Chanoyu the Japanese Tea Ceremony

CHANOYU: THE JAPANESE TEA CEREMONYSource: India International Centre Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 2 (April 1976), pp. 159-161Published by: India International CentreStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23001948 .

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Notes & News

CHANOYU : THE JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY

On March 12,1976, a little bit of Japan came to the Centre. Patient, detailed and loving work transformed the auditorium stage into the semblance of the inside of a Japanese Tea House. Ten mats, a bamboo screen, a seasonal

scroll, a single dramatic flower arrangement and exquisite ceremonial utensils

worked this transformation.

Two Tea Masters, Mr. Sadao Hirose and Miss Atsuko Hashimoto of

the Ura Senke School and three ladies from the Japanese Embassy dressed

in traditional kimono and obi introduced the Japanese traditional tea cere

mony—Chanoyu—to an overflowing audience.

Chanoyu literally means 'hot water for tea'. It epitomizes the Japanese ideal of beauty and attempts to convert 'life itself into a work of art'. Chanoyu first originated in the early days of the 15th century. A hundred years later

it was established as an elegant pastime by a man who came to be known as Sen Rikyu. The ideals of aestheticism that he laid down have influenced not only the arts and crafts of Japan, but even the pattern of human and social

behaviour. Sen Rikyu identified the basic principles of Chanoyu as being Wa :

harmony, that is harmony among men and with Nature; Kei, respect and an

attitude of gratitude towards all things; Si, purity, "a desireless freshness

of heart", and jaku, tranquillity. The expression of beauty in Chanoyu is

"wabi". The underlying concept sees man as an isolated being whose life

is solitary. This 'aloneness', if creatively expressed, gives rise to a sense of

contentment when viewing simple rustic and natural things — which is

wabi.

Chanoyu is thus more than a refined form of taking tea. But its purpose and essence are difficult to describe in words. It is helpful to recall that the

ceremony developed under the influence of Zen Buddhism, the aim of which

was to purify the soul by becoming one with Nature.

In addition, Chanoyu embodies the Japanese peoples intuitive striving for the recognition of the true beauty of plainness and simplicity. Such terms

as calmness, rusticity, gracefulness, "austere simplicity and refined poverty" may help to define the true spirit of Chanoyu. Thus the ceremony demands a

meticulous attention to etiquette, to formalities and rituals that follow a

stylized pattern. All this has been refined to achieve the highest possible

159



160 Chanoyu

economy of movement. On another plane these rituals help to raise the mental

state into a 'higher order', to calm the mind and to make the individual aware of his inner self. Indeed the entirety of the ceremony, its utensils and the location etc. of the suyaki or tea house are intended to help the individual leave the cares of the material world behind him, and to regain a community of spirit with nature.

With the death of Sen Rikyu (1591) many schools of Chanoyu sprang up, differing in the details of the rules prescribed by the Great Master, while

maintaining the essence unchanged. Reverence and respect for Sen Rikyu

is what the various schools share in common. Among the more distinguished schools are the Ura Senke School, Omote Senke, the Mushakoji Senke and

Enshu. The Ura Senke School was founded by one of Sen Rikyu's great grandsons and has since been headed by his direct descendant. The Grand

Tea Master, Sen Soshitsu who currently heads the school is the fifteenth

generation descendant of this great master.

A complete and regular tea ceremony takes about four hours, and

consists of four separate ceremonies. Frequently, however, only the last or

usucha service is performed, which lasts about an hour. The ceremony that

was performed at the India International Centre conducted by Tea Master

Sadao Hirose and his assistant, Atsuko Hashimoto, however, lasted only half an hour. It was repeated with members of the audience attending as guests.

