Tea ceremony. How is the traditional Japanese tea ceremony

Tea is a favorite drink of the peoples of different countries. He is revered in foggy Great Britain, he is loved in the East, it is difficult to imagine Russia without tea. Each nation has created its own tradition of tea drinking, tea ceremonies in many countries are beautiful rituals. For cooking, special utensils are used, the rules for drinking tea are observed.

Chinese tea ceremony

The Chinese believe in the healing powers of tea, so in this country it is treated with special reverence. The Chinese tea ceremony is called Gong Fu Cha. For many centuries, it was available only to the nobility. But gradually it began to be used everywhere. During the ceremony, a special set of dishes is used, including gaiwan, chachuan, chaban, cha lu, cha hai, cha he and tea pairs.

The process of brewing tea leaves turns into a real art, which only true masters own. For brewing, only high-mountain oolongs are taken. Much attention is paid to the quality of tea and water. Reception of tea in China is a leisurely business, during tea drinking there is a leisurely conversation. The Chinese believe that tea should clarify the mind, put thoughts in order. With the help of the tea ceremony, respect for family values, the elderly and dear guests is expressed.

Japanese tea ceremony

In Japan, the tea ceremony is thought out to the smallest detail, it includes about 100 different rules. There are not only special utensils for brewing and drinking tea, but also special clothes for the master and those participating in the tea party. The ritual is carried out in a tea house, its doors are arranged in such a way that everyone who enters it bows his head. This is done in order to show that bad thoughts are left behind the threshold, and you entered the house with good thoughts. Although the ritual itself begins on the way to the tea house, which passes through the stones laid in a special way. Shoes must be removed upon entry.

Tea, ground into powder, is placed in a ceramic container and poured with boiling water. The contents are whipped to a state of foam with a bamboo stick. The most honored guest receives the drink first, he takes the first sip, and then passes the vessel with tea to the next participant in the tea party. Sometimes the tea master himself tastes the drink first. Strong tea is served in a common bowl, then “liquid tea” is served in separate bowls for each. Trays of cakes are brought to him. It takes more than one year to master the Japanese ceremony. There is night tea, with sunrise, afternoon tea. Each of them has its own specificity.

Tea ceremony in Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan, special establishments have been built where they drink tea. They are called "teahouse". For brewing, a ceramic vessel is used, which is first rinsed with boiling water to warm it up. Then tea leaves are added to it, brewed with boiling water. The vessel is gently rolled to ensure full disclosure of the tea leaf. The drink is not poured immediately, you need to pour the tea into the bowl and back three times, then the taste will become brighter. Each guest is given a bowl, into which the host pours tea for three sips. The owner will make sure that the bowl is not empty, constantly adding to the drink.

Features of tea drinking in Kyrgyzstan

The Kyrgyz are very fond of tea, so any feast begins with tea drinking and ends with it. Tea is drunk from bowls, which are placed on the table according to the number of guests. Only the head of the family is engaged in brewing tea, as well as serving guests, emphasizing his respect. The bowls are half filled.

Kuurma tea is considered the national Kyrgyz drink. It is made from flour, pepper, milk and salt fried in butter. A special tea is brewed on holidays. Cloves, cinnamon, sugar, orange and lemon juice are added to it. Tea is served warm, which helps to quench thirst and assimilate fatty foods. Favorite tea is green. Lemon is added to it, and sometimes milk.

Tea ceremony in England

No Englishman can refuse a cup of tea. The tradition appeared in the 19th century, when it became customary to drink tea in the afternoon. It was started by the Duchess of Bedford - Anna. At 5 pm, a small company gathered at the table to drink a cup of tea and eat light sandwiches. The tradition has been preserved to this day. Serving is of great importance in the English ceremony. A tablecloth must be laid on the table, a vase with fresh flowers is placed. For tea drinking you need a porcelain service. The British love sets of white and blue. Mandatory milk jug, sugar bowl, teapot.

A feature of brewing is the presence of milk. And tea is necessarily poured into warmed milk, and not vice versa. The British drink tea at strictly allotted hours: at breakfast, at one o'clock in the afternoon - during second breakfast and at 5 o'clock in the evening. Black tea is more popular in this country, green tea is in second place. There is no special demand for white, yellow and red teas. They drink tea slowly, talking decorously, enjoying a drink and snacks.

Tea tradition in Russia

Tea appeared in Rus' in the 16th century; before that, a tea drink was prepared from various roots, herbs, and fruits. Ivan-tea, cherry, currant, linden leaves were widely used. After the overseas drink came to the court, there was a tradition of brewing tea in a samovar. The samovar gathered the whole family at the table in the evenings. He personified the comfort of home and the warmth of the family hearth. Sugar was always put on the table, but not sand, but lumpy, which the head of the house pricked with special tweezers. They drank tea with bagels, bagels, gingerbread. Honey was widely used.

Now in Russia you can buy any kind of tea: Ceylon, Krasnodar, Indian, Chinese. They love both green and black tea equally. A feature of brewing tea in Russian is that tea is brewed in a strong concentration, in order to dilute it with boiling water later. Sometimes the tea is brewed again. Each guest is offered tea, but unlike the countries of the East, in Russia it is customary to pour a full mug. This shows that the host is happy with the guest.

Tea ceremony in India

In India, tea is very much loved and appreciated. The ceremony lasts longer than in England. She is solid and solemn. In tea drinking, disposable clay cups are used - kullarchs. Often, various spices, milk, sugar are used for cooking. The most famous Indian drink is masala. It is boiled in milk with the addition of a large amount of spices. Indian sweets are served with tea: farsan, pakora, nasta.

There are many tea shops in India where chaiwals offer to taste Indian tea. Tea is brewed and stored in special containers, somewhat reminiscent of Russian samovars. They keep tea hot for a long time. A feature of brewing is the saturation of tea. It must be strong, served with sugar and milk.

Japanese tea drinking is not just a tradition, it is a whole ritual, which people comprehend for many years in special schools. The meaning of Japanese tea drinking is mainly not in tasting the drink - it is more like meditation and an attempt to find harmony not only in oneself, but also with other people. Today, an ordinary Japanese can name the following types of tea: gekuro (the highest grade of green tea), sencha (the highest grade of green tea), bancha - green tea of ​​lower quality, kukicha - the lowest grade of green tea, which is drunk only cold, kotya - the whole variety of species black tea, and finally, mata - powdered gykuro, which is usually used in the tea ceremony.

Japanese tea ceremony its origins date back to the 8th century, when Chinese tea was first brought to the Land of the Rising Sun. Later, in the XIII century, tea drinking began to acquire ceremonial features due to the actively spreading Zen Buddhism at that time, until two centuries later the monk Shuko formalized these features into special principles. In his opinion, the tea ceremony should be as natural and simple as possible, the same applied to the decoration of the house and used utensils, and the relationship between the host and the guest should be reduced to mutual understanding without words.

He left behind the basic rules of tea philosophy:

• harmony, the unity of a person with the world, nothing should disturb the atmosphere of the tea ceremony, there is not a single superfluous object or color here.
• Respect, mutual respect, overcoming the feeling of superiority over others
• Purity in feelings and thoughts,
• Calmness, balance, serenity in the soul and on the face.

The ceremony is essentially a formal meeting of the master and his guests not only for drinking tea, but also for small talk and relaxation. The ceremony cannot be held in an ordinary house - the action must take place in a special tea house called chashitsu. Chashitsu embodies the basis of the tea ceremony - naturalness and simplicity, so these houses usually consist of one room with several windows, simple clay walls and a bronze hearth. The utensils used during the ritual are also simple: simple ceramic bowls, a darkened copper teapot, a teapot, and bamboo spoons.

The tea drinking ceremony itself takes place in several stages: first, the guests gather and prepare for the ritual, walking along the stone path through the tea garden to the tea house. On the way to the chasitsa, guests contemplate the bizarre stones and plants and tune in a special way. After that, the guests wash their faces and step over the threshold of the chasitsu, having previously removed their shoes. The owner, following the guests, treats his visitors with light and beautiful snacks, after which the guests leave the house again to take a little walk and prepare for the most important element of the ceremony. Upon everyone's return, green tea brewing begins. After a long ritual preparation, the guests finally begin to drink tea, talking with the host about the beautiful: about the beauty of the flower arrangement, the saying written on a special scroll, about the cup of tea and, finally, about the tea itself. This whole ritual, like nothing else, reflects the Japanese character and attitude to life. Therefore, while in Japan, be sure to visit the traditional tea ceremony and experience Zen for yourself.

Japan is a country of amazing traditions, culinary masterpieces that delight tourists from all over the world. One of the most enchanting features of this culture is the Japanese tea ceremony. This is the real art of making and drinking tea, a beautiful ritual that must be seen at least once in a lifetime. The tea ceremony in Japan has become a part of life, a tradition founded in ancient times, but preserved to this day. Therefore, it attracts those who wish to touch one of the most valuable rituals of this country.

A bit of history

The history of the tea ceremony dates back to the Middle Ages. Tea appeared in Japan in the 8th century. It is believed that Buddhist monks or travelers brought it. Tea was grown on the territory of the monastery and presented to the Buddha. It was used during meditation and religious events. It was the Buddhist priests who gave birth to the traditions of the tea ceremony in Japan.

Tournaments began to be held to guess the best varieties of this drink. Tea meetings were held among ordinary people, at which they tried to learn the aesthetics of this process. The tea ceremony itself was invented by Murat Dzuko. He added philosophy and sign language to this art. These were attempts to get away from worldly fuss to peace and quiet.

