Ritual and Communitas in the Japanese Way of Tea
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Codified Tranquility: Ritual and Communitas in the Japanese Way of Tea Emilia Maria Kangasjärvi University of Helsinki Faculty of Social Sciences Social and Cultural Anthropology Master’s Thesis May 2012 Tiedekunta/Osasto Fakultet/Sektion – Faculty Laitos Institution – Department Faculty of Social Sciences Department of Social Research TekijäFörfattare – Author Kangasjärvi, Emilia Maria Työn nimi Arbetets titel – Title Codified Tranquility: Ritual and Communitas in the Japanese Way of Tea Oppiaine Läroämne – Subject Social and Cultural Anthropology Työn laji Arbetets art – Level Aika Datum – Month and year Sivumäärä Sidoantal – Number of pages Master’s Thesis May 2012 117 (106 + Appendices 7 pages + Title and Contents 4 pages) Tiivistelmä Referat – Abstract This thesis is an ethnographic study of chadō, the Japanese way of Tea, with particular focus on the social and communal aspects present in a formal Tea event, a chaji. Perhaps as a result of the closed nature of the Japanese way of Tea (an invitation from the host is required in order to take part in a chaji) previous studies of the subject in English have confined themselves primarily to the aesthetic or artistic nature of chadō. In contrast, this study emphasizes the ritual and symbolic aspects of a chaji, examining Tea (the term used to describe chadō within the study), as a transition ritual, the ultimate goal of which is enlightenment or tranquillity. Through a comprehensive analysis of Tea and its practice, the findings of this study suggest that a special social-sphere is created during a chaji, a sphere which in turn fosters a sense of shared community between the participants. As a result of the ritual practice and the manifestation of symbolic communication within a chaji, shared values of respect and harmony are affirmed and renewed among the community. The initial fieldwork for this study was conducted over a period of three months in Kyōto Japan, based on participant observation at the Urasenke school of Tea as well as through conducting interviews with some of the school’s students. This first-hand observation and research was then filtered through the lens of transition rituals as defined by the classic study Rite de passage of Van Gennep and Victor Turner’s conceptualization of society and rituals. In linking the data to these theoretical frameworks, the findings show that in participating in a chaji, Tea practitioners are able to leave the mundane world behind them, moving through a phase of symbolic cleansing, and into the sacred or spiritual realm of Tea. This transition occurs in three distinct phases which Van Gennep defines as separation, transition, and incorporation. The study argues that it is possible to view a sense of shared community among chaji practitioners as taking place not within the realm of structured society, but rather in its margins. As such, the individual participant of a chaji is no longer defined by his or her status or role in society at large; when participating in a chaji, the Tea practitioner is sharing in a “once in a lifetime” experience of shared communal harmony. The findings also suggest that through its focus on traditional Japanese art forms (ceramics, calligraphy, flower arrangement), Tea operates as a mechanism to create a communal experience with a shared value system. Although chadō is defined by its adherents as being quintessentially Japanese, this study makes comparisons to other consumption rituals in which a communal feeling is achieved among the participants. Avainsanat – Nyckelord – Keywords The Japanese Way of Tea, Ritual, Communitas, Symbols, Chadō, Chaji, Victor Turner, Transition rite, Japan. Säilytyspaikka – Förvaringställe – Where deposited Muita tietoja – Övriga uppgifter – Additional information Table of Contents Preface………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………4 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 6 1.1. Chadō and chaji .............................................................................................................. 7 1.2. Fieldwork and methodology .......................................................................................... 9 1.3. The scholarship of Tea: theoretical framework ........................................................... 12 1.4. Outline of chapters ...................................................................................................... 14 2. A brief history of chadō ........................................................................................................ 15 2.1. The origin of tea ........................................................................................................... 15 2.2. Tea is introduced to Japan ........................................................................................... 16 2.3. Tōcha; the tea competitions and the “common tea” .................................................. 17 2.4. Reclaiming Tea’s sacred role ........................................................................................ 18 2.5. Tea as a symbol of political power ............................................................................... 19 2.5.1. Rikyū’s commanded suicide ................................................................................. 21 2.5.2. Rikyū’s legacy ....................................................................................................... 23 3. The World of Tea .................................................................................................................. 25 3.1. Tea Doctrine; Tea etiquette and rules ......................................................................... 25 3.1.1. Dō, Gaku and Jitsu; three learning components .................................................. 27 3.1.2. Four Tea principles; Wa (harmony), Kei (respect), Sei (purity) and Jaku (tranquility) .......................................................................................................................... 28 3.1.3. Rikyū’s seven rules ............................................................................................... 29 3.2. Tea mentality ............................................................................................................... 29 3.2.1. Hierarchy in Tea ................................................................................................... 30 3.2.2. Zen and Wabi ....................................................................................................... 32 3.2.3. Tea calendar; Seasonal variations ........................................................................ 33 3.3. Physical elements of Tea .............................................................................................. 35 3.3.1. Tearoom; the ritual setting .................................................................................. 35 1 3.3.2. Roji: a path of purification ................................................................................... 37 3.3.3. Mizuya and Tokonoma ......................................................................................... 38 3.3.4. Tea utensils; tools of symbolic communication ................................................... 40 4. Description of a chaji; Tea in practice .................................................................................. 43 4.1. Zenrei - Pre-preparations ............................................................................................. 44 4.2. Arrival - Leaving the mundane outside ........................................................................ 45 4.3. Seki-iri - Entering the tearoom ..................................................................................... 47 4.4. Kaiseki-meal ................................................................................................................. 49 4.5. Shozumi – First charcoal arrangement ........................................................................ 51 4.6. Nakadachi - Middle break ............................................................................................ 52 4.7. Koicha - The moment of spiritual climax ..................................................................... 53 4.8. Usucha - Thin tea ......................................................................................................... 56 5. Chaji as a transition rite; from secular to sacred ................................................................. 60 5.1. Three phases of transition in a chaji ............................................................................ 60 5.1.1. Rite de passage .................................................................................................... 61 5.1.2. Two levels of transition ........................................................................................ 62 5.2. Elements of Separation: soto and uchi ........................................................................ 64 5.3. Elements of transitions: Acts of purity......................................................................... 66 5.4. Elements of incorporation; Behavior codex ................................................................ 68 5.5. Creation of liminality .................................................................................................... 71 5.5.1. “Mystical union” in liminality ............................................................................... 72 6. Chaji and communitas .........................................................................................................