The tea room, recreated on the India International Centre stage was

provided with a portable brazier on which a kettle was set to boil. The

guests—three in all—entered with ritualized manner and gestures. Each

guest removed her slippers and placed them facing outwards. They then walked around the 'tea room' bowing in front of the tokonoma or alcove

admired the scroll, the ikebana, and the brazier with its ceremonial utensils. These utensils are usually antiques, being the works of great masters and the

pride of the host. The guests then took their places, with the chief guest seated in line with the host. The guests brought with them a small folding fan and a pad of kaishi (small-sized paper napkins).

When the guests were seated, low keyed conversation appropriate to

the occasion took place—any discussion on politics is strictly forbidden ! Meanwhile the host entered the tea room carrying a receptacle for

waste water, a bamboo dipper and a stand for the lid of the tea kettle or for the dipper. In his obi he carried the chakin or piece of linen with which the

implements were to be wiped according to the prescribed rules. The preparation of tea is of course undertaken according to a fixed

ritual particular to the Ura Senke School. Tea Master Sadao Hirose, having bowed to the guests in welcome, wiped and cleaned the utensils. He then took a dipper full of hot water from the kettle, poured approximately one-third into a tea bowl and with the special bamboo whisk, mixed in the matcha or tea powder. For this type of ceremony young tea leaves of plants that are

three to fifteen years old are used. Meanwhile his assistant, Atsuko Hashi moto, also a Tea Master, offered the guests the traditional cake, or sweets.



The "tea room" as recreated on the IIC Stage

(Photograph : Pablo Bartholomew)

Tea Master Sadao Hirose, prepares the tea while the guests eat cake

(Photograph : Raghu Rai)



The chief guest admires the tea bowl according to the prescribed ritual, while the Assistant Tea Master Atsuko Hashimoto offers tea to the other guests


Guests admiring the tea-brazier and tea-kettle at the end of the ceremony




Notes <£ News 161

The prepared bowl of tea was then placed by the hearth or brazier

from where it was lifted by the assistant and offered to the chief guest. The

guest, bowed to the host, to the assistant and then to the fellow guests (in apology for being first), and placed the bowl on the palm of her left hand, supporting the side of the bowl with her right hand.

The bowl was turned around with thumb and finger, so that the guest did not drink from the same side as was offered to the Gods. Each guest received her individual bowl of tea, with the required bowing and ritual. When the tea was drunk the tea bowls were admired for their antiquity and

their beauty. The host then carried the utensils out of the 'tea room' with the same

dignity and quiet that had characterized his entry. Tea Master Sadao Hirose made a silent bow to the guests, indicating that the ceremony was over.

Once again the guests walked around admiring the decor, the antique tea brazier and tea kettle before leaving the 'tea room'.

The ceremony was repeated with members of the audience making up

the guests. Their awkward movements and their inability to sit kneeling with the ease of the Japanese, revealed the degree of training and custom that

underlay the grace and the seemingly effortless gestures of both the Japanese

'guests' and 'hosts'.

ALL INDIA WORKSHOP FOR WRITERS, EDITORS AND INDEXERS

The success of the first All India Workshop, held in February 1973 under the auspices of the India International Centre and the Ministry of Education, prompted the India International Centre to propose the organization of another workshop. The second All India Worskhop was held from Feb

ruary 26 to March 10, 1976, with the support of the Ministry of Education. The Workshop also received active assistance from the Authors Guild of

India, and many of the Course lecturers were drawn from the Guild.

These workshops were the first of their kind to be held in India, and were intended to initiate writers, editors and indexers into the techniques employed by the writing and publishing world. The first workshop covered a number of aspects in this field. The lectures etc. were later revised, ampli fied and incorporated into a Handbook for Indian Writers * It was decided that a repetition of the topics already covered should be avoided. The second

Workshop therefore discussed subjects ranging from research methodology to the final task of preparing a manuscript for the publisher. The lectures will be compiled to prepare a companion Handbook for Writers.

Response from those in the field was good. Twenty nine applicants were finally selected to participate on the basis of journalistic and writing

*edited by H. K. Kaul and published by Ms. Munshiram Manoharlal, 1975.



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Chanoyu the Japanese Tea Ceremony