LIFE & CULTURE

THE JOY OFCHADOFOUND IN HANDBUILTTEAHOUSES IN MEXICO

Bosen-an is a teahouse that Behar spent many years
constructing. Its name was given by Ejo Takata Roshi, thefirst person to teach Zen thought in Mexico. “Bosen” is aZen term that means “do not misconstrue the means forthe purpose.”JAPANMEXICOA Mexican film director who became enchanted with the architectureof Japanese tea houses designed and built two teahouses himself,
where he now teaches chado - the art of Japanese tea ceremony.
A pair of charming teahouses,Bosen-an and Sunkaraku, makeyou forget that you are in Mexico
City. Here, Mexican film director
Roberto Behar has helped tospread the practice of the Japanese
tea ceremony in Mexico. It wasover 30 years ago when he firstbegan learning about the teaceremony. In 2014, during the400th anniversary of a Japanesediplomatic delegation’s journey
to Mexico to negotiate direct
trade between the two lands,
Behar served an important roleas “President of Chado Urasenke
Tankokai Mexico” at a teaoffering ceremony performed bythe Grand Master of Urasenke
Sen Genshitsu Daisosho, one of
the main schools of the Japanese
tea ceremony. Speaking about
the similarities between his workand the tea ceremony, Beharsaid, “There could be points
in common between the roadtoward perfecting each art andBehar teaches the Japanese tea ceremonyin Sunkaraku.

their deep esthetics.”
Since he was in his 20s, Behar
has been interested in Japaneseculture, such as Japanese gardens
and the architectural styles seenin shrines and temples. While
traveling in America in the 1980s,
he came across a book on the teaceremony. The book came witha free paper model of Taian, ateahouse believed to be a design
by Rikyū, who had a profoundinfluence on the Japanese tea
ceremony. Behar was captivatedby the beauty of the teahouse.
“For someone like me, who loves
Japanese architecture so much,the teahouse is incredibly alluring.
Japanese carpentry has developed
thanks to sophisticated, advanced
techniques, and the teahouseis its pinnacle,” he said. Later,
he decided to actually build ateahouse based on the model. He
spent eight years gathering suitablematerials from all over Mexico. “Iwent out to towns in the middle ofnowhere, where I heard that there
was an abandoned indigenous
people’s settlement. Dust-covered
wood in a seasoned condition
helps create the atmosphere.” To
replicate the design in the book,Behar collaborated with Mexican
artisans to complete the Bosen-anteahouse.
After all the hard work creating
the teahouse, Behar wanted next
to give it its own “spirit.” With
that idea in mind, he started
studying in 1987 under Higurashi
Soho, a high-level instructorof the Urasenke school who, atthe time, was teaching the tea
ceremony in Mexico. Speaking
about his first tea gathering, Beharsaid, “I was a novice who didn’t
understand anything about theprofundity of the tea ceremony,
but I was deeply impressed by
the skill with which my teacher
served as the host and the quiet
yet meticulous care he took totreat his guests.” Studying thetea ceremony under his teacher,Higurashi sensei, Behar graduallylearned about its philosophy,too. “The Zen thought of the tea
ceremony changed the way I viewlife. You could say it had a big
impact on me spiritually, such as

Left: Behar said he collected his ladle, bowl and other tea ceremony implements from antique shops in Japan.
Right: The inclusion of a rock garden enhances the Japanese ambience.

ROBERTO BEHAR
Born in Mexico City, Roberto Behar is afilm director and teaches the tea ceremony
to younger practitioners. In the spring of2018, he was conferred the Order of theRising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, aJapanese commendation conferred upon
those who perform a great service for thecountry and the public, as recognition of
his efforts in spreading the tea ceremonyin Mexico.

learning kindness to others andcontrolling one’s anger. That may
be the biggest reason why I havecontinued to perform the tea
ceremony for over 30 years.”
For 13 years now, Behar has
been teaching the tea ceremony
to Mexicans. “My students are
impressed by the tea ceremony’s
profundity and the beauty ofJapanese culture.” Though goingon 80 years old, his passion for thetea ceremony shows no signs ofdiminishing. He said, “MaruokaSoyo, an Urasenke director andthe teacher assigned to Mexico, isfollowing in Higurashi’s footsteps
and is working to spread the tea
ceremony with a new approach.”Behar goes on, “As I did withHigurashi sensei, I hope that I canwork with Maruoka sensei so thateven more Mexicans can enjoy thetea ceremony.” 