Features of the ritual

The Japanese tea ceremony is not just a technology for preparing and drinking tea. This is a lot of components that should accompany this ritual. The tea house for the ceremony, according to the founders, was supposed to be a small peasant hut with a thatched roof. Later it was improved by the followers of the teaching. The art of the tea ceremony in Japan involves the use of special ceramic dishes made by local craftsmen.

Around the tea house is a garden created according to certain principles. Etiquette was also developed for the participants in the ceremony, the topics and nature of the conversations, which should be relaxed and create an atmosphere of peace and detachment. A stone path leads to the tea house. There are many stones covered with moss and lanterns around. The garden is dominated by cypresses, evergreen shrubs, pines and bamboo. Everything should evoke thoughts of detachment and tranquility.

tea house

This is one of the important elements of the ceremony. The house consisted of one small room. The door was a narrow entrance no more than 60 centimeters high and wide. One of the principles of the ritual assumes the equality of all entering, and everyone must bend at the entrance, regardless of position. Such an entrance did not allow carrying weapons into the house, and all the swords remained outside. Inside there is no place for worldly fuss, everything is fine here.

The main component of the building is a niche, where there is a scroll with a painting, a censer with incense and a bouquet of flowers. This niche is located opposite the entrance and immediately attracts attention. Several windows of different sizes allow light to enter just enough to provide optimal illumination. Through them you can admire the beauty of the garden.

Development of the ritual

Every year the sequence of actions and manners of behavior became improved. Entering the tea garden, the guests were immersed in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, leaving all the problems behind the gates. Before entering the house, it is customary to take off your shoes and leave them at the doorstep. In complete silence, everyone enters and sits down, imbued with silence and the beauty of the attributes. After a while, the host of the ceremony comes out and, having bowed to the guests, sits opposite, near the hearth.

Attributes of tea drinking

The tea ceremony in Japan is a leisurely ritual that helps to relax and indulge in meditation. For its implementation, special objects are used - real works of art. The main accessories are: a tea box, a wooden spoon and a cup. A kettle of water hangs over the fire. Each item has a certain aesthetic and philosophical meaning. This is not just a ritual - these are principles, comprehension of the great meaning of life. Therefore, all attributes are of great importance.

Tea ceremony

The host of the ceremony should pour green tea into a cup and pour boiling water over it. All gestures should be leisurely, without fuss. Then, with clear movements, the mass is whipped with a bamboo whisk. The tea powder should completely dissolve and turn into foam. All this time, the guests are watching the process and listening to the rhythmic movements. Then the bowl is passed to the most honored guest, and he takes the first sip, drinking tea. Everything is done slowly, without disturbing the general calm.

The bowl is then given back to the host of the ceremony. After that, it is passed from hand to hand so that each participant can feel the structure and warmth of the clay surface. Then a leisurely conversation began. It was necessary to talk about the beauty of the scroll and the bouquet located in the niche, about the properties of the cup for tea drinking. Problems and everyday affairs remain outside the tea house and garden. The whole ceremony takes place in three stages. The first is eating. This is followed by drinking thick tea, that is, the ritual described above. Then comes the drinking of liquid tea.

Ceremony principles

The tea ceremony in Japan has four main principles. They were formulated by the founder, Murat Dzyuko. The first principle is harmony ("va"). It must be present in movements and thoughts. The second is the respect ("kei") that accompanies the entire ceremony.

The third principle is purity (“sei”) of actions and thoughts. The last is peace and quiet (“seki”). The tea ceremony in Japan is held in silence, a calm atmosphere, where nothing disturbs the measured flow of life. Peace and quiet also imply enlightened loneliness.

The principle of harmony

The most important goal of any tea ceremony is to achieve harmony. Participants must renounce earthly problems, worries and thoughts. During the ceremony, there is no distinction between people and their origins. Everything comes together and harmony is achieved. This is the basis of the whole culture of this country. Harmony of thoughts not connected with worldly difficulties. Participants have a conversation about beauty, things related to the ceremony itself, and achieve unity in their desires, actions and thoughts. This is the purpose and meaning of such events.

The principle of reverence

This principle is based on the manifestation of tolerance and respect towards the older generation or towards other participants in the ceremony. It also underlies the upbringing that is instilled in the Japanese from childhood. Therefore, in this country, the level of reverence for the elderly, senior in rank and age, is the highest. Participants in the ritual must control their sensations and feelings and be tactful towards other people sitting in the tea house.

The principle of purity

This principle implies mental and physical purity. The intentions of each participant should be the brightest. There should be no evil or selfish intentions. Participants are required to be pure both in spirit and body. According to beliefs, such people will have good health and many blessings.

The principle of peace and quiet

The last principle implies complete peace of mind and peace. Each guest should calmly perceive the entire ceremony, with restraint and without irritation. The tea ceremony, the photo of which will leave the best memories, was created to bring people together and bring them to peace and tranquility. During the ritual, a friendly atmosphere is maintained, a polite and tactful attitude between all participants.

Guests Choice

The host of the ceremony is in charge of choosing the guests. The most important thing for him is the definition of the most honorary participant. This person must know the traditions of the tea ceremony and all the rules for its conduct. The main guest is an example for the rest of the participants.

He is notified of the ceremony at least a week in advance. After that, he gives his consent or refuses to participate in this action. The main guest, together with the host, selects the rest of the participants. The organizer of the ceremony sends him a list from which five people must be selected, or discusses this issue in a personal meeting. When the participants of the ceremony are selected, invitations are sent to everyone. Today, telephones are used for this purpose. Before, everything was much more complicated and more refined. In response, each guest was obliged to personally visit the organizer of the holiday or send him a letter of gratitude.

Clothes for the tea ceremony

Clothing for this ritual is selected depending on the type of event. For a formal celebration, men wear a silk kimono. Over it is a black cape with a painted white sign. They also wear wide trousers (hakama) and a white belt (tabi). Requirements for women's clothing are more stringent. Chief among them is the modesty of clothing. It should not be bright and defiant colors. Usually participants of the ceremony bring napkins with them. They must be placed behind the lapel of the kimono. They should also have a small and large handkerchief and a pointed wooden stick. These are necessary accessories for carrying out.

Varieties of the tea ceremony

The tea ceremony, the photo of which can be seen in this article, is divided into six types. The ceremony, performed under the moon, ends no later than four in the morning. Powdered tea is brewed during the tea party itself. It must be very strong. The ritual, performed at sunrise, ends no later than six in the morning. There is a morning tea ceremony in Japan. Briefly - this is a tea party after six in the morning.

The afternoon ritual is performed after one in the afternoon. The only food served here is cakes. At six o'clock in the evening, the evening ceremony begins. There is also a special ceremony, which is held on special occasions. For example, in honor of some memorable event. The most common is the afternoon ceremony. Each ritual has its own characteristics. They are not noticeable to the average layman, but connoisseurs feel the subtle nuances of various ceremonies.

Tea for the ceremony

Separately, it should be said about tea, which is used for tea events. In addition to dishes, furnishings, participants, the main component of the entire ritual is tea. It was originally shipped from China. Over time, the Japanese learned to cultivate and grow their own varieties of tea. Their difference from a drink of Chinese, Indian or Ceylon origin is very significant. Therefore, for this ceremony, you should choose only tea grown in this country. This is how the tea ceremony takes place in Japan, the photos of which make you want to visit this action. But it is best to see this ritual in reality and feel all its beauty and harmony.

"Tyanoyyu is the worship of beauty in the gray light of everyday life."
Senno Soeki, famous tea master (1522-1591)

The Japanese tea tradition - extremely interesting and original, in many respects different from the Chinese, but having common roots with it - originated in the 7th century. on the wave of the spread of Buddhism, but over time and under the influence of national characteristics, it has formed into a completely unique cultural phenomenon.

THE ORIGIN OF THE JAPANESE TEA RITUAL

The earliest mention of tea is in the historical chronicles of the Nara era (710-794). Emperor Shomu, who declared himself "Servant of the Three Treasures - Buddha, Law and the Buddhist Community," in 729 invited a hundred monks to his palace in Nara to read the Mahaprajna Paramita Sutra, and the meeting ended with a general tea party. During the years of his reign, Confucian models of ranks and etiquette, the Chinese calendar were adopted, court chronicles were compiled according to the Chinese model, and a network of trade roads was created. Monasteries and temples appeared in every province kokubunji, 国分寺, and a 16-meter Buddha statue was erected in the capital's Todai-ji. And as an integral element of the monastic way of life, following the preaching and formation of monastic communities, tea also came to Japan.

At first, it was imported from China and in considerable volumes; in 798, a tea tax was even introduced. But already in 805, the monk Saicho planted the first tea garden at the Enryaku-ji monastery near Kyoto, at the foot of Mount Hiei, and in 815 Emperor Saga issued a decree ordering the tea bush to be grown in the provinces surrounding the capital of Heian, and the harvest to be delivered annually. to the yard.

In the photo: Enryaku-ji Temple, where the first tea garden in Japan was founded

DISTRIBUTION OF THE TEA RITUAL

The spread of the tea ritual is associated with the name of the patriarch of the Rinzai school, a monk named Eisai. Having been educated in one of the most influential monasteries in Japanese history, the Enryaku-ji Temple (延暦寺), he went to China, where he became acquainted with the teachings of the Linji school (in Japanese, Rinzai) and, returning to his homeland, began to preach a new kind of religious practice for the Japanese. Strictly speaking, it was an original understanding of the basic ideas of Buddhism, enriched with elements of other confessions, specific psychotechniques and cultural trends. The monks of the Tendai school declared him a heretic and obtained a ban on his preaching, but a year later he founded the first Shofukuji Zen monastery in Japan in the city of Hakata.

photo: tea garden on Mount Sefurisan, one of the three places where the first tea plants were planted

From China, Eisai brought not only a new denomination, but also the seeds of tea bushes, which were successfully grown in three places, which later became iconic. In 1214, he wrote Notes on Drinking Tea to Nourish Life, 喫茶養生記, where he systematized the knowledge about tea obtained in China and his own conclusions.

