.<\/p>\n
People attending a tea ceremony feel as if they are far from
\nthe hustle and bustle of the metropolis.<\/p>\n
The tea ceremony, or Cha-no-yu, originally represented a way
\nof life, a philosophy of not only preparing and drinking tea, but
\nalso providing a venue and practice for recognizing the beauty of
\nordinary life.<\/p>\n
\"The sound of the boiling water in the kettle, each movement
\nof whisking the tea, folding the cloth, offering the tea and the
\ntaste of the tea itself are all part of the beauty of satisfying
\nall the needs of our senses,\" said Chikako Soroji, a middle-aged
\nJapanese living in Jakarta, who recently started learning the
\ntraditional ritual.<\/p>\n
Cha-no-yu is one of the abundant Japanese cultural rituals.
\nAnother related tea culture is chado, or the way of tea, which
\nincludes all aspects of Japanese tea-related activities such as
\nflower arrangement, ceramics and calligraphy.<\/p>\n
Thus, it could take years to master the whole thing, according
\nto 68-year-old tea ceremony instructor Kuniko Pohan.<\/p>\n
In modern days, at least in Jakarta, the tea ceremony has
\nbecome more of an attraction than a philosophy of life, and one
\nthat has been studied by women to fill their spare time.<\/p>\n
\"My students are usually Japanese women, in their 30s to 50s,
\ntrying to fill their time with useful activities,\" Pohan told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Pohan herself admitted that she began studying the ceremony
\nsome twenty years ago in order to add some color to her daily
\nactivity as a housewife.<\/p>\n
The tea ceremony itself usually starts by guests entering a
\ntea house or a specially prepared room. The guests then wash
\ntheir hands with water in a small stone basin.<\/p>\n
The host begins serving a light meal, with charcoal burning to
\nwarm the room, and then guests retire to the garden for a short
\nbreak.<\/p>\n
\"Each movement performed in preparing the tea must be done
\ncarefully because it represents many values,\" Soroji said. To
\nactually observe the movement reminds one of a graceful dance.<\/p>\n
After the water boils, as the kettle whistles, the host will
\nthen put several spoons of seaweed-flavored powdered green tea
\ninto the bowl, which is then whisked carefully before being
\noffered to the guests.<\/p>\n
\"Even the way of handing and receiving the bowl must be done
\nin a specific manner,\" Soroji added. \"Before drinking the tea,
\nthe guest usually turns the bowl around.\"<\/p>\n
The strong tea is usually served with wagashi, or sweet cakes,
\nto take away the taste of the tea. The cakes, made from sweetened
\nrice flour and molded into flower-like shapes, taste as sweet as
\nthey looks.<\/p>\n
The ritual is then repeated until all guests have received
\ntheir bowl of tea.<\/p>\n
Tea, now a part of the Japanese life, has its origins in
\nChina. Imported by Buddhist monks in the ninth century, it has
\nbeen developed into an art of itself in Japan.<\/p>\n
The Japanese have elevated the mundane practice of drinking
\ntea into a spiritual discipline.<\/p>\n
With the influence of Zen Buddhist, the tea ritual adopted
\npeace, respect, purity, and tranquility as its main precepts.<\/p>\n
The adoption of ritual discipline first started with Murata
\nJuko (1422-1502) who emphasized the spiritual aspect of making
\ntea, and followed by Imai Sokyu (1520-1593) who initiated the
\nChado, or the \"Way of Tea\", as a philosophy. It was perfected by
\nSen Soeki Rikyu (1522-1591), who established the Urasenke school.<\/p>\n
Taking cues from a former example, Rikyu brought the tea room
\nback to its barest, and developed a ritual that no wasted
\nmovement nor used superfluous objects.<\/p>\n
The only decoration in the room was normally a hanging scroll
\ndepicting the words wa (peace), kei (respect), sei (purity), and
\njaku (tranquility), or a seemingly simple arrangement of flowers.
\n(003)<\/p>\n
For those interested in experiencing the tranquility of the
\nJapanese tea ceremony, the next demonstration is scheduled for
\nMay 12 at the University of Indonesia's Center for Japanese
\nStudies in Depok.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ancient-tea-philosophy-evolves-into-ceremony-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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