Page 6 – Chanoyu Decoded

Tea in February

February is the coldest time of the year in Japan. Particularly, in Kyōto, the heart of Chanoyu. In traditional Japan, there was, and is, little difference between outside and inside, with only a single sheet of paper separating them. People simply put on more clothing, and warm the hands near a charcoal fire held in a hi-bachi, 火鉢, fire-bowl, or on a te-aburi, 手焙, hand-toast. Hime Yuki-daruma, 姫雪達磨, princess snow-attain-polish, is a guise of O-ta-fuku, お多福, O-much-fortune. Otafuku has her origins in the Shintō goddess of spring, Ame-no-uzu-me no Mikoto, 天之鈿女命, Heaven-’s-comb-woman lady. She was responsible for luring Ama-terasu Ō-kami, 天照大神, Heaven-brightener Great-god, the sun goddess, out...

Tabako Bon

In a Tea Ceremony setting, to encourage relaxation, the host, tei-shu, 亭主, house-master, provides various smoking utensils in a tabako bon, 煙草盆, smoke-plant tray. The basic utensils are tobacco in a paper folder, tabako ire, 煙草入, a pipe, kiseru, 煙管, a lighter, hi-ire, 火入, fire-into, and a burnt ash receptacle made of green bamboo, hai-fuki, 灰吹, ash-blow. The tabako bon, pictured above, is made of narrow strips of susu-dake, 煤竹, smoked-bamboo, that is suited to summer, as the open construction technique gives a cool breeze feeling. The box is one of a nesting pair that fit inside the other: L. 7.3 x 4.2 sun kane-jaku. The shō-men,...

Kagami Mochi

Things that may be displayed on the sanbō for the New Year, include a sen-su, 扇子, fan-of, kon-bu, 昆布, descendants-cloth, kelp, a stick with hoshi-gaki, 干柿, dried-persimmon, ura-jiro, 裏白, underside-white, a primal, un-changed fern, Gleichenia japonica, shi-hō beni, 四方紅, four-direction red, square of white paper with red edge, laid diamond-like on the sanbō to create 8 ‘directions’, and red and white cut paper shi-de, 四手, four-hand, embodying In, 陰, negative, red, and Yō, 陽, positive, white. San-bō, 三宝, Three-treasures, the Three Jewels, the Triple Gem; Triratna the Three Treasures of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma (Law), Sangha (Community). In Shintō, san-bō refers to products of the sea foods, mountain...

Tea in January and the Willow

The series depicts the allegorical search for an ox and attaining Buddhist enlightenment, satori, 悟り, understanding. According to the sequence of the Ten Ox Pictures, 3 and 8 refer to before enlightenment and 9 refers to after enlightenment. The river plays a role in the Ten Ox Pictures, and in the brief texts is mentioned and alluded to five times. The circle of Zen has great interpretations of nothingness. In life, the circle is seen in the sun and moon. The sun is so bright we cannot look at it with the naked eyes, and the circle of the moon is constantly changing. With regard to humans,...

Tea in Mid-December

Rikyū, in Chanoyu, was a traditionalist, established traditions, and was a great experimentalist. The utensils for Tea from China were costly, beyond the reach of ordinary people. His father was a dealer of dried fish, which was of little interest to Rikyū. His life was imbued with Buddhism, which espouses poverty, and must have been devoted to the Eki-kyō, 易経, Change-sutra, as his name was Sō-eki, 宗易, Sect-change. In my life of Tea, having had little money, improvisation has been key to getting things. As a teacher, things, utensils, are required, but one cannot or should not have ‘everything’. Yes, having a copy of a classic object...

Tea in December

Kake-mono, 掛物, hang-thing, ink drawing of Fuku-roku-ju, 福禄寿, Fortune-prosperity-longevity; L. 5.5 shaku kane-jaku. Fuku-roku-ju, 福禄寿, Fortune-prosperity-longevity, is one of the Shichi-fuku-jin, 七福神, Seven-fortune-gods, who bring happiness and fortune, especially during the New Year. In China, it is believed that he was added to the group to bring the lucky number 7. Fukurokuju was a Taoist scholar, and is depicted as a bearded dwarf with a high head full of knowledge, and who carries a staff with a scroll that contains all the wisdom of the world. The opening in the side of the vase is a highly stylized gourd. Multiple gourds are auspicious motifs. The toko-bashira, 床柱,...

Tokonoma and Imae

In Chanoyu, when the tei-shu, 亭主, house-master, is planning a full Tea gathering, Cha-ji, 茶事, Tea-matter, or cha-kai, 茶会, tea-meeting, perhaps the first thing is to choose a kake-mono, 掛物, hang-thing, that is appropriate for the occasion. If one is fortunate to have a wide variety to choose from, the choice can be challenging. If there is simply one in the collection, it will do. The scroll is hung in the toko-no-ma, 床の間, floor-’s-room, alcove. When a guest enters the Tearoom, he or she goes directly to the tokonoma, and sits in front of it to look at the scroll. The teishu is the only person who...

Tea in November

Perhaps the most outstanding event in Japan in November is Shichi-go-san, 七五三, Seven-five-three, when children of those ages are taken to Shintō shrines for prayers and blessings on November 15. In the world of Chanoyu, the most important event is Sō-tan-ki, 宗旦忌, Sect-dawn-memorial, which is held on November 19. The boy is shown stepping through the tori-i, 鳥居, bird-reside, gate, into the sacred space, correctly, with his left foot, in this print with its extraordinarily ‘Japanese’ composition. Coaxed by his mother, perhaps, she carries a bag containing talismans, which are offered by the shrine, and thereby implying that it is the occasion of Shichi Go San festival....

Opening the Ro

Diagram of the yo-jō-han cha-shitsu, 四畳半茶室, four-mat-half tea-room, showing the lunar months and guardian Buddhist deities. Of special interest is the northwest corner and its associations with A-mi-da Nyo-rai, 阿弥陀如来, Praise-increase-steep Like-become, and Kan-non Bo-satsu, 観音菩薩, See-sound Grass-buddha, and the ro. The A-mi-da-dō gama, 阿弥陀堂釜, Amida-hall kettle, was one of Rikyū’s favorites. The influences of the eight Buddhist deities radiate from the center of the room and divide the space into eight sections. The signs of the Amida and Kannon join within the half-tatami that is identified with Amida, so that the influence of Kannon in the 11th month is foreshadowed in the 10th month. The ro,...

Inoshishi Robiraki

Ro-biraki, 炉開, open-hearth, is enacted for use on the first day of the Inoshishi, 亥, Wild boar, in the month of the Inoshishi. The Kanji for the living wild boar animal is inoshishi, 猪. In 2022, the ro is opened on October 25, which is before the ‘official’ first Inoshishi day in the Inoshishi month, which occurs on November 18. The cause of this is that Ri-ttō, 立冬, Start-winter, and the start of the I no Tsuki, 亥の月, Boar’s Month occur on November 7, the day after the day of the Inoshishi on November 6.　 Perhaps, because of this kind of calendar discrepancy, Rikyū was...