“An elixir that sustains life at the end of time. Mountains and valleys give birth to it, where immortal spirits live. We humans drink it and it prolongs our lives."- this is how Eisai begins his essay. Among the reasons for the "weakening" of the Japanese in the "end of Dharma" age, Eisai cites the lack of "bitter taste" that nourishes the heart. Tea party like " outdoor art", complements the methods of treatment" inner art”- techniques of mudras, prayers and meditations.

photo: monk Eisai, medieval image

Eisai's tea business was continued by his disciple Mëe (Koben, 1173-1232), a monk from the Takayama-dera temple in the town of Taganoo near Kyoto. According to legend, Eisai gave his student a Chinese bowl containing five tea seeds, which he successfully cultivated. For a long time, tea from the garden in Taganoo was considered the standard, having received the name khontya or moto no cha, true tea, and in this sense it was opposed to other varieties, hitya. With the help of tea, Meule fought against the "three poisons" during meditation: drowsiness, distraction of thoughts and incorrect body position. On the monk's metal cauldron, 10 virtues of tea were listed: no harm with regular use - divine patronage of the buddhas - mercy towards the younger ones - harmony of the five organs - prolongation of life - overcoming the demon of sleep - liberation from desires - getting rid of diseases - patronage of Shinto gods - calmness and self-control in the face of death.

photo: Monk Möe, 13th century scroll

A great contribution to the tradition of the tea ritual was also made by the monk Dogen, who, like Eisai, had been to China. In 1247, he compiled "Eihei Xingi", "The Pure Precepts of the Eihei Monastery", where he first mentioned cha-no-yu,"hot tea drink" , a ritual offering of tea to the Buddha before beginning the reading of the sutra, which over time came to mean the classic Japanese tea ceremony.

The close connection between Zen Buddhism and tea is reflected in the famous Chan gong-an公案, better known by their Japanese name . A koan is a short story, like an anecdote, the purpose of which is to wean the listener from discursive thinking, to give impetus to thought in an unexpected direction, and ideally to gain enlightenment for a short time.

One of the most famous is the tea koan of master Zhaozhou (778-897). One day, Zhaozhou asked a monk who had just arrived at the monastery, "Have you been here before?" When he replied that he was, the mentor said: “Go drink tea!” With a similar question, the master turned to another monk, who replied that he had not been here before. However, the tutor said, "Go have some tea!" Later, when the abbot of the monastery asked Zhaozhou to explain why both monks were given the same answer, he exclaimed: “abbot!” And having heard the answer “Yes, mentor?” - said: "Go drink tea!"

Pictured: "Notes on drinking tea to prolong life"

TEA COMPETITIONS

By the beginning of the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333), tea was grown in many places, and its own culture of its production was fully developed. The technology was similar to the Sung: tea leaves were steamed, ground into a paste and baked into briquettes. Before use, matcha was ground into the smallest powder, which was sieved, poured with boiling water and whipped into foam. This method of consumption has survived to this day in the classic Japanese tea action. As for the regions, tea from the Uji region in Yamashiro province, as well as tea grown in the tea gardens of Mori, Kawashita, Asahi, Iwai, Okunoyama, Umoji, was especially valued. Tea from Mori and Kawashita was supplied to the imperial palace.

Pictured: Uji plantations near Kyoto

Although officially the supreme power in the state belonged to the emperor, and his court retained a certain influence, they lost their dominant position - the emperor was forced to agree with the decisions of the shogunate in everything. The spirit of the samurai class penetrated into all spheres of public life in Japan, and feudal civil strife never stopped. The owners of the estates erected castles that surrounded the trade markets and quarters of artisans.

photo: Gifu Castle, built in the 13th century

During the short respite between battles, the warriors relaxed tastefully. One of the secular entertainments was monoawase (“correspondence of things to their names”) - competition games, during which it was required to indicate the author of a particular poem, painting, the correct names of flowers, aromatic mixtures or sea shells. Tea also becomes the subject of such competitions - by analogy with the Chinese “tea competitions” dou-cha. During so-and-so guests were asked to determine which water (river, well or spring water) was used for the drink, and also to distinguish hon-cha, the "true" tea from Taganoo, among several hee-cha, "untrue" teas.

photo: tea party, medieval scroll

The competition took on the character of gambling, because the winner, who scored the most points, received a large amount of money or was awarded prizes, in the diversity and originality of which the organizers excelled - swords inlaid with gold, kimonos, fabrics, incense, tiger skin bags, etc. Before the competition, they served fish and poultry dishes with sweet, sour, bitter and savory fruits, as well as sake.

The venue for the competitions were pavilions specially equipped for this on the territory of castles. These were chic receptions, during which the guests also walked along the paths of the garden, admiring the “landscape caressing the eye”. The treatise "Communication while drinking tea" by the monk Gen-e (1269-1350) describes the competitions that took place in a two-story building. The tea room was located on the second, with windows on all four sides offering a magnificent view of the garden. Inside, the room was decorated with paintings by Chinese masters, incense burners and vases of flowers, and candles were burning. On a table covered with gold brocade, there were jars of powdered tea of ​​various varieties. There were exotic sweets on the shelves of the western wall, a screen near the northern wall, and a board with gifts next to it. The guests came dressed in brocade-embroidered satin so that they resembled a “thousand shining Buddhas” and sat on benches covered with lion and leopard skins. The owner's son served sweets to the guests, the servant boy served tea cups with crushed tea. Then the owner's son, holding a vessel with hot water in his left hand, and a whisk in his right hand, prepared tea for each participant in the competition. The ceremony was performed in a strictly hierarchical order, starting with the most respected guest.

photo: tea pavilion

Along with the "competitions", "tea meetings" became widespread, tyakay. For example, for a long time, “tea when sweating” was popular, rinkan no cha no yu. Participants sat in large barrels of hot water, furo, where they warmed up until sweat began to flow from their faces, and drank tea. The atmosphere of such events was also distinguished by refinement: the steam was mixed with the aroma of incense, the barrels were surrounded by screens, the ceiling of the pavilion was decorated with flowers, and scrolls with paintings and calligraphy hung on the walls.

Meals were popular among ordinary citizens syuhantya, with drinking tea and sake, which Buddhist monks arranged for informal communication with the laity. During such meetings, tea was used unyaku shakay, "cloud run" - inexpensive tea, richly diluted with boiling water. A cup of tea could also be drunk at the city gates, not far from a Buddhist or Shinto temple - according to the principle ippuku-issen,"one sip - one coin."

TEA DRINKING IN THE LIVING ROOM

In the XV Buddhism entered the everyday life of the townspeople. Niche- , 床の間, an obligatory element of the monastic cell, where scrolls with sayings of the sages, poetry or painting, as well as flower arrangements were placed. Thus, there is a "tea party in the living room", shoin no cha.

In the photo: tokonoma

In 1473, a political crisis forced the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa to relinquish power in favor of his son Yoshihisa. He retired and settled in a luxurious estate on Mount Higashiyama, gathered around him actors, musicians, artists, writers, florists, masters of park art (and before that, the shogun actively collected valuable art objects) - and indulged in entertainment. An increased concentration of creativity collected at the same time in the same place has gone down in history as the “Higashiyama culture”. The most important element of the “Higashiyama culture” is considered to be the arrangement of flowers in a vase, tatebana or rikka, “standing flowers”, the ancestor of which was Ikenobo Senkei, as well as the art of selecting incense. Both become an element of the tea ceremony.

Pictured: Ginkakuji Silver Pavilion built for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa

Here is what the Notes of Yamanoue Soji have to say about it. “One day at the end of autumn, in the evening, on the eve of waiting for the moon, catching sadness in the rustling of caterpillars, calling Noami (advisor), the master discussed with him the chapter on a rainy night from The Tale of Genji. When they talked about the verses of waka and renga, about admiring the moon and admiring flowers, a small bow and folding a fan, about balls, about guessing herbs and guessing insects, about holding various amusements and about the affairs of the past, the master deigned to ask: “All the well-known pastimes already transferred. Now winter is coming, and it is not suitable for an old body, making its way through the snowy mountains, to go falconry. Is there any other extraordinary fun? It is not difficult to guess that this fun was tea.

The creators of the new tea ritual were advisers dobosyu shogun Yoshimasa on cultural issues - Noami (1397-1471), his son Geyami (1431-1485) and grandson Soami (died in 1525). Indoor tea parties kaise(“meeting place”) with an area of ​​18-24 sq.m. The tokonoma niche housed paintings by famous masters of Chinese painting of the Song era. On the floor of the tokonoma, “three shells” were placed in front of the paintings: an incense burner (koro), a candlestick (shokudai) and a flower vase (kebyo, the second most important center of the interior). On the chigaidan shelves next to the tokonoma were tea cups, jugs, and antiques from China. During tea parties, Chinese tenmoku cups were used (they were brought to the islands by Buddhist monks from the Tianmu Monastery). Lay people who did not occupy high positions came to tea drinking in ordinary clothes, monks were ordered to be in a cassock with a cape, aristocrats - in white wide trousers and a cape. Shogun Yoshimasa came to the tea party in a hunting suit. The method of making tea was the same as in the "tea competitions" - powdered tea was poured into a cup, poured with boiling water, beaten and drunk.

