How to explore Chapter 5

In this chapter, we will be exploring the history of Japanese tea culture, the ritual of steeped leaves in Japan, called Senchado, and a mindful way to connect to the ritual of powdered leaves, or Matcha.

You can start this chapter by exploring the audio file “Chapter 5 - Japanese tea history”, supported by the written theory. Then you will be invited to explore the ritual of Senchado. You will find the audio file “Chapter 5 - the ritual of Senchado”, a video presenting the vessels and tools for the ritual, followed by a video demonstrating the flow of the ritual. Finally you will have the occasion to explore a way to connect mindfully to the ritual of Matcha.

Japanese Tea History

The tea plant didn’t grow in Japan until the first seed of Camellia Sinensis was brought to the land, and sown in the earth. The story of tea in Japan starts around the 8th century, when two Japanese monks, Saicho and Kukai, traveled to China to study Chan buddhism. The monk Saicho returned to Japan with tea and founded the Tendai school of Buddhism. The monk Kukai returned to Japan with tea and founded the Shingon mantra school of buddhism. Later in history, around the 12th century, the Japanese monk Eisai traveled to China to study Chan buddhism, and returned not only with tea but also with seeds of the plant Camellia Sinensis. He also founded the Rinzai school of buddhism. It was during the Genpei war, a national civil war separating the Heian and Kamakura periods. 

Eisai was hoping to reunify the country through the wisdom of Zen and Tea. For Japan, a bowl of tea was a bowl of peace. 

Tea production began in Japan during the 12th century. Eisai shared the wisdom of tea through his book “Kissa Yōjōki”, focusing on the health benefits of tea. 

One of the main disciples of Eisai, the monk Dogen, traveled to China in the 12th century, and returned to Japan with many tools for tea, and founded the Soto school of Buddhism. 

Tea in Japan was shared following the Song dynasty method of whisked powdered tea, or Matcha.

During the 15th century, the practice of tea evolved into a more organized ritual.

The monk Murata Juko is considered to be the father of the traditional tea ceremony, developing a ritual influenced by the work of his teacher Ikkyu Sojun and the philosophy of Wabi Sabi.

Wakei Seijaku 和 敬 清 寂

harmony, respect, purity, tranquility

Ikkyu Sojun, his teacher, was carrying the lineage of the Rinzai school of buddhism, like most tea masters of Japanese history. According to Ikkyu Sojun, Tea & Zen share the same essence, which influenced Murata Juko to develop the wabi cha style of traditional japanese tea ceremony.

Most of the key theories and core values of this ritual can be found in the document “Kokoro no fumi” 心の文 (letter from the heart), a poetic philosophical text that has been used across generations in Zen, tea, calligraphy, and spiritual arts, to refer to the inner virtues of practice that are transmitted in quiet or humble form. This text conveys teachings and reflections on 4 important core values related to this practice ; Kin, Kai, Sei, Ji.

Kin 謹 (Reverence & Respect)

謹 is for sincerity, humility and careful thought — carrying the energy of reverent mindfulness.

I am facilitating the dance of water and leaves with humility, reverence and respect, letting the experience guide & inform me.

Kai 戒 (Discipline)

戒 is for self-restraint, moral precepts, proper boundaries, inner vigilance and self-regulation.

I am engaging in the practice as a pure vessel, centered in my presence, transmuting my personal experience into dedicated awareness.

Sei 清 (Purity & Clarity)

清 is for a pure and undisturbed mind, clear like spring water for tea.

I am entering the tea space honoring the purity of the container and the energy within the container (body, vessels, space and spirit), removing the dust of the past, so I can be fully present to this moment.

Ji 慈 (Compassion)

慈 is for deep heartfelt benevolence, a core buddhist virtue encouraging undifferentiated and impartial love for all beings on earth.

I am offering compassion and kindness, in equal measure to whoever I serve in life, regardless of our relationship.

Murata Juko was practicing Ranga poetry, a type of linked-verse collaborative poetry.

In ranga poetry, each author writes a stanza and each stanza stands in relation only to the adjoining stanza. The first stanza is written, followed by the second stanza. When the third stanza is written, the first stanza is vanishing, no longer existing. Ranga poetry shares the essence of Wabi Sabi : transience, impermanence, imperfection. 

The ranga poetry practice of Murata Juko was another influence in the creation of the Wabi Cha (tea ceremony).

In the 16th century, the lineage of Murata Juko was transmitted to Takeno Joo, another important tea master who studