Chanoyu Decoded

Ro and Hai: Hearth and Ash

The ro, 炉, (sunken) hearth, is set in the floor of a room designated for the presentation of Cha-no-yu, 茶の湯, Tea’s Hot water. According to Sen no Rikyū, 千利休, Thousand Rich-quit, the opening of the ro is 14 sun kane-jaku, 寸曲尺, square. The housing of the ro is the ro-dan, 炉壇, hearth-foundation, and the opening of the rodan is one shaku kane-jaku square. In several circumstances, measurements for the ro are made with kujira-jaku, 鯨尺, whale-measure, so that the opening of the rodan may be determined as 8 sun kujira-jaku square. The ro, like the portable fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, is filled with hai, 灰, (wood) ash, which...

Robiraki: Boar and Rat – a preview

Ro-biraki, 炉開, hearth-open, is traditionally celebrated on the first day of Boar after Ri-ttō, 立冬, Start-winter. This is one of the 24 seasonal divisions of the solar calendar, and occurs around November 7. However, it may be tradition has changed the original intention. If the ro is opened on the first Boar Day, it may have been preparation for an observance on the following day, which is the Ne-no-hi, 子の日, Rat’s-day Robiraki may be akin to New Year’s Eve for the Day of the Rat, Ne-no-hi, 子の日, Rat’s-day, which is the Asian zodiac sign of Sen-ju Kan-non Bo-satsu, 千手観音菩薩, Thousand-hand See-sound Grass-buddha. The Kanji for ne, 子,...

Ro Tenmae: Host and Guest

Tea presentation with the ro, 炉, hearth, as seen from the vantage of the shō-kyaku, 正客, correct-guest, in a yo-jo-han, 四畳半, four-mat-half Tearoom. The cha-dōgu, 茶道具, tea-tool-way, arrangement with fire in the ro on the left, and water in the mizu-sashi, 水指, water-indicate, on right. The cha-dō-gu, 茶道具, tea-way-tools include an Amida-dō kama, a large ceramic mizusashi by Makoto Yabe, with a black-lacquered tray as a lid, displayed on an ōita, cut from the board for using the ro, a Hagi chawan, and Korean porcelain futaoki for the kettle lid. The flower is displayed in a bamboo hanaire hung from a moveable hook in a cedar wood...

Furo Ashes, Kobukusa, and Buddist Kesa

Chanoyu can be presented throughout the year. During the cold winter half of the year, the kama, 釜, kettle, for heating water, the sunken hearth, ro, 炉, is used, and in the hot summer half of the year, the portable fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, is used. However, the furo can be used at any time and almost anywhere. Traditionally, the ro is opened on the first I-no-hi, 亥の日, Boar’s-day, in November, the 11th month. The 10th month, which is called Kan-na-zuki, 神無月, God-no-month, because the Shintō deities gather at Izumo Tai-sha, 出雲大社, Out-cloud Great-shrine. Therefore, the preparation for the last furo of the season may have the influence...

Nakaoki: Kama and Incense

Tokonoma with utensils for a Daruma Memorial Tea. Kake-jiku, 掛軸, hang-scroll, with brushed picture of Daru-ma, 達磨, Attain-polish. Kō-ro, 香炉, incense-hearth, Kara-ji-shi, 唐獅子, Tang-lion-of, Shino-yaki, 志野焼, Aspire-field-fired. Flower in ceramic hana-tate, 花立, flower-stand, ceramic sake bottle, from Kami-ga-mo Jin-ja, 上賀茂神社, Upper-joyous-luxuriant God-shrine. Polished brass hi-tate, 火立, fire-stand, candlestick. Daru-ma, 達磨, Attain-polish, as Bodhidharma is known in Japan, was the founder of Chan Buddhism in China. He sat meditating in a cave for nine years. Bodhidharma was the 28th founder of Zen Buddhism, counting from Gautama Buddha, who is also regarded as the 28th Buddha. The monthly en-nichi, 縁日, edge-day, for Fu-dō Myō-ō, 不動明王, No-move Bright-king, a wrothful...

