f you are sick of quickly gulping tea - more as a matter of habit than for the sheer pleasure of imbibing the goodness of the brew in an appropriate environment, in the right frame of mind, with the right company and with a spiritually elevating objective - try to get invited to a chanayo. Chanayo - also called chado or sado - is the , an elaborately formatted ritual that can run to a few hours. This is normally not small, an intimate gathering, never a one-person affair. Nor is it simply a purely personal affair — you cannot have the ceremony just because you wish to have an elaborate tea. A full-length formal tea ceremony involves a meal (chakaiseki) and two servings of tea (koicha and usucha) and lasts approximately four hours, during which the host is completely involved in the creation of an ambience of aesthetic, intellectual and physical upliftment and mental serenity. THE ELABORATE affection, evaporation of negative and stressful emotions and an overall sense of spiritual and emotional upliftment and tranquility. The manner of preparing the tea is influenced by many techniques depending on practices and innovations at the various schools. An extensively practised one is the Ura Senke way of preparation - a complete ceremony with a meal is The purpose of this elaborate called a chaji while the actual repast is partly Zen Buddhist - to preparation of the tea is called completely savour and immortalise THE MANNER OF temae. A simple gathering for the the moment - and the entire ritual is PREPARING THE TEA service is called a chakai. The designed to gently nudge the senses IS INFLUENCED BY utensils are determined by the so that one is totally involved in the season and weather, time of day, the ceremony and not distracted by MANY TECHNIQUES guest list, or whether it is a special negative or pedestrian thoughts. Like DEPENDING ON occasion as a wedding or soft smoke, a sense of peace and PRACTICES AND homecoming, a birth of a child or a harmony pervades the ambience and formal one in honour of a special slowly enters one's mind and phyche, INNOVATIONS AT dignitary. leaving one feeling fulfilled, elevated THE VARIOUS The tea is prepared in a specially and tranquil at the end. SCHOOLS. decorated room called the It is a celebration of hospitality in a L J or tearoom. It has traditional shoji very special and spiritual way. which came in along with Buddhism (rice paper and wood) panelling and Hospitality among the Japanese, as during the Nara period in the eighth (rice straw). It is almost with the Indians, is considered almost century. But it was several centuries completely bare except for a scroll a religious duty. And the chanayo is a later, in the 12th century during the called kakemono usually hung in an ritual that immortalises the occasion Kamakura period, that Eisai, a alcove above the fireplace or placed and the pleasure that the host and Japanese priest who had travelled to among the flowers in a vase, hanaire. guests enjoy from one another's China for studies in Buddhism, The scroll provides the appropriate company. They believe that, since brought back the tea ritual practised spiritual atmosphere since it helps every moment is unique and never in China's Buddhist temples during the guests break the ice and begin ever returns, not even if the same the Song dynasty. Eisai also brought conversation. Flowers for the tea people were to come again together tea seeds from the plant that remains ceremony - chabana - are simple, at the same place, it is a moment to the major source of 's tea even seasonal and not very formally be frozen for as long as possible, and today. arranged. In winter, a kama (iron the tea ceremony is an attempt to do In Sakai, south of Osaka, a group pot/kettle) in a sunken fireplace is this. of wealthy merchants called the used to boil the water, while a portable Haru Hana, a retired school mayasha ("warehouse school") charcoal stove is used in summer. teacher who frequently hosts tea espoused a modest manner of tea ceremonies, describes the entire drinking. Out of this tradition came ceremony as an unforgettable Takeno Joo in the early 16th century WHAT THE GUESTS DO experience of freezing an ethereal who taught the use of the daisu (the The guests first assemble in a moment that can stretch to a few stand for the tea utensils) as it had waiting room where they sample the hours. "It is like dipping your hand in been handed down through hot water to be used in the making the refreshing waters of a cool river - generations. His influence was widely of the tea. Once the host has you can never dip your hand in the felt, especially through his student received them the guests enter the same water twice. Similarly, each tea Sen no Rikyu who transformed the tea garden where they may relax ceremony freezes a different tea ceremony by substituting briefly. The host then replenishes the moment. That is why it is important to Japanese-made materials, especially water kept in a stone basin for the prepare the ambience and the guest utensils and serving objects, for the guests to wash their hands and list with utmost care to ensure that rare Chinese ones. mouth. Once they are refreshed, he everyone goes back feeling better, There are strict rules of etiquette invites them indoors, greeting them lighter and calmer." for the hosts and guests since the with a bow. They wash their hands Tea was introduced into Japan as whole elaborate ceremony aims at and mouth and enter the tea room an influence of the Chinese culture spreading a warm bond of gentle through a low doorway, nijriguchi.