For a long time, China has been a kind of "cultural donor" for Japan. Under the influence of mainland ideas, a centralized Chinese-style state appeared on the Japanese islands, crafts, culture and art were borrowed and developed. Chinese characters formed the basis of Japanese writing. The tea culture of the Tang Dynasty was perceived by the Japanese as a perfect role model, however, as their own tradition was formed, both the object environment and the very spirit of the tea ceremony underwent significant changes.

photo: hare fur tea bowl, Song Dynasty

MURATA SHUKO

The next stage in the development of the classic Japanese tea ceremony cha-no-yu associated with the name of Murata Juko (1423 - 1502), known as Shuko. He first spoke about the tea ritual as an action with a deep spiritual content, the purpose of which is "purification of the mind and heart." The strictly systematized tea-drinking ritual he introduced helped to reveal the special qualities of tea, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to achieve optimal conditions for its effect due to the proper behavior of the participants. It is safe to call him the patriarch of the Japanese Way of Tea, Tyado.

Shuko filled tea action wabi bitches, "love for the artless." Bitches- love, attachment to something. Word wabi- a noun derived from a verb vabiru, "to live alone", "to be in a miserable state", "to be sad", "to yearn". In the context of tea action, this means that external simplicity reflects the inner nobility and spirituality of the tea master - at the same time "enlightened", "creative" and "skillful". True beauty, according to wabi aesthetics, is hidden in things that have unfinished, asymmetrical forms. The most capacious characteristic of the concept wabi is contained in Notes on Zen Tea, “Zentyaroku”: “If thoughts of lack of freedom are not born in lack of freedom, thoughts of insufficiency do not arise in need, thoughts that nothing is going well do not embrace in discord, you will comprehend wabi. If, however, you think of unfreedom as unfreedom, in need you regret the lack, and in discord you complain that things are not going well, then you have not comprehended wabi and are truly a poor person!”

In the photo: Murata Juko (Shuko) and Takeno Joo

Shuko spent tea parties in the house - sukiya resembling a hermit's hut. In terms of size, Shuko's tea room exactly corresponded to the monk's cell, one jo (3.03 m) long and wide, that is, with a total area of ​​​​four and a half tatami. According to contemporaries, "in a cramped room, similar to the inside of a vessel, he acquired the same degree of peace and detachment that he would have if he were in a spacious hall."

In a famous letter to his devoted disciple Furuichi, Harima Shuko noted: " The tea room should be decorated with enough flowers to make the room look good. As for incense, don't smoke in a way that draws too much attention to yourself. Utensils should be selected according to age. The movements of the participants must be calm and natural. Having taken their places, the host and guests direct their hearts to each other, without diverting attention to extraneous things. This is the most important condition of the tea ceremony."

By analogy with the "four noble truths of Buddhism", Murata Shuko formulated the "four noble truths of the Way of tea": Harmony (和 - "Wa"), Respect (敬 - "Kei"), Purity (清 - "Sei") and Tranquility (寂 - "Jaku").

« Harmony” suggests the attunement of the participants in the tea party, when all those present become a kind of internally homogeneous whole.

« Respect"- a universal principle present in all religious teachings.

« Purity". Since ancient times, the Japanese have paid exceptional attention to the cleanliness of the body, cleansing has become one of the main ritual actions in Shintoism. Passage of the participants of the tea action , rinsing the mouth and washing hands before entering the tea room repeats the ceremony of cleansing hands and mouth with water before entering a Shinto shrine. In Buddhist understanding, the true meaning of wabi is "revealing the pure nature of the Buddha."

« peace". Participation in the tea ceremony is an ascent through the levels of "peace" - from relative (calmness of thoughts, movements, look at the environment, etc.) to absolute, when liberation comes from one's own "I" and from attachments to everything earthly (wealth, sensual pleasures, etc.).

Murata Shuko had many students, and the Shimogyo district, where he lived in recent years, became the center of tea business in the capital. However, soon after the master's departure, the tea ceremony became excessively ritualized to the detriment of spiritual fulfillment. Participants in the tea party began to be strictly distinguished by social status and place in the administrative hierarchy. In accordance with this, tea utensils were chosen, topics were determined that guests could talk about. The samurai were supposed to talk about horses, falconry, arrows and bows, while the conversation with the monks was mainly about the season. If a picture hung in the tokonoma and there were flowers, then first they looked at the flowers - they are a sign of the season, and then they looked at the picture. However, if especially valuable utensils were used in the tea ceremony, then they were considered first of all. If utensils were used, which the owner showed the guests for the first time, then they first examined it, even if it was not of particular value. Approaching the niche, they knelt in front of it, slightly spreading their arms to the sides. When decorating a niche, the following order was followed: first they hung a picture, and then put flowers in a vase, and one of the guests placed a particularly beautiful branch with a flower in the vase.

TALKING ABOUT TEA AND SAKE

The original contribution of the Zen clergy to the development of the tea ceremony was the treatise Shutyaron (1576) or Discourses on Sake and Tea. The author of this work was Ransyuku Genshu (d. 1580), who consecrated the Zen conversion of Oda Nobunaga at Otsushinji Temple. In the late 1970s, Ranshuku became the 53rd abbot of the Myoshinji Temple in Kyoto, and a few months before his death he received from the emperor these, "purple robes", a symbol of belonging to the circle of the highest hierarchs of the Buddhist church. "Reasoning" is written in Chinese; the author knew the Chinese classics and Buddhist texts very well, which testifies to his high education.

The treatise begins with the scene of a meeting on a warm spring afternoon of two people. One, sitting on a mat among flowers, drinks sake, the other, sitting on a bench under a pine tree, drinks tea. Sake lover the author calls boyukun, "the gentleman who forgets sorrows", and the adherent of tea - dekihanshi, "a husband who washes away worries." Both nicknames have Chinese origins. In the "History of the Jin Dynasty" ("Jin-shu") there is a phrase: "Only with the help of wine can you forget sorrows, and you will not get sick from it." And in the "Supplements to the history of the Tang state" ("Tango Shibu") Li Zhao quotes the words of the ruler of the kingdom of Lu: "A hot decoction that washes away worries and illnesses, called tea."

"Reasoning" is a dialogue between "master" and "husband" about the properties of wine and tea, with the tea lover unconditionally condemning sake. As arguments against sake, the “husband who washes away worries” cites the answer of Maudgalyayana, one of the closest disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni, due to what misconduct a person took the form of a demon: “This is to blame for the wine that this person was fond of in a previous life, and which threw him off head down in the next rebirth!” Wine, the “husband” continues, leads a person to thirty-six losses. Because of wine, people lose both the Heavenly Empire, if they are kings, and their lives. “Mister who forgets sorrows”, while defending the virtues of sake, also appeals to the Buddha, who called wine “sweet dew” and “good medicine”, and to bodhisattvas, for whom it personified “great virtue”. To which the "husband" said that the buddhas, great bodhisattvas and famous monks, thanks to tea, gained supernatural abilities.

The argument in this spirit continued for a long time, but in the end both sides summed up their results. “The lord who forgets sorrows” said: “A wine star shines in the sky, wine springs gush from the earth. People live on earth under the sky, and they should value wine (...) Kings, princes, military leaders rule the country with the help of wine. Warriors, peasants, artisans, merchants master the art of relaxation with the help of wine. Those who do not have wives, those who do not have husbands, orphans and the homeless with wine, like a broom, sweep away sorrows. “Husband washing away worries,” with no less passion, in turn, answered: “Not so with my tea! From the capital to the lands of the barbarians, those who do not like tea - whether they are small or large - are not human. They say about tea: “Unsurpassed”, “Possessing a special meaning”, “Boundless”. And let them point to milk and cream, they cannot compare with tea. What can we say about sake!”

"Discourses on Sake and Tea" ends with the appearance of "a gentleman taking a walk." He sums up: “There is no threat to the Celestial Empire now, the state follows its own Path, it is a wonderful time of the year. And the two old men started a worthless conversation. And although one can argue ad infinitum, one cannot enumerate the virtues of sake and one cannot define the virtues of tea. I often drink sake and also drink tea. And which of these things is better or worse? Listen, two old men, to my poem:

Clouds float calmly over the pines,
Above the flowers is a light mist.
And I say: "These are the two best things in the Middle Kingdom.
After all, sake is sake, and tea is tea!”

Ranshuku's composition expresses the classic concept of combining wine and tea: first sake, which intoxicates, then tea, which sobers up. "Discourses on Sake and Tea" enjoyed great popularity over the following centuries, commented on and supplemented.

TAKENO JOO

In the story about the formation of the Japanese tea tradition, one cannot fail to mention such a great tea master of the Middle Ages as Takeno Joo (1502 - 1555) from the city of Sakai. In his youth, he received an excellent secular education, studied versification in Kyoto with Svnjo-nishi Sanetaka, the courtier of the three emperors, and was a teacher of versification, but then he singled out the tea ceremony from all the arts and became a master in it. Thirty years old, he took the monastic vows, in connection with which he received the name Joo, under which he entered the history of Japanese culture.

A talented writer and poet, Joo likened the tea ceremony to the process of creating a renga, a chain poem, composed by a group of participants. Each of the authors of the renga, having their own style, must catch the "mood of the heart" (kokoro) of their predecessor in the previous link and obey the general rhythm of the poetic chain. So in the process of drinking tea, the resonance of hearts arises in all participants, the nature of the Buddha is revealed, and individual differences disappear.

The financial situation of Takeno Joo made it possible to acquire very rare and expensive items. However, towards the end of his life, the aesthetic tastes of the Master have undergone significant changes. In the diary of Imai Sokyu, a student of Joo, there is an entry about the last tea party of the master on the 2nd day of the 9th moon in 1555. In the tokonoma, he “saw an irogami (a four-cornered colored strip of cardboard) with a poem by Fujiwara Teika. There was also a metal, without any decorations, vase with a narcissus. Above the hearth, built into the floor, as is customary in a peasant house, a cauldron in which water boiled hung on a thin chain. Joo's favorite items at that time were a wooden fresh water jug, a bowl for draining water, and a bamboo stand for a cauldron lid. The last Joo ceremony was held according to the canonical ritual: the gathering of guests in the tea room, a meal, a break and the actual tea party. Yamanoue Soji notes: “Jōo went into the distance (i.e., died) at fifty-four years. He died when the tea ceremony blossomed in its true form."

PATH OF THE WARRIOR AND TEA

During the Sengoku period (XV-XVII centuries) in the life of Japanese society, various descriptions of the proper behavior of a warrior during war and peace, compiled by prominent representatives of samurai houses and less significant personalities, known to us as "Bushido" or "Way of the Warrior", acquire a special role. The code of honor of the samurai was based on unquestioning loyalty to the feudal lord, the recognition of military affairs as the only occupation worthy of a samurai, suicide in cases where honor was dishonored, the prohibition of lies and attachment to money. The most famous canons of that time are “Budoseshinshu” or “Parting words to those who enter the Warrior's Path” by Daidoji Yuzan and “Hagakure” or “Hidden in the leaves” by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, which embodied the special spirit of Japan, the traditional ideas about chivalry of the old samurai class. With regard to the tea action, Budoseshinshu says the following:

“Although Bushido primarily requires strength and power, having only these means being just a rude samurai. Therefore, the samurai should know the letter, if he has time, learn versification and the tea ceremony. If he does not study, he will not be able to comprehend the causes of things, both past and present. And no matter how experienced and wise he may be, he will certainly someday be in great difficulty if he does not have enough knowledge. For, understanding the affairs of one's own country and foreign lands, considering the principles of time, place, and rank, and following the best, one will not commit great errors in calculations. That is why I say that a samurai should be diligent in learning. But if he makes poor use of his knowledge, becomes self-confident and looks down on the illiterate, if he worships everything foreign and thinks that nothing good exists except Chinese, if he is so prejudiced that he does not understand: something can in the present time and not suitable for Japan, no matter how good it may seem, then I will say: his knowledge is far from perfect. He must learn with this in mind.

Versification is an old custom of our country. The great warriors of all time wrote poetry, and even the lowest vassal tried to compose clumsy lines from time to time. But the one who does only this and neglects daily duties becomes soft in soul and body, loses all his fighting qualities and looks like a court samurai. Especially if you get carried away with short hai-ku verses, so fashionable in our time, then you can easily become lively in conversation, witty and dapper, even among silent and reserved comrades. While this may be considered cute in society, especially in this day and age, it should be avoided by a samurai.

Then, as for the tea ceremony, since the time of the Kyoto shoguns, it has been the entertainment of the military class, and even if you do not like it very much, you may be invited to participate in it and be the guest of noble people, so at least you should know how to properly enter the tea room, how to look at its decoration and to watch the preparation of tea, how to eat dishes and drink tea. To gain knowledge about the tea ceremony, one should take a few lessons from the Tea Master. In addition, it is good to enjoy rest and tranquility in the tea room, because there is no boasting and luxury in it, therefore, even in the homes of rich people and officials, you will find simple thatched huts with wooden supports and bamboo rafters, with simple artless lattice windows, bamboo curtains, gate and entrance. Cups and other utensils are also devoid of exquisite ornaments, their forms are pure and restrained. They are completely devoid of the corruption of everyday life. I believe that this spirit, if followed, contributes to the comprehension of the Way of the warrior. Therefore, it is very good to prepare a special place for the tea ceremony. You can even use paintings by current artists, simple tea utensils and an earthenware teapot - this is inexpensive and corresponds to the ascetic style of the tea ceremony. But in all things, the simple tends to become complex, and the desire for luxury makes itself felt. So, if you see someone's Asiya teapot, you become ashamed of your clay one, and soon you begin to want all the utensils to be expensive. Then you look to see where things are cheaper, and you become a connoisseur so that you can buy a good thing for a small price. Then, when you see a beautiful thing in someone's house, you start begging for it from the owner or offering to exchange it, of course, so that the benefit remains with you. Such behavior is no better than that of a simple shopkeeper or merchant, and dishonors the Way of the Warrior. This is a big mistake, and rather than practicing such a tea ceremony, it is better not to know anything about it at all and remain ignorant even about how to drink tea. For it is preferable to appear rude than to defame the greatness of Bushido.

In the photo: Ido Kizaemon cup, national treasure of Japan

MASTER OF TEA

In the XVI century. The center of tea business in Japan was the city of Sakai, one of the largest port cities of that time. It was there that the concept of chajin, “tea man”, behind which stands the idea of ​​a person of high moral culture and spiritual nobility, was born, the first professional cha-no yu sya or cha-no yu mo-no, “tea masters”, who earned their living life and as teachers of fine arts.. The tea action went beyond the walls of monasteries and feudal castles. In the homes of wealthy citizens, special houses were assigned for tea parties. chashitsu, arranged like the tea houses of Joo and Shuko, but adjoining the building from the side of the inner garden (in the part of the house that overlooked the street, there was a shop or office).

Photo: Tengoku ken tea pavilion

The tea action began with the ritual of inviting the “Guest”, to whom the “Host” sent a letter. The guest responded with a message of thanks, to which the host sent a second letter indicating the day and hour appointed for tea drinking. And again the guest responded with a letter of gratitude. At the appointed hour, the guest in full dress approached the tea house, where the host was already waiting for him at the gate. Passing through the garden on the stones of the path , the guest approached the tea house, where he left his fan and weapons (a combat fan in those days was a multifunctional item that warriors wore on their belts along with a sword). The servant handed the guest a headscarf and a hat. In the room, the guest at first slowly examined the picture placed in , and after that, the hearth, the cauldron hanging over it and the utensils that stood on the shelves - Daisu, be sure to pick up the objects lying on them. Then the guest was served light snacks (usually soup and dishes with vegetables) and sake. Before the meal, the guest always praised the food brought.

After the meal, the guest went out into the garden, washed his hands, rinsed his mouth and rested. The owner at that time was preparing the utensils, changing the scrolls in the niche and inviting the guest to examine them. After the inspection, the guest went out to the gallery, took the fan, returned to the tea room, sat down and put the fan on his side. The fan should not be used until the end of the tea party.

First, the owner cooked whoa(thick tea) and then usu-cha(thin tea). The first was drunk in complete silence, and during the second a conversation began, the topic of which was set by the tea utensils. If the conversation did not go well, they talked about the weather, "about the wind, rain, flowers and the moon." It was necessary to learn how to conduct a conversation during a tea party for two years, since it showed the qualifications of a tea master.

Returning home, the guest sent a letter of gratitude to the host "for what his heart felt in everything - in a headscarf, sake, tea, snacks, soup and in rare things."

Then, in the second half of the sixteenth century. "the tea ceremony is politics" appears, cha-no-yu seido. This was the time of the unification of the country under a strong central government and the establishment of the third shogunate, headed by the Tokugawa feudal clan. The struggle for unification was started by Oda Nobunaga, one of the brightest personalities of the Japanese Middle Ages.

In the photo: Oda Nobunaga, medieval image

Having subjugated almost half of the country, in 1568 Nobunaga demanded an ultimatum from the city council of Sakai to pay for the maintenance of the army. The city was the largest center of trade and culture in Japan, where theaters worked and books were published. As a result of difficult negotiations, the city council was dissolved, Sakai was saved from ruin, but lost the status of a "free city". The negotiations were largely facilitated by the shogun's passion for "hunting for rare things", which were in abundance in the trading city. The richness of the collection collected by the ruler, according to the Official Notes on Nobunaga, was "not subject to thought or word."

Under the shoguns Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582) and Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598), the tea ceremony evolved into an elaborate, philosophically grounded, deliberately complicated, and aestheticized ritual of wealth, grandeur, and influence. Great importance was attached to tea utensils, their selection was trusted only by professional experts who were advisers on culture and art to the highest military-feudal dignitaries.

Negotiations on the supply of food, weapons and various equipment to various groups were accompanied by tea parties. The license for the right to arrange tea parties was issued personally by Oda Nobunaga and was considered as a sign of his location.

The political approach to tea ceremonies also determined the role of tea masters, "heads of tea", sado(a term borrowed from the Buddhist lexicon). The majority were from the trading houses of Sakai. These people were trusted and played the role of intermediaries throughout the country in establishing contacts with persons of interest to the ruler. Among them was Sen Rikyu.

The future patriarch of the classical tea scene was born in Sakai in 1522. His childhood name was Yoshiro. While still a very young man, Yoshiro became the head of the Sen house, so from a young age he was directly connected with commerce. He learned the tea ritual from Kitamuki Dochin, through whom he met Joo and became his student. The Sen family was a generous donor to the Sakai branch of the Daitokuji temple, and Father Rikyu maintained friendly relations with the monk Dairin, under whose guidance Yoshiro began the practice of Zen. After the death of his father in 1540, Yoshiro receives his first Buddhist name, Hosensai Soeki, under which he appears in many medieval writings, in particular, the Chronicles of Yamanoue Soji (山上宗二記, commentaries on the teachings of Rikyu and the rules of the tea ceremony) and the Notes of Nambo ” (“Nampo roku”, 南方録, records of the teachings of Rikyu).

