![]() ![]() In succession, shoin-tea gatherings held at the grand reception rooms in the mansions of the military elite laid the foundation for the further development of the rite of tea. As tea became a popular commodity, the first tea gatherings took shape, and betting games revolving around the blind tasting of tea became a fashionable pastime. Many of the Tea Masters we know in the Kyoto area fully believe one achieves enlightenment, and peace of mind through the simple, everyday preparation of tea.Īfter Zen monks brought tea to Japan in the 13th century, it was first used at Zen monasteries. “ Kintsugi” emphasizes the repairs of the object, symbolizing the point that its history is a critical part of its beauty. ![]() This concept is loosely linked to other ceramic creations like “ Kintsugi”, the art of preparing broken ceramics with a paste-like mixture of gold and lacquer. The imperfect items used in the ceremony include mismatched cups and utensils. The Japanese Tea Ceremony may be an ideal illustration of a Wabi-Sabi activity. They believed the petals embodied the deity of rice paddies, who would bring a good crop “Farmers throughout the blossoms would fly down to villages and protect the rice,” says Naoko Abe. Sakura was a fertility ritual in ancient Japan, with farmers climbing mountains to observe the arrival of blossoms on cherry trees, which they took as a signal to plant rice seedlings. In 1989, the author and diplomat Inazo Nitobe contrasted the cherry with the thorned English rose, calling it “our flower, which carries no dagger or poison under its beauty, which is ever ready to depart life.” When the poet and Buddhist monk Saigyo Hoshi wrote these lines in the 12th century about the wild cherries of Mount Yoshino, he captured a characteristic Japanese sakura emotion around the cycle of life and death. “The blossom is beautiful but it goes away. “The Japanese are implanted with sakura as a symbol not only of the season but of ourselves,” says Mariko Bando, author, and chancellor of Showa Women’s University in Tokyo. Sakura does not just mean love and renewal, but also evanescence and the fleeting nature of existence. Though many of us in the West consider ideas of beauty based on the concepts of perfection, exactness, and symmetry, the Wabi-sabi perception of beauty recognizes the value of imperfections, especially as manifested in nature. While this philosophy can be found throughout the world and in everyday life, the tea ceremony and yearly sakura season fully embody the spirit of wabi-sabi. The essence of Wabi-sabi embodies the fundamentals of Zen Buddhism, emphasizing intuitive insight over deliberate intellectual conception. Japan’s reigning organizing and tidying guru, Marie Kondo, has succinctly described Wabi-sabi as “experiencing beauty in simplicity and calmness.” A longtime Japanese friend has described this philosophy to us as a sort of hopeful sadness that recognizes that nothing is perfect, nothing lasts, nothing is ever finished. Wabi-sabi is a Japanese worldview and state of mind emphasizing simplicity and purity – the beauty and awe of all things humble, imperfect, and unpretentious (a beautiful sunrise, the still morning frost, a graceful Japanese tea ceremony). The enduring philosophies of Wabi-Sabi, Kodawari, and Japanese Cleanliness permeate the cultural landscape of Japan and their colorful influences are impossible to overlook! Wabi-Sabi Despite our many travels to this wonderful land, we are always amazed by the reverence and passion the Japanese place in every aspect of life. A big part of our Lynch family’s fascination with Japan is its unique Shinto and Buddhist-based culture. ![]()
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