The tea finished, the drinker wipes the bowl with a paper napkin and turns it upside down to further examine its design and the mark of the craftsman, if it bears one, and the ceremony proceeds through all the guests. Then the tea caddy and other utensils are appreciated. Finally, the hostess removes the utensils and exchanges bows with each of the guests as they leave. Of all the authorities consulted in preparing this chapter, no one has described the spirit of the Japanese tea ceremony more beautifully than Professor Michiko Hiramatsu, director of the Japanese Cultural Center at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills south of San Francisco. Here is her explanation intact.
Harmony means with other people and with nature.
The vapor from the boiling water is like floating clouds, the sound of the water like the wind passing through pines. The tea ceremony is the Way of bringing one's self into harmony with nature. Capturing this moment is one aim of the ceremony. The simple result of drinking the tea is to satisfy thirst, but it also satisfies the thirst for knowledge, truth, and tranquility, this is the tea ceremony in its broadest sense. Respect means a harmonious relationship with others.