In the photo: Sen Rikyu, medieval image

An exceptional role in shaping the personality of Rikyu was played by Kokei Sochin, the abbot of the Daitokuji temple. In 1585, he wrote about his student: “Hosensai Soeki from the south of Izumi (the province of which Sakai was the main city) was just my student for more than thirty years who comprehended Zen. After Zen, his other occupation was tea business.

Gradually, Soeki becomes one of the leading tea masters in the city. His name is found in the "tea notes" of contemporaries in the neighborhood with such recognized masters of that time as Imai Sokyu, Tsuda Sotatsu and Tsuda Sogyu.

In the early 1770s, Soeki participated in a tea party hosted by Nobunaga in Kyoto at the Myogakuji Temple. The shogun highly appreciated him and in 1576 appointed him to the post of "head of tea" of the castle in Azuchi with a salary of three thousand koku rice annually. Although Soeki had his own rooms in the castle, he did not move to Azuchi permanently and visited it from Sakai.

Pictured: Azuchi Castle

Like his predecessors, at the beginning of his tea journey, Sen Rikyu held tea parties using rare tea caddies, tea cups and other meibutsu, of which he had about 60. But unlike others, he placed not paintings, but bokuseki in tokonoma. However, over time, the spirit of wabi-cha is felt more and more strongly in its action. Very indicative in this regard was the morning ceremony held at the end of 1580 for Tsuda Sopo and Yamanoue Soji. Since tea drinking took place in winter, a hearth was kindled in the tea room. ro, above him on a bamboo vine hung an unprepossessing cauldron of irregular shape, in which water was boiling. In the niche-tokonoma, at first there was a caddy, after a break it was replaced by the bokuseki of the Chinese Chan monk Du-yang. The tea was served in a jagged cup made by Master Chojiro.

photo: raku bowl by master Chojiro, 16th century

After the death of Oda Nobunaga in 1582, the "heads of tea" went to the service of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s mentor in comprehending the mysteries of the tea ritual was Tsuda Sopo, and, judging by Sopo’s notes, in the late 70s and early 80s, his student held tea parties in the traditional style for those years. In the autumn of 1585, Soeki assisted Hideyoshi in a tea event on the occasion of his election to the board of regents of Emperor Ogimachi. In this regard, he was given a Buddhist name and title - Rikyu Koji. The name was chosen by Soeki's Zen master, Kokei Sochin. The difficult-to-translate subtle game of meanings of the hieroglyphs that make up this name can be expressed by the phrase "reached enlightenment."

This event opens a new chapter in the history of the great Master, who receives the unlimited trust of Hideyoshi and takes part in numerous official tea parties in the "golden tea room" transported from the imperial palace.

In the autumn of 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi hosts a grand tea meeting in Kitano, a northern suburb of Kyoto, to commemorate the construction of the Zerakudai Palace, the official residence. Four teahouses were built in the pine grove in front of the "prayer hall" at Tenmangu Shinto Shrine. The duties of the "owners" were performed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Sen Rikyu, Tsuda Sogyu and Imai Sokyu. The “guests”, who came from all over the country, participated in the lottery and, depending on the number drawn (1, 2, 3, 4), went to one of the four “hosts” (the first was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the second was Sen Rikyu, the third was Tsuda Sogyu and the fourth - Imai Sokyu). According to the Notes on the Great Tea Ceremony in Kitano, Hideyoshi, during tea drinking, without excessive ceremony, communicated with representatives of the lower classes, listened attentively to samurai and priests, and showed signs of attention to aristocrats. In other words, the tea party in Kitano, in which Rikyu was the second person, was primarily a political action, the occasion for which was the tea ceremony.

In the photo: Toyotomi Hideyoshi, medieval image

As the “head of tea”, Rikyu held wabi tea parties at Hideyoshi Castle in Osaka on a site stylized as a mountain landscape in a soan tea hut, and during military campaigns in tea rooms specially arranged in military camps. Under the influence of Rikyu, Hideyoshi himself began to practice tea drinking - wabi during important meetings.

In the photo: Himeji, Toyotomi Hideyoshi Castle in Osaka

At the end of 1588, Hideyoshi sent Kokei Sochin into exile due to a conflict with the large feudal lord Ishida Mitsunari. While Hideyoshi was away, Rikyu arranged a tea party in honor of Kokei at the Jurakudai Palace, and upon his return he was able to convince Hideyoshi to forgive the abbot. Soon, at a tea party at the Jurakudai Palace, where Hideyoshi was the "chief guest", Rikyu brought him a black cup. It was a challenge followed by exile and death. First, Hideyoshi exiled Rikyu to Sakai, where the tea master went on the thirteenth day of the second moon, but ten days later, Rikyu, according to a new decree, returned to Kyoto, where he learned about the death sentence in the Jurakudai palace. Harakiri was committed on the 28th day of the second moon in 1591.

Three days before his death, Rikyu wrote a poem:

Seventy years of life - Ah! That's how! —
I am with this precious sword,
Killing patriarchs and buddhas
With the perfect sword that I hold in my hands—
Here and now—I throw into the sky.

For a person who is not too experienced in the knowledge of Zen symbols, we will explain. " That's how!"- an allusion to the exclamation of the monk Yunmen Wenyan - symbolizes such a level of enlightenment when the absence of "one's own nature" is comprehended. "Precious Sword"in addition to a specific subject, denotes prajna, higher wisdom, knowledge of the true essence of being.

Little is known about the reasons for the exile, and then the execution of the "head of tea." The official reason was Rikyu's accusation of installing his own wooden statue on the gates of the Daitokuji temple. Indeed, in 1589, Rikyu donated a large amount of money for the construction of the second floor-pavilion, where the statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples, Kashyapa and Ananda, were located on the gallery in the center, and 16 arhats to the left and right of them, among which was the statue of Rikyu in setta (sandals with leather soles) and with a cane.

Pictured: San'unjo Tea Pavilion in Daitokuji

There are a number of versions about the reasons for the death of Rikyu, but all of them are untenable: Hideyoshi's attempts to make Rikyu's daughter a concubine, which caused active opposition from her father; Rikyu's participation in a conspiracy against Hideyoshi and an attempt to poison the latter; finally, the claim that Rikyu committed suicide. Documents have been preserved in which Rikyu is accused of fraud for giving out worthless crafts as rarities. Recall that as the "head of tea" Rikyu was engaged in the evaluation and mediation in the sale and purchase of rare items. In the "Diary of the Tamon Abode" by the monk Eisun from the Kofukuji temple, it is said that Rikyu sold tea utensils at a high price and was "the embodiment of a corrupt monk."

on the photo: the character "妙" or "wonderful" by Sen no Rikyu

The Rikyu family was expelled from Sakai, but subsequently they were allowed to return, the house and part of the property were returned. The descendants of Sen-no-Rikyu lead the main tea schools in Japan, the center of which is located in the Kamikyo-ku district in Kyoto. Rikyu is buried at Daitokuji Temple with the posthumous Buddhist name Fushin-an Rikyu Soeki Koji. Tribute to the memory of Rikyu, the annual solemn ceremonies, are held on March 27 at the Omotesenke school, and at the Urasenke school on March 28. The three Sen families (Omotesenke, Urasenke, Musyakojisenke) take turns holding a memorial service on the 28th of each month at their common family temple, Jukoin, a sister temple of Daitokuji.

Pictured: South Hojo Garden at Daitokuji Monastery in Kyoto

All these elements of the mosaic, from which we today compose the image of the great Master of Tea, give a very original, but contradictory portrait. Of course, the whole point is the strength of his personality, which was so great that even now, hundreds of years later, it has an impact on the Japanese tradition. What can we say about contemporaries! In the "Notes" of Yamanoue Soji, a student of Rikyu, it is said: “Although Soeki makes the mountain a valley and the west an east, breaking the rules of the tea ceremony, he spends it freely, interestingly. But if ordinary people completely imitate him in this, then it is unlikely that they will be tea ceremonies..

Sen Rikyu developed and perfected the style wabi, founded by Shuko Murata and Joo Takeno. " The tea ceremony in the tea room is first of all finding the Way through following the Dharma of the Buddha. Taking care of the arrangement of the tea house and enjoying food is a worldly affair! It is enough that the roof does not leak in the house and there is enough food so as not to starve. This is everything according to the teachings of the Buddha, and this is the original meaning of the tea ceremony. To bring water, collect firewood, boil water, prepare tea, offer it to the Buddha, serve the people gathered for the ceremony, drink oneself, put flowers, burn incense - to learn all this means to follow the Buddha and the patriarchs of Buddhist schools"("Nambo's Notes").

photo: classic japanese tea performance

If we talk about the subject environment, then, formally, Sen Rikyu used tea utensils of simple laconic forms made of ceramics and bamboo, made by Japanese masters, replaced the landscape scroll in calligraphy bokuseki, which after a break was replaced by a composition of fresh flowers. In addition, he introduced the tradition of telling guests about the beginning of the action by striking a gong, and also made some structural changes to the tea house - chashitsu and the surrounding area .

The name Sen Rikyu is associated with the concept , "dewy land", paths between the house and the gate to the garden from the street and the territory adjacent to it. According to Rikyu, entering the "dewy land", the participant of the tea ceremony is cleansed of the filth of the mortal world thanks to the qualities of the "Buddha land" that this place is endowed with.

Roji is divided into two parts - external and internal, creating a contrasting mood. For example, if on the outer roji the guest feels like at the foot of a mountain, then on the inner roji he should have the feeling of being in the depths of rocks covered with moss. If the landscape of the outer part resembles a forest, then the inner one creates the mood of a valley or a field.

In the photo: roji

The inner roji is separated from the outer roji by a hedge, and can only be entered through tumon, "middle gates" - light, simple structures made of wood, most often bamboo. Sen Rikyu most loved sarudo, "monkey gate", the wings of which rose up. In front of the sarudo lies a large stone with a flat top, on which the guest stands, and on the other side, in the inner roji, there are meotoishi, "spouse stones" - a step stone for the guest, and next to it is a stone with a flat top, on which the host welcomes guests.

In the inner roji is tsukubai(from Yap. "squatting"), a place for washing hands and rinsing the mouth, cleansing from the "ashes of the world" with a stone vessel chozubachi in the center. Maeishi“front stone”, placed in front of the chodzubachi at a distance of 75 cm. On the left is a flat stone for a candlestick with a candle (it is lit at night). On the right is a stone for a wooden tub of hot water (in the cold season). The composition is complemented by a stone lamp behind chozubachi, trees and shrubs. Sometimes chozubachi installed in a natural or specially dug shallow depression filled with water, which is called mind(sea). Bottom mind covered with pebbles and pieces of old tiles. water for chozubachi the owner brings it in a tub or it flows along the built-in chute, and then the sounds of drops are heard in the tea room.

In the photo: tsukubai

The roji path consists of "flying stones" tobiishi, rising above the ground, and leads to a soan hut without a foundation, so that the end of the path ends under a canopy, a roof element. The guest got inside through the laz- nijiriguchi, size 66x60 cm. Rikyu borrowed this idea in the design of the cabin on fishing boats. The forced bow involuntarily gave rise to humility in the guest and prepared him for the perception of the miniature size of the room.

Rikyu created the feeling wabi and through interior decoration. The walls of his tea rooms were covered with rough plaster - a mixture of clay and straw, applied to the lattice frame. This meant a complete violation of the then dominant architectural style, and was perceived by Rikyu's contemporaries in a completely different way than now, when such a combination has become a recognized norm.

Pictured: Taian Tea House

TEA SCHOOLS

The guardian and continuer of the traditions of Rikyu was his grandson Sen Sotan (1578-1658), nicknamed Kojiki Sotan, that is, Beggar Sotan. According to legend, in 1648 Sotan built in his house a small tea room the size of one and a half tatami mats and invited a familiar monk to a tea party. The monk was late, and Sotan began to write him a note about rescheduling tea for the next day. At that moment, the invitee appeared, took a brush from Sotan's hands and wrote "A lazy monk like me is never sure of tomorrow." And then Sotan named his tea room Konnichi-an, "Today."

According to one of his closest students, Sugiki Fusai, “Sotan attached great importance to understanding the true essence of the tea ceremony and found pleasure in tea. He wasn't attracted to meibutsu. He used any utensils and experienced joy from the first that came to hand. Sotan was not inclined to delve into the past and had no interest in the future. He called his little tea room Konnichi-an. Looking at the cauldron of boiling water, he thought about how he, the old man, could live another day, he behaved like a Zen monk who had gained enlightenment. sometimes played on biwa and contemplated the moon through the window or composed poetry in Chinese.

Sotan enjoyed the favor of Princes Tomotada and Nobuhiro, the famous tea master Honami Koetsu called him a friend, the outstanding artist of that era, Kano Tanyu, decorated the rooms of Sotan, and Empress Tofukumon-in (daughter of the Tokugawa Shogun Hidetada) invited him to the palace and gave expensive things. It was Sotan who introduced the red tea napkin into use, so that after its use by the ladies of the court, no traces of lipstick could be seen on it.

Sotan had four sons (Sosetsu and Soshu from the first marriage, Coca and Sositsu from the second), and they were all engaged in the tea business. Relations between his father and Sosetsu did not work out, he traveled a lot and died in 1652, about which Sotan wrote:

We come into this world with nothing
And we leave it with nothing
Accompanied by bells.

Soshu, the second son, built his own house with the Kanyuoan tea room in Mushanokōji, Kyoto district, and started the first of the three tea schools of the Sen house, Mushanokōji Senke, "Sen House in Mushanokōji". The main heir, who inherited the house with the Fusin-an tea room, once owned by Rikyu, was the third son, Coca. He founded the second school - Omate Senke (omate - front, outer side, in front). Soshitsu in 1645 opened his own tea school - Ura Senke (ura - inside, back side, inside out), the center of which was in Kanuntei. These schools, and above all Urasenke, represent the leading trends in the art of tea at the present time.

Sotan had quite a few students, four of whom - Fujimura Yokan, Yamada So-hen, Sugiki Fusai and Kusami Soan (they are called "four geniuses", shi-tenno) - made a significant contribution to the systematization of the rules of wabi tea drinking.

Wabi tea traditions were also maintained in the Yabunouchi school, the first patriarch of which is the tea master Yabunouchi Jochi (1536-1627). Jochi was a student of Sen Rikyu and after the death of the latter continued to follow the manner of the teacher. The second patriarch, also named Jochi (1580-1665), moved to Kyoto at the invitation of the abbot of Honganji Temple. The schools of the Sen house were called the "upper course", and the Yabunouchi school was called the "lower course".

In the first half of the XVIII century. a system of management of tea schools was formed, which exists to this day. The “head of the house” becomes the leader of the school, enjoying unquestioning authority, iemoto. Iemoto certified professionally trained tea masters, determined the strategy and tactics of the school in a particular situation, etc.

Joshisai Tennen Coca (1706-1751), the seventh iemoto of the Omotesenke school, his brother Yugensai Itto Soshitsu (1719-1771), who became the eighth iemoto of the Urasenke school, their closest students and associates, as well as the Zen monk Mugaku Soen 1721-1791), abbot of the temple Daitokuji developed a set of seven training exercises, Shichiji-shiki performing which the student acquired the necessary skills of the master.

Four or five future tea masters united in a group and held a tea party, performing the role of the “host” in turn, practicing the corresponding movements according to a certain methodology. The number of exercises and their content correlates with the seven skills, and which are mentioned in the Notes on the Blue Rock, bian-lu, the Rinzai school, compiled in the 12th century. in China:

1) great ability and great action;
2) speed of intelligence (wit);
3) spirituality in speeches;
4) determination to kill or grant life, depending on the circumstances;
5) scholarship and experience;
6) clarity of awareness of one's own perceptions;
7) the ability to appear and disappear freely.

FURUTA ORIBE

However, the wabi style is not the only classic style of tea in Japan. According to legend, when Hosokawa Sansai asked who he would like to see as his successor, Rikyu answered Furuta Oribe.

Furuta Oribe was born in 1544 in the province of Mino in the family of a large feudal lord, daimyo, and was a member of the close circle of the rulers of Japan - Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Tokugawa shoguns. Its annual content was 35,000 koku of rice (Sen Rikyu received only 3,000 koku).

Almost nothing is known about where and from whom Furuta Oribe learned the art of the tea ceremony. In the second half of the 80s, especially after the "tea party in Kitano", he became the closest assistant to Sen Rikyu. It is known that Oribe proposed a number of innovations in the conduct of the tea ceremony, for example, in the winter months, laying pine needles in the tea garden, so that those passing through the roji had a feeling of warmth.

In 1615, during the destruction of the Toyotomi family castle in Osaka (the center of opposition to the new regime), the tea master's connections with the supporters of Toyotomi Hideyoshi were discovered, and Oribe, according to the customs of that time, was sentenced to commit hara-kiri. After the death of Rikyu, Oribe served as the chief master of the shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, during whose reign he committed hara-kiri. Oribe's students were such outstanding tea masters as Kobori Eneyu and Honami Koetsu.

In the photo: Furuta Oribe, medieval image

Furuta Oribe departed from the canons of Rikyu. Rare varieties of pine and numerous carved stone lamps appeared in his roji garden. Furuta Oribe's tea room was larger than Rikyu's. A partition separated a special room for the servants of the participants in the ceremony, where the floor was lower. Such a distinction, as well as the very allocation of premises for servants, contradicted the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe tea house as a place of enlightenment for everyone without exception.

If at Sen Rikyu all elements of the interior were subordinated to the task of creating a feeling of artlessness and simplicity, then in the Furuta Oribe tea room these elements helped to evoke a sense of the mosaic of the surroundings. Oribe hung multi-colored strips of paper on the windows, each offering a view unlike any other. IN scroll bokuseki and the composition of flowers were next to each other throughout the entire tea action, while Rikyu's bokuseki set the mood for the first part of the tea party before the break - kick, and flowers - the second.

Furuta Oribe conducted the tea ceremony in two rooms - the tea room and in the adjacent one, kusari no ma where the guests drank usu-cha and had conversations on various topics. Kusari no ma was larger than the tea room, with which it was connected by a special passage. Here, tea utensils were exhibited for viewing, which differed sharply in appearance from the traditionally used - an asymmetric shape, deformed during firing, the original appearance. He placed bokuseki made by living people in the tokonoma, which was not customary at that time, and also shortened the kakemono scrolls so that the ratio of length and width was not generally accepted.

Furuta Oribe is considered the founder daimyō-cha, i.e. tea drinking for large feudal lords, whose outstanding representative was Kobori Eneyu, the tea master of the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.

photo: Furuta Oribe bowl, 17th century

KOBORI ENSHU

Kobori Enshu was born in 1579. His father, Kobori Masagatsu, participated in the construction of castles and residences of large feudal lords, Toyotomi Hideyoshi served as an architect and later Tokugawa Ieyasu. From childhood, Kobori Enshu was brought up in an atmosphere of worship of the fine arts: classical Chinese and Japanese literature was honored in Hidenaga Castle, and performances of the No theater were staged. At a young age, Enshu began to help his father and soon gained recognition both as a building architect and as a garden architect, according to the plans of which gardens were created in many Buddhist temples in Kyoto, as well as as a calligrapher.

