Japanese Tea Ceremony

The principles which govern the Japanese Tea Ceremony are harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility, which combine with what might be called the Zen aesthetic of emptiness to give the Tea Ceremony its distinctive feel. In Zen, everything which is not necessary is left out; this is as true of the mind as it is as of the physical setting. The spirit of austere simplicity pervades the Tea Ceremony. Each utensil has a specific purpose, and only those utensils which are necessary for the Ceremony are brought into the tea room. Nothing superfluous is added. Moreover, before making a bowl of tea, the host ritually cleanses each utensil, just as the student of Zen empties or "cleans" the mind through study of Buddhism. In Tea, this is known as the principle of purity. Practitioners of Tea rid their minds of attachment and worldly concern, and, in short, of every unnecessary thing. The host focuses entirely on serving a cup of tea; the guest, entirely on receiving it with gratitude. In so doing, both guest and host focus completely on the present moment, another fundamental practice of Buddhism.

Related to this is the principle of respect, which binds host and guests together in the way of Tea. The host offers his or her guest a sweet, carefully makes a bowl of tea, then presents it, respectfully asking the guest whether it is too hot. The guest receives the tea with thanks. If there are other guests present, the first guest does not assume the right to drink first, but excuses him or herself for drinking before the second guest. The second guest encourages the first to do so; regardless of social rank and standing, in the social dynamic of the Tea Ceremony, guest and host respect one another equally. In Tea, there is space between things, both in the physical setting of the tea-room and in the Ceremony itself. To a Buddhist, this is the way the universe itself is structured, and in tea this is the principle of harmony with the rhythms of nature.