Chanoyu and Zen Landscapes Part 2

Humans have been attracted to mountains, or at least high places, from their beginnings. The higher the better. Kids play king of the mountain when they are strong enough to wrest it from others. Buildings soar above clouds. Every higher place beckons the climber. The view is never wider. Even in space. What is above or beyond. Japan’s Fujisan has been worshiped from the time of human habitation. It is climbed to see the sunrise, especially on New Year’s morning. Some mountains are too sacred to trespass upon. The Kanji, hachi, 八, is essentially a triangle, and the triangle with a single point upward is a symbol...

Chasen and Kuromoji

Removing the skin or bark from a plant is called kawa-nuki, 皮抜き, skin-peel. The length of the chasen is 3 sun kujira-jaku (11.4 cm). The bamboo cha-sen, 茶筅, tea-whisk, has the thin surface skin of the tine-end removed to a length of 1.33 sun kujira-jaku. The length of the remainder of the tines and handle end that has the skin intact is 1.65 sun kujira-jaku. The ratio between lengths of 1.33 and 1.65 is 8:10. The inner ring of the tines of the chasen comes to a point, or ten, 點, point, the handle end is a contrasting circle. The length of the tines from the thread...

Garandō in September

Ga-ran-dō, 伽蘭洞, Attend-orchid-cave. Toko-no-ma, 床の間, floor-’s-room, kake-jiku, 掛軸, hang-scroll, calligraphy, Shō-fu-za, 松風座, Pine-wind-sit, signed, jo-kyō, 如郷, like-home; kake-hana-ire, 掛花入, hang-flower-enter, bamboo kago, 籠, basket; kō-gō, 香合, incense-gather, red-lacquered, round, covered container with gold design of kiku, 菊, chrysanthemum, displayed on kami-kama-shiki, 紙釜敷, paper kettle-spread. Kakejiku mounting hyō-gu, 表具, front-tools. Hon-shi, 本紙, origin-paper, has yellowed greatly. Ichi-mon-ji, 一文字, one-letter-character, brown paper with printed floral design in oxidized gold paint. Chū-mawashi, 中廻, mid-surround, white paper with gray paint, crinkled and flattened to produce myriad cracks called momi-gami, 揉み紙, crumpled-paper. The lower area of the scroll called chi, 地, earth, russet brown paper. The same paper is in the upper...

Furo and the Maekawarake

Mayu bu-ro, 眉風炉, eyebrow wind-hearth, with trivet, go-toku, 五徳, five-virtues, and ni-mon-ji hai-gata, 二文字灰形, two-letter-character ash-form with four peaks and valleys. The trigram, ☵, Kan, 坎, Pit, water, is drawn in the center of the ash bed to protect against fire, and is identified with the north direction. Mae-kawarake, 前土器, fore-earth-container: su-yaki, 素焼き, plain-fired, ceramic saucer for drinking o-mi-ki, お神酒 , hon.-god-sake, from I-se Jin-gū, 伊勢神宮, That-strength God-palace/shrine. The hi-mado, 火窓The, fire-window, of the mayu bu-ro, 眉風炉, eyebrow wind-hearth, showing the ash bed with the divot in the front partially covered with a fuji-bai moon crescent. The mae-kawarake, 前土器, fore earth-container, is partly revealed above the...

Furo: Four Sacred Mountains

Mayu bu-ro, 眉風炉, eyebrow wind-hearth, with trivet, go-toku, 五徳, five-virtues, and ni-mon-ji hai-gata, 二文字灰形, two-letter-character ash-form with four peaks and valleys. Diagram of yo-jō-han, 四畳半, four-mat-half, with directions and Buddhist guardians. Diagram of Shu-mi-sen, 須弥山, Necessarily-increase-mountain, imagined Buddhist and Hindu center of the world. The square plateau is the realm of the San-jū-san-ten, 三十三天, Three-ten-three-heavens. The mountain is also called Sumeru. In Chanoyu, the ideal portable brazier is Rikyū’s mayu bu-ro, 眉風炉, eyebrow wind-hearth. It requires a go-toku, 五徳, five-virtues, to support the kama, 釜, kettle. The preferred style of ash bed in the furo is the ni-mon-ji hai-gata, 二文字灰形, two-letter-character ash-form with four peaks and valleys....