Pictured: Nijo Castle Garden designed by Kobori Enshu

Kobori Enshu highly appreciated Sen Rikyu's talent, comparing it to the sky, and himself to dirt. His tea parties were filled with atmosphere kirei sabi or "beautiful sadness". If wabi brings you closer to comprehending the true essence of the phenomena of the surrounding world, then sabi is the sadness that comes after this comprehension. Atmosphere kirei sabi was created due to the high semantic load of each piece of furniture and utensils and their exceptional expressiveness.

Kobori Enshu tea parties took place in the Edo era, the final period of the Japanese Middle Ages, the state ideology of which was Confucianism, the fundamental moral norm was the loyalty of the lower on the social ladder to the higher, and the ancient traditions of the samurai were entrenched in the "Warrior's Code of Honor", Bushido (Way of the Warrior). Therefore, if for Sen Rikyu the Way of Tea led to enlightenment, to revealing the “Buddha nature” in oneself, then according to the “Scriptures compiled by Kobori Enshu”, the Way of Tea meant “boundless reverence and loyalty to the master and father, taking care of the affairs of the house and maintaining friendship with old friends."

in the photo: Kobori Enshu, drawing of the 17th century

The tea houses of Kobori Enshu did not look like a hut in any way - soan. These were monumental buildings with many rooms and corridors, surrounded by a wide veranda, smoothly turning into a roji. The "dewy land" was also vast and. Tea utensils were not distinguished by the spirituality of Sen Rikyu utensils, nor by the extravagance of shapes and color combinations of Furuta Oribe, but were distinguished by "moderation", a calm harmony of colors and lines. For each item of utensils, Enshu selected a carefully crafted case in which this item was constantly stored.

Arranging utensils on shelves kodzasiki and in kusari no ma, Kobori Enshu did not abuse the demonstration of a large number of rare things to the ceremony participants- meibutsu, as the organizers of the "tea parties in the living room" did. In addition, Enshu's tea rooms had room for servants to accompany the participants in the ceremonies.

Pictured: Kobori Enshu tea house

In the XVIII century, the population of Edo reached 1 million people, making the capital of the shogunate the largest city in the world at that time. And in the tea ceremony, which by that time had become an integral part of city life, its social organizing component played the main role.

Pictured: Suzuki Harunobu, 1768 "Tea House"

Until that time, the tea drink was prepared by stirring powdered matcha tea in boiling water, and the participants in the ceremony drank the suspension. In the seventeenth century the use of brewed sentya leaves is becoming fashionable. The first popularizers of it were Ishikawa Jozan (1583-1672), who left the service and studied Confucianism as a samurai, as well as Ingen (1592-1673), a monk of the Zen school Obaku, a Chinese by birth. Jozean settled at the foot of Mount Hiei, where at one time the main monastery of the Tendai school was located, and built a house there, which was visited by philosophers, writers, and artists.

photo: 18th century engraving. artist Suzuki Harunobu in the ukiyo-e genre

Sencha tea parties were held in three stages. First, in one room, the "guests" drank sake, then moved to another room where snacks were served, after which they drank brewed tea in the third room. Sencha tea parties became very popular in the 18th century. At the same time, the basic rules of their organization were formed.

photo: Kotsushika Hokusai, early 19th century engraving "Tea House after a Snowfall"

In the second half of the XIX century. in Japanese society there have been great changes that have affected the tea action. The 11th Iemoto of the Urasenke school, Mr. Gengeisai (1810-1877) began to conduct ceremonies, the participants of which sat on chairs at the tables, and his son Yumyosai (1853-1924), of the 12th Iemoto of the school, allowed women to participate in tea drinking, which was forbidden even Sugiki Fusai, a student of Sotan, and over time, women began to make up the majority of Urasenke masters.

There are many forms of tea ceremony in Japan today, but the main ones are: night tea, sunrise tea, evening tea, morning tea, afternoon tea and special tea (arranged in connection with calendar holidays, personal celebrations or memorial days).

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Perhaps one of the most exciting and famous ceremonies associated with Japan is cha no yu (chanoyu, 茶の湯), a tea ceremony that is also sometimes referred to as sado ("way of tea", sado, 茶道). There are not many ceremonies that have been so polished and verified. Complex and at the same time extremely simple, at the same time uncomplicated and full of deep meaning, the tea ceremony can serve as a metaphor not only for the samurai ideal, but for the whole of Japan.

Short story

Tea gained popularity in Japan during the Kamakura period through the efforts of the monk Eisai (1141-1215). About fifty years later, the Buddhist monk Daiyo (1236-1308) returned from a trip to China and brought with him knowledge of the Chinese tea ceremony in the form in which it was practiced in Buddhist monasteries. The art of performing the ceremony was practiced and honed by the monks until the priest Shuko (1422-1502) demonstrated it to the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. Yoshimasa, who honored various arts, approved the ceremony, and from that moment it began to spread outside the temples.

It is not surprising that in the beginning the tea ceremony was a pastime of the nobility, since tea at that time was mainly consumed by the upper strata of society. Changes began with the advent of the master Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591). Rikyu studied tea traditions from an early age and subsequently had a great influence on the further development of the aesthetics of the Japanese tea ceremony. The Ashikaga style of ceremony was adapted for the nobility, using elaborate Chinese utensils, and the ceremony itself was conducted in such a way as not to offend any of the important guests. In his vision of the ceremony, Rikyu strove for minimalism: he replaced expensive utensils with more practical ones, and the artsy and often tasteless tea houses of the nobility with small and simple ones called Sôan. The only way inside such a house was the small door of the nijiriguchi. Anyone wishing to enter it had to bend down, regardless of their status, which contributed to the creation of a spirit of equality. Also, the door served as a symbolic boundary separating the space of calm and silence of the tea house from the bustle of the outside world. Rikyu saw the tea ceremony as an event outside of social and political events.

In 1579, Sen no Rikyu became the master of the tea ceremony under Oda Nobunaga, who studied tea traditions with great interest and collected expensive and rare items for tea ceremonies. After Nobunaga's death three years later, he began performing ceremonies at Toyotomi Hideyoshi's and attained the status of the most respected master in the field of tea ceremonies. Hideyoshi appreciated Rikyu's skill, but Rikyu did not approve of the purpose for which Hideyoshi used the ceremony - as a forum for discussing state affairs. Rikyu believed that this approach violated, if not completely destroys the harmony of the ceremony. One way or another, for reasons unknown for certain, Hideyoshi ordered Rikyu to perform sepukku, but the art of tea ceremonies continued to develop in accordance with the principles formulated by Rikyu.

Short description

Usually, the tea ceremony is held in a special tea room, chashitsu. The guests enter through the nijiriguchi. The tea room is planned in such a way that the first thing one sees when entering is a kakemono scroll in the tokonoma niche. As a rule, some statement is displayed calligraphically on the scroll. The scroll is carefully selected according to the mood or the season, and guests linger briefly in front of it before taking their place by the hearth in the center of the room.

After the guests, the host enters, exchanges bows with the guests and sits opposite them. While the water boils, guests are served kaiseki, a light meal that should not only taste good, but also look beautiful. This food is not intended to be satiated, its main role in the process is aesthetic. Some sake and wagashi sweets are served. After that, the guests go out for a while, and the host makes the necessary preparations and changes the scroll for a tyabana - a composition of flowers or branches. When everything is ready, the guests return and the ceremony moves on to the most important part.

First, the dishes are symbolically cleaned, and the host starts preparing thick green tea. The guests silently watch his actions. Talking during the ceremony is not welcome and is considered impolite. Tea is poured into a bowl with a small amount of water and stirred until a homogeneous mass is formed. Then more boiling water is added to the bowl to bring the tea to the desired consistency. The host passes the cup to the guests, and they take turns drinking from it, which symbolizes the unity of those present. Then the host again passes the bowl to the guests, but already empty, so that they can carefully examine it.

After that, the host prepares tea in cups for each guest. At this stage, the guests begin a conversation, the subject of which can be a scroll with a saying, tyabana, tea, dishes, or anything else necessarily associated with the ceremony. When the ceremony is over, the host is the first to leave so that the guests can once again appreciate the room and all the items in it. While the guests are leaving, the host stands outside and bows to the departing. After that, he returns to the tea room, recalling the past ceremony, and then removes all objects so that the room takes exactly the same appearance as before the ceremony began.

Two types of tea are commonly used in the tea ceremony: koicha, which is thicker and slightly bitter and is considered a more "formal" drink, and usucha, which is lighter and "informal". Koitya is served first, his guests sip little by little from the common bowl. Usucha is used in the next part of the ceremony, its guests drink from individual cups. Cups can have a variety of designs and are often selected depending on the time of year. Winter cups are deeper to keep warm longer, while summer cups are shallower and wider so that the tea cools faster.

Throughout the ceremony, the host and guests should strive for a state of calm and serenity. As priest Takuan said when writing about the tea ceremony: “do everything with the thought that in this room we can enjoy streams of water and stones as we enjoy natural rivers and mountains, appreciate the different moods and feelings caused by snow, moon , trees and flowers as they pass through the metamorphoses of the seasons, appear and disappear, bloom and wither. When the guests were greeted with due respect, we quietly listen to the boiling of water in the kettle, which sounds like wind in pine needles, and forget about worldly sorrows and worries ... "