FREE ESSAY ON JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY

JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY

Japanese Tea Ceremony
Tea was first introduced to Japan along with Buddhism from China in the 6th century, but
the Emperor Shomu introduced tea drinking to the country. During the Heian period
(794-1185), tea was made from steamed and dried tea leaves ground into a powder called
macha. In the 15th century, Juro Murata introduced many of the concepts of spirituality
into tea ceremony, including the special room only used for the chanoyu.
Tea ceremonies were required to follow a certain order. Zen Buddhist concepts in the tea
ceremony were introduced by Sen no Rikyu, a Japanese tea master. During the second half
of the 16th century, Sen no Rikyu created the ceremony that is now practiced and taught
in Japan called Chado. He also designed a separate building for the ceremony based on a
typical Japanese farmer's hut. He further formalized the tea ceremony's rules and
identified the spirit of chanoyu with four basic Buddhist principles of harmony, respect,
purity, and tranquility. They represent the ideals of the tea ceremony. Sen no Rikyu
believed that we could reach tranquillity in the mind after we achieved harmony, respect,
and purity.
Chado includes almost all aspects of Japanese culture. For example, flower arrangement,
ceramic, calligraphy, etc. According to Hisamatsu Shinichi, Chado is an incarnation of
Buddhism. That is not entirely true. Not only Buddhism but also others including Taoism
and Confucianism have influenced Chado
The ceremony takes place in a room designed and designated for tea. It is called the
cha*censored*su. Usually this room is inside the tea house, away from the house, in the
garden. 
The guests are brought into the waiting room. Here, the assistant to the host offers them
the hot water which will be used to make tea. While here, the guests choose one of their
group to act as the main guest. The assistant then leads them to a garden. They then sit
on the waiting bench, and wait for the host. 
The host leads the assistant, the main guest and the others (in that order) through the
chumon, which symbolizes door between the coarse physical world and the spiritual world
of tea. The guests and assistant purify themselves and enter the teahouse. The sliding
door is only three feet high, so everyone must bow their heads and crouch. The last
person in closes the door.
Hanging in the room is a scroll painting. Each guest admires the scroll, then examines
the kettle and hearth. They are seated according to their positions in the ceremony. The
host seats himself and greetings are exchanged, first between the host and the main
guest, then the host and the other guests. Each guest is given a meal called chakaiseki.
The meal has three courses. After the meal, each guest cleans their utensils with soft
paper. A sweet is served at the end of the meal. The host then removes the scroll and
replaces it with flowers. The room is swept and the utensils are arranged.
The host enters with the tea bowl which holds the tea whisk, the tea cloth, and the tea
scoop. The host goes to the preparation room and returns with the waste water bowl, the
bamboo water ladle, and a green bamboo rest for the kettle lid. Then he closes the door
to the preparation room. Using a fine silk cloth the host cleans the tea container and
scoop. Hot water is put into the tea bowl, the whisk is rinsed, the tea bowl is emptied
and wiped with the cloth. The host places three scoops of tea per guest into the tea
bowl. Enough hot water is put into the teabowl to create a thin paste with the whisk.
More water is then added.
The host passes the tea bowl to the main guest who bows. The bowl is raised and turned to
be admired. The guest then drinks some of the tea, wipes the rim of the bowl, and passes
the bowl to the next guest who does the same as the main guest. 
When the guests have all tasted the tea, the bowl is given to the host, who rinses it.
The whisk, the tea scoop, and the tea container are cleaned. At the conclusion, the
guests express their appreciation for the tea, and leave while the host watches from the
door of the teahouse.
bibliography
http://welcome.to/chanoyu Chanoyu: Copyright 1995-1998 by Ken Kato and Natsuko Kato. 
http://www.art.unt.edu/ntieva/artcurr/japan Japanese Aesthetics, Wabi Sabi, and the Tea
Ceremony: by Nancy Walkup Texas Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts
http://www.holymtn.com/tea/Japanesetea.htm The Japanese Tea Ceremony: Copyright 1998-1999
Holy Mountain Trading Company.
Bibliography
http://welcome.to/chanoyu Chanoyu: Copyright 1995-1998 by Ken Kato and Natsuko Kato. 
http://www.art.unt.edu/ntieva/artcurr/japan Japanese Aesthetics, Wabi Sabi, and the Tea
Ceremony: by Nancy Walkup Texas Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts
http://www.holymtn.com/tea/Japanesetea.htm The Japanese Tea Ceremony: Copyright 1998-1999
Holy Mountain Trading Company.