The ancient tea master, Rikyu once said
“Care about the guests”. This is one of
the seven essentials of The Way of Tea, which I introduced on the previous entry.
I think this is the most important lesson
among the seven. You can feel the spirit
of caring for others in the movements and gestures in the tea ceremony. This is not only the host’s responsibly, but
also the guests’. Thus, everybody in the
ceremony is expected to show care to each other.
For example, when
the host hands out the tea to guests, he turns the tea bowl, and makes sure
that its front side is facing the guest.
This is an act of being caring. Before
drinking, that guest bows to the guest(s) next to him as a sign of respect, or
sometimes to ask that guest if he wants another round. The greetings to each other strengthen the
bond among the guests. Then, the guest
turns the bowl to avoid drinking tea from its front, which is the crucial part
of a bowl. Those courtesies shown to and
by each participant make the ceremony heartwarming and meaningful
I think the other six essentials are all
based on this lesson. “Preparing the tea
just right” and “Doing things ahead of time” should be considered for the other
participants, as well. Without the spirit of
caring for others, the tea ceremony won’t mean anything; it is going to be just
a tea drinking event. That is why I
consider this lesson the most important.
My interpretation of Rikyu’s “Care about
the guests” is that
Consideration to others is important.
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