Ancient tea philosophy evolves into ceremony

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Centuries-old tea ceremony is still alive among Japanese, including Japanese community in Jakarta because -- according to some -- it touches all the human senses in silence.

People attending a tea ceremony feel as if they are far from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis.

The tea ceremony, or Cha-no-yu, originally represented a way of life, a philosophy of not only preparing and drinking tea, but also providing a venue and practice for recognizing the beauty of ordinary life.

"The sound of the boiling water in the kettle, each movement of whisking the tea, folding the cloth, offering the tea and the taste of the tea itself are all part of the beauty of satisfying all the needs of our senses," said Chikako Soroji, a middle-aged Japanese living in Jakarta, who recently started learning the traditional ritual.

Cha-no-yu is one of the abundant Japanese cultural rituals. Another related tea culture is chado, or the way of tea, which includes all aspects of Japanese tea-related activities such as flower arrangement, ceramics and calligraphy.

Thus, it could take years to master the whole thing, according to 68-year-old tea ceremony instructor Kuniko Pohan.

In modern days, at least in Jakarta, the tea ceremony has become more of an attraction than a philosophy of life, and one that has been studied by women to fill their spare time.

"My students are usually Japanese women, in their 30s to 50s, trying to fill their time with useful activities," Pohan told The Jakarta Post.

Pohan herself admitted that she began studying the ceremony some twenty years ago in order to add some color to her daily activity as a housewife.

The tea ceremony itself usually starts by guests entering a tea house or a specially prepared room. The guests then wash their hands with water in a small stone basin.

The host begins serving a light meal, with charcoal burning to warm the room, and then guests retire to the garden for a short break.

"Each movement performed in preparing the tea must be done carefully because it represents many values," Soroji said. To actually observe the movement reminds one of a graceful dance.

After the water boils, as the kettle whistles, the host will then put several spoons of seaweed-flavored powdered green tea into the bowl, which is then whisked carefully before being offered to the guests.

"Even the way of handing and receiving the bowl must be done in a specific manner," Soroji added. "Before drinking the tea, the guest usually turns the bowl around."

The strong tea is usually served with wagashi, or sweet cakes, to take away the taste of the tea. The cakes, made from sweetened rice flour and molded into flower-like shapes, taste as sweet as they looks.

The ritual is then repeated until all guests have received their bowl of tea.

Tea, now a part of the Japanese life, has its origins in China. Imported by Buddhist monks in the ninth century, it has been developed into an art of itself in Japan.

The Japanese have elevated the mundane practice of drinking tea into a spiritual discipline.

With the influence of Zen Buddhist, the tea ritual adopted peace, respect, purity, and tranquility as its main precepts.

The adoption of ritual discipline first started with Murata Juko (1422-1502) who emphasized the spiritual aspect of making tea, and followed by Imai Sokyu (1520-1593) who initiated the Chado, or the "Way of Tea", as a philosophy. It was perfected by Sen Soeki Rikyu (1522-1591), who established the Urasenke school.

Taking cues from a former example, Rikyu brought the tea room back to its barest, and developed a ritual that no wasted movement nor used superfluous objects.

The only decoration in the room was normally a hanging scroll depicting the words wa (peace), kei (respect), sei (purity), and jaku (tranquility), or a seemingly simple arrangement of flowers. (003)

For those interested in experiencing the tranquility of the Japanese tea ceremony, the next demonstration is scheduled for May 12 at the University of Indonesia's Center for Japanese Studies in Depok.