112 Woman's Era • August (Second) 2012 The guests have to enter preparation of tea, the ceremony something like a large soup bowl. All deeply - this is to express respect to incorporates appropriate architecture, the guests drink from this, wiping the the host, his family and the occasion. decor, atmosphere, conversation and rim of the bowl before passing it to Each guests then reads and attitude, gardening, ceramics, the next guest. ruminates on the scroll hung in the calligraphy, history and religion, their The bowl is then rinsed and alcove above the kettle, admire the philosophy of harmony and respect passed around along with the tea kettle and which will be used for tea for nature, people, aesthetics, purity powder and the scoop for the guests and the hearth, before taking their of action and serenity of mind as well to examine and admire. The fire is seats on the tatami. They take turns as. The objects and surroundings then rebuilt for preparing the thin tea, admiring the flowers and the decor. used for the preparation of tea as well usucha, which is served in individual The guests kneel on the tatami as those present in the room, the bowls or cups. The bowls may not all mats and lower themselves to sit on subjects of conversation, body be identical - often, the host will their ankles, in the formal seiza language, music etc are regulated by select different bowls for each guest. position, with knees folded and feet laid down norms and rarely breached. These bowls or chawans, as they are tucked under the thighs. Once the guests are seated, the called, are marked with a motif or For most people used to dining host enters. For every step — wiping symbol on one side. These are tables and an urban lifestyle, staying the equipment, scooping out the tea, significant and convey specific in this posture can be painful unless pouring the boiling water to whisking symbolic messages depending on one has been diligently practising the matcha and finally, preparing tea the occasion. The messages could one's yoga, or like most Japanese, individually for each guest - there are be related to the theme or the used to in this position. clearly laid-out methods and utensils. occasion or could be specific to each Pointing one's toes towards the hosts The tea is prepared after first individual guest. or other guests is considered symbolically purifying all the utensils. extremely disrespectful. For the After greeting the guests, the host elderly, a pair of low stools is serves them the meal which usually THE RITUAL sometimes provided - one to sit on consists of seasonal preparations As the host hands around the and one to place one's tea bowls on. and ends with a sweet. Each guest chawan, each guest places it No tea other than the special carries a packet of ornate folded between himself and the next guest, powdered green tea called matcha napkins on which sweets should be thanks the host and bows to excuse will do. In addition to the actual placed before eating. A special cake himself for sipping before all are pick is used to cut and eat moist served. He then places the bowl in sweets like wagashi, but dry sweets front, thanks the host again, places are eaten with the fingers. the bowl in the palm of the left hand, The guests then retire to the motif facing away. garden while the host removes the The guests swirl the tea thrice in a scroll, replaces it with flowers, and clockwise direction and consider it sets out the utensils for preparing the auspicious to finish it in three sips. thick tea called koicha. The tea is After drinking, the rim is wiped with a prepared by adding a very small napkin. The bowl is then placed on amount of boiling water to the the tatami, motif facing oneself, and powdered green tea in a single bowl, the guests admire the bowls and then put them back on the mat, motif away from oneself. The guests then thank the host and the long ceremony concludes. The entire ritual is an elegant exercise in freezing a moment of calm and hospitality rather than just a break for refreshment. The actual tea tastes nothing like what one is used to here, and one has to perhaps acquire a liking for it to be able to get the most out of the elaborate ritual. While it might take a while to get used to and enjoy the taste, the aftertaste of the whole experience is certainly worth cherishing for a long, long time. 22 114 Woman's Era • August (Second) 2012 MEN'S LOVE SPECIAL

AUGUST (SECOND) 21

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