The ancient tea master, Rikyu once said “Make
it seem warm in winter, and cool in summer”.
This is one of the seven essentials of The Way of Tea, which I
introduced on the previous entry.
In tea ceremonies, the position of the heath
is usually close to the guests in winter and far in summer. I think this scenario could be one of the
examples of the essential. However, I
also think this lesson is not only telling us about actual temperatures. The coolness
or warmth can be expressed with the design of utensils, confections or hanging scrolls.
In summer, you can use a flat-type water
container, which creates a large water surface.
The appearance of water can provide some kind of coolness. Thick and narrow types of a tea bowls are
often preferred in winter. They actually
keep the tea warmer, but also their atmosphere creates visual warmth. I think that these thoughtful hospitalities
of the host can help create a better comfort for his/her guests. In other words, you’d better have a good sense
of the season.
I also have a further interpretation more than
the sense of the season. For instance, even
if the host serves you a perfect taste of tea, would you be able to enjoy the
tea in a very noisy place or in an extremely cold place? Probably you wouldn’t… I believe the environment is as important as
the taste of tea. Creating a comfortable environment for your
guests is essential. I think that the comfortable
air condition is only one of the examples.
My interpretation of Rikyu’s “Make it seem
warm in winter, and cool in summer” is that
environment of things are very important.
environment of things are very important.
This interpretation may vary in the future
as I experience and understand The Way of Tea more.
Related entries
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Very interesting comment on how to project warmth and coolness in a tea house environment!
ReplyDeleteI guess that we love those psychological point of view, not only physical.
DeleteHi there! Were you somehow able to complete all the settings of this domain all by yourself or you asked for some help?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for stopping by! I’m doing this blog by myself, but I ask my tutors (Non-native English speakers) to check my English.
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