Urasenke Chado Tradition

Today, I joined Japan Student Association at School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University to visit Uransenke NYC at the 69th Street Lexington Avenue. With 23 other students, surprisingly that mostly are NON Japanese, I learned and enjoyed a tea ceremony.

The Tea Master explained to us on the history of the ceremony and also the circumstances of the place. Before we entering the ceremony place, the Tea Master told us that the sliding door in front of us is a "magical door" that would bring all together from NYC to Japan. And it's true!

The wooden floor, the tatami, the ikebana, the calligraphy, and of course the two ladies in their kimono have brought my friends and me to another world. The place of the ceremony also has a small garden, giving a peaceful surrounding.

In this tea ceremony, I met with Masa, my classmate in MPA in Development Practice and also Naoko, a second year student who wore Batik that catch my eyes.

The story of the tea ceremony itself is quite long. But, I happily to share with you all as below. I retype from the Uransenke Chado Tradition brochure to minimize my misinterpretation of the Tea Master explanation.

Tea is known to people worldwide, but nowhere has it contributed as much to the cultural milleu as in Japan Here, the preparation and drinking of tea, in a special form called matcha, became the basis for a profound spiritual and aesthetic discipline that has had a pervasive impact on Japanese civilization.

Matcha is powdered green tea blended with hot water. this form of tea was introduced to Japan in twelfth century by Zen monks returning fro study in China. In Zen temples, it was used as a mild stimulant to clear the mind during meditation, was valued as a medicine, and had symbolic ceremonial use. In time, the enjoyment of matcha spread to the ruling and noble classes, who would hold lavish tea functions that featured the displayed and use of Chinese art objects.

From these two disparate uses of matcha, there evolved the idea of tea gatherings acting as distinct mediums for spiritual and aesthetic fulfillment, and this gave rise to creation of rooms designed especially for such gatherings. Important ti this development was the emergence of a unique Zen-inspired aesthetic concept; the appreciation of the subtle, austere beauty that may be discovered in things that seem humble and unassuming.

In the sixteenth century, Sen Rikyu (1522-1591), a man of great creative insight and a leading figure in the cultural and political arenas of his time, realized the quintessence of these ideas in his austere "thatched hut" style of tea, and his rare artistic sense and ideals based on Zen effectively transformed the activity of preparing, serving, and receiving tea into a comprehensive discipline, establishing in the foundations for Chado, the Way of Tea.

The keystones of Sen Rikyu's Chado ideals are expressed in these four words: wa, kei, sei, and jaku. Wa means harmony; the harmony that should exist in human relations, between humans and nature, in the selection of the tea utensils and the manner in which they are used, and all other facets of Chado. Kei means respect. respect is paid to all things and comes from sincere feelings of gratitude for their being. Sei means purity, and implies both worldly and spiritual cleanliness. Lastly, jaku means tranquility - a state of spiritual peace.

Based on these, people who study the discipline of Chado learn to be caring about every element that it involves: its setting, the articles employed, the etiquette exercised, the foods and even the water used. Through their training and study they aim to refine and cultivate themselves as human beings.

In a quiet old neighborhood in Kyoto, the cultural capital of Japan, the estate of the Uransenke line of Sen family has stood on ots present site for three and a half centuries. The oldest tearooms were originally built by the third generation of the family, Sen Sotan, Rikyu's grandson.

The complex of tearooms and gardens has been designated an important Cultural Property by the Japanese Government because of its importance in Japanese cultural history and art. This estate, where the spirit of Sen Rikyu abides, is the home of Uransenke, and is the heart of Chado for the millions of people who study and practice Chado as thought by Uransenke around the world. 

Over four centuries have passed since Rikyu's time, but his descendants through the generations have actively carried forth his legacy. Each successive heir to that legacy has also added yo it, so that Chado has remained vital and meaningful. In our modern age, it continues to offer us an effective path for cultural enrichment and self-cultivation, and a timeless formula for sharing a beautiful moment thanks to the agency of tea.