Writing – Chanoyu Decoded

Sounds in Tea: Part 1

Attending a Tea presentation, or special event such as a cha-ji, 茶事, tea-matter, or a cha-kai, 茶会, tea-gathering, provides an opportunity to be present with all the senses, and while many associate Tea with a quiet and contemplative experience there are a wide variety of sounds, both in the external environment as well as in the internal forms of mental and emotional participation. One of the first sounds that is present in a gathering is the knock of a ban-gi, 板木, board-wood, that is hung outside near an entrance, and is struck once by a guest arriving for a Tea gathering. The bangi may be present within...

Sanshoku: Three Colors

San-shoku dan-go, 三色団子, three-colors round-of, are known by different names depending on times and local traditions. For example, Hana-mi dango, 花見団子, flower-see dango, are often enjoyed for cherry blossom viewing. A variation on the neame is ‘mochi-bana’, 餅花, mochi-flower, and it is made of a pink, a white, and a green ball of mochi, placed on a yō-ji, 柳枝, willow-branch, or skewer of dogwood, mizu-ki, 水木, water-wood (Cornus controversa) rather than using the common bamboo skewer. The tradition of flower viewing dates back to the Nara and Heian periods, and sanshoku dango was popular among the imperial court ceremonies to celebrate the seasons. The specific custom of...

Omizutori

O-mizu-tori, 御水取り, Hon.-water-take, annual rite held at Ni-gatsu-dō, 二月堂, Two-month-hall, of Tō-dai-ji, 東大寺, East-great-temple, in Na-ra, 奈良, What-good. Tōdaiji was founded in Nara, Japan, by Emperor Shōmu in 738 CE and officially opened in 752 CE. The ceremony’s official name is Shu-ni-e, 修二会, Discipline-two-gathering which includes the offering of Omizutori as one aspect of the practice. The ceremony takes place in the two weeks at the beginning of the second lunar month, which generally corresponds with the beginning of March in the solar calendar. The event takes place as a ritual offering to Jū-ichi-men Kan-non, 十一面観音, Ten-one-face See-sound, Buddhist goddess of Mercy. In December, eleven monks are...

Buddhist Deities and the Horse Zodiac

In Asia, the year 2026 is identified with the Asian zodiac sign of the Horse – in Japanese, Hinoe Uma-doshi, 丙午年, Fire’s elder brother-Horse year. Each of the Jū-ni-shi, 十二支, Ten-two-branches (animals), is modified by the In and Yō aspects of the Go-gyō, 五行, Five-transitions, Earth, Water, Fire, Metal, and Wood, called Ji-kkan, 十干, Ten-stems. The two systems together are called E-to, and Kan-shi, 干支, stem-branch. These systems are associated with aspects of times, days, months, years, etc. In Chanoyu, the fully expressed Tea gathering called a Cha-ji, 茶事, Tea-matters, is presented at noon, which, in Japanese, is the Shō-go Cha-ji, 正午茶事, True-horse Chaji. One reason for...

Kagami Mochi and Wisdom Traditions

Kagami mochi, 鏡餅, mirror mochi, is often seen displayed as an offering for the solar New Year in many settings around Japan, as well as in the Tearoom. It is important to remember that mochi offerings are present in Japan throughout the year, as a result of the close connections with various wisdom traditions throughout the country. For those who celebrate the lunar New Year, kagami mochi displays play an important part in the start of the Lunar New Year offerings. Kagami mochi, 鏡餅, mirror mochi, offerings displayed on a sanbō, 三宝, three-treasures: two rounds of mochi, placed on folded paper, with ura-jiro, 裏白, back-white, fern; sheet...

Setsubun: The Fortunes of Spring

Uchiwa, 団扇, round-fan, paper on split bamboo with calligraphy, Shichi-ten ha-kki, 七転八起, seven-fall down eight-get up, and images of roly-poly dolls of Daruma enrobed in white with the Kanji fuku, 福, fortune, and O-ta-fuku, お多福, Hon.-much-fortune, as Hime Daruma, 姫だるま, Princess Daruma, dressed in red with the Kanji for kotobuki, 寿, longevity. Daruma, said to be the founder of Chan/Zen Buddhism, is depicted with a te-nugi, 手拭い, hand-wipe, as a hachi-maki, 鉢巻, bowl-wrap, around his head, indicating his effort and spirit needed to achieve a goal. Otafuku is an image that is related to providing joy and good fortune. Depicting these two deities together combines aspects of...

Salt in Chanoyu and Chaji

Ga-ran-dō, 伽蘭洞, Attend-orchid-cave, toko-no-ma, 床の間, floor-’s-room, as it would be during the sho-za, 初座, first-seating of a Cha-ji, 茶事, Tea-matter, when the meal, kai-seki, 懐石, heart-stone, meal is served. The hanging scroll has a shiki-shi, 色紙, color-paper, pasteboard with calligraphy, ‘Cha Zen ichi mi’, 茶禅一味, Tea Zen One Taste, written by Yama–guchi En-dō, 山口円道, Mountain-opening Circle-way, abbot of Man-shu-in, 曼殊院, Wide-especially-temple, Kyōto. This imperial retreat was changed into a Buddhist temple, and has an important tea hut named, Ha-ssō-ken, 八窓軒, Eight-window-eave. Signed: Ha-ssō Cha-shitsu, Eight-window Tea-room, Man-shu Mon-shu En-dō, 曼殊門主円道, Wide-especially Gate-master Circle-way. With red ink stamps for the temple and author. While the phrase ‘Tea and...

Horse, Grasses, and Chanoyu

Ha-ssaku no Uma, 八朔の馬, eight-first day-of-horse, is a decorative straw horse given as good luck charms, especially to young boys on Hassaku (the first day of the eighth lunar month), which is some areas is considered to be a type of birthday celebration for boys. The Hassaku no Uma pictured above is from Ashi-ya, 芦屋, Reed-house, Kita-kyū-shū, 北九州, North-nine-states. The horse referred to as Hassaku no Uma is made of ‘white’ straw grass, or wood. One significant location that venerates the white horse is Kami-ga-mo Jin-ja,上賀茂上神社, Upper-joy-dense God-shrine. The shrine is more formally known as Ka-mo Wake-ika-zuchi Jin-ja, 賀茂別雷大神社, Joy-dense Divide-thunder Great-god Shrine, and is considered one of...

Horse Tale in Tea

Ga-ran-dō, 伽蘭洞, Help-orchid-cave, with utensils for the beginning of the Uma-doshi, 午年, Horse-year, 2026. January first, as it corresponds to the ‘old’ lunar calendar, is the 12th day of the 11th lunar month. The Gan-jitsu, 元日, Origin-day, of lunar New Year is February 17th. After Bodhidharma’s death, his body was embalmed and placed in a coffin according to Buddhist rituals. In the 12th month of the lunar calendar, he was solemnly reburied on Mount Xiong’er, and a stupa was built in his memory at Dinglin Temple in Shanxian County, Henan Province. This is one of the reasons why the hanging scroll with its image of Daruma tokonoma,...

Winter Solstice, the Tearoom Calendar, and the First Tea Harvest

The yo-jō-han, 四畳半, four-mat-half Tearoom, may be perceived as the center of the world, the world of Chanoyu, certainly. It can be a calendar and a map. When viewed as a map, the simplest division is its directions. In the ideally placed tearoom, this would be due north, south, east, and west. While the ideal placement is not always possible, the North is established by the presence of a toko-no-ma, 床の間, bed/floor’s-room. It is an alcove located toward the East. This is to protect against the harsh influences from the Northeast. The width of the tokonoma is half the width of the wall. This direction is called...