Ancient tea philosophy evolves into ceremony

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.
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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.