A 3000-year old Japanese Ritual that Will Hack Your Productivity
By: Context Staff
Tags: Efficiency, Productivity, Life Hacking, Spirituality, Culture

Tea is one of the most popular drinks world over. As Indians, we associate our steaming mug of masala chai with rainy days, a family reunion, or a good book.

The Japanese tea ceremony, however, is a ritual carrying immense weight, touching dimensions that are spiritual, moral, cultural and social.

The Japanese concept of ichi-go ichi-e (literally meaning one time, one meeting) indicates that a tea gathering is a once in a lifetime event. The uniqueness of the ceremony owes to the fact that it is a ‘ritual’ — the gestures involved are a result of practice and purpose. Rituals are an art; their performance represents core values upheld by Japanese society.

The significance of the tea ceremony as a ‘ritual’ can have various connotations. Firstly, it seeks to eliminate hierarchy between tea practitioners and guests. It merges differences between the ‘self’ and ‘other’; canceling distance in place of unity. Secondly, ritual behavior emphasizes learning through bodily actions, as demonstrated by gestures learned through the ceremony. The actions are purposeful and ‘ceremonial’ in nature — distinguishing it from everyday actions. It can only be entrusted to professionals or semi-professionals.

The tea ceremony (called Cha-no-yu, literally meaning ‘hot water for tea’ in Japanese) in a 37 step process performed by the host. Prior to this, guests are expected to arrive earlier than usual, enter the waiting room and wear their Tabi (traditional Japanese socks). They rinse their hands and mouths at the stone basin and are seated on a tatami (bamboo) mat. Respect and punctuality are two core values of Japanese culture demonstrated by participants. Additionally, the host demonstrates structure through each step. This integrated value of the order is what distinguishes ceremonial behavior from an ordinary one. Order is expressed through wa, kei, sei, and jaku (implying harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility respectively). Each of these is expressed through elements of the ceremony.

Other elements prepared beforehand include utensils, Mizusashi (cold water vessel) the Roji (garden), the Setsuin (privy), trees and shrubs, the water basin, stone lantern, and flower arrangement, among others. Apart from their functional and aesthetic purposes, each of these is representative of a cultural or spiritual philosophy underlying the ceremony.

The earliest known consumption of green tea was from China in the 4th century — brought to Japan during China’s Tang dynasty (618–917). Initially, tea drinking was an elite pastime limited to Japan’s elite and warrior classes. Japan eventually began to grow the crop independently when relations between the two countries deteriorated, during the Nara period (710–794). It was consumed for medicinal purposes by priests and noblemen. Tea was uncommon and valuable; resulting in the formulation of certain practices to tea consumption and preparation. Myoisan Eisai and Hui Tsung’s methods evolved into the recent tea ceremony. Elisai crushed tea leaves and added hot water, while Tsung used a bamboo whisk to blend in the two. Although matcha powder is a recent substitute for tea leaves, other factors concerning the tea ceremony — particularly its philosophy — remains untouched.

Tea began to gain popularity in the 1200s through the health benefits it offered. Eisei suggested that green tea could cure diseases including beriberi, boils, and paralysis. Plantations were grown beyond Japan’s Uji district; it was embraced by the Samurai class and saw a rapidly growing demand. In the 1300s, a new class of nobles (the Gekokujou) often held parties where guests identified authentic tea in their games. Guests were initially given 10 cups of tea — but could increase to even 30 or a 100 cups per guest! Cups were not exclusive to guests — they were often shared and passed around. Among Japan’s warrior class (Samurai), the lord took the first sip and passed the cup to his family members. This was believed to strengthen ties of family members.

Photo by 五玄土 ORIENTO on Unsplash

Food has historically been a bonding force throughout cultures; the tea ceremony is one such example. Respect is a core characteristic of the ceremony, integrated through the Samurai class.

It is represented by the character ‘kei’ derived from traditional Chinese. The guest assumes a humble position; irrespective of his or her social status. They crawl through a tiny entrance (called Nigiriguchi in Japanese), kneel down and bow to a hanging scroll. The politeness of the host must not be confused with coldness or aloofness. Unlike other cultures, the Japanese are seldom animated or openly affectionate towards guests. However, the tea ceremony brings out a dominant trait of host-guest interactions in Japan — balancing personal space with warmth and hospitality.

Order and cleanliness are core values to Japanese culture and are represented in the tea ceremony too.

Essential items (such as utensils) are thoroughly cleaned by the host to enhance the experience. During the ceremony, a pure heart is what conducts rituals, not memory. The value of purity (represented by the character ‘sei’ in Japanese) is significant on both a literal and metaphorical level. Participants are cleansed on both a spiritual and metaphorical level

The aesthetics involved are crucial to the ceremony. During the Marunouchi period, a Shoin architectural style was adopted to replace the simplified warrior-class (samurai) style. The Shoin style was gradually adopted in the ceremony as well — implemented in alcoves, desks, and shelves of the auspicious room. The shoin style is a characteristic of the Ashika shoguns (1336–1572). The presence of paintings and Chinese utensils symbolizes social hierarchy, which was prevalent during the shogunate. Hierarchical order, implying a well-organized society, was an early symbol of the tea ceremony.

The shoin style contrasts with Wabi, a concept stating that beauty is carried by nature and simplicity. Tearooms influenced by this philosophy are made of bamboo, reed, and clay; utensils used are often cracked or chipped. Bamboo or tatami mats are used to cover floors. While the Shoin style confirms social order, Wabi is influenced by Buddhist ideals of frugality and minimalism. The beauty found in crude or unpretentious utensils; is one with which participants across social classes can identify with. The expression ‘wa’ of Wabi represents harmony, reflected by the colors and natural flora in the setting. Wabi strives to establish peace and oneness with nature. Once the initial three elements of the tea ceremony — wa, kei, and sei are embraced — the participant can finally embrace tranquility (given the term ‘jaku’ in Japanese). Oneness with nature is a moral value highlighted by cultures across the world; finding re-establishment in the tea ceremony as well.

The limited use of space is a distinguishing feature of a ritual. Influenced by Zen principles, the tea ceremony seeks to find freedom in limitations, meditation, and self-discipline. A small and cramped room may seem uncomfortable to a visitor, but represents infinite space and freedom to a Zen practitioner. The ceremony invites the participant to reflect inwards and align with the environment, providing harmony on a social level. In An Anthropological Perspective on the Japanese Tea Ceremony, Herbert Pluschlow mentions the function of tearooms are discursive spaces — they represent an ideal social structure. It allows man to take distance from and measure his society.

Today, the tea ceremony crosses social barriers in Japan and remains just as significant as it was 800 years ago. Moreover, the ceremony has specialized to an extent that it has three different ‘schools’ associated with it. These were established on basis of the bloodlines of the grandmasters of tea (called Iemoto in Japanese). The experts take pride in their specialized steps of tea making; resulting in a creamy beverage without a hint of bitterness. Uji and Kyoto are well-known among tourists for their tea houses, plantations and the ceremony itself. The flow and etiquette of the ceremony provides a subtle blend of discipline and tranquility its participants captures the beauty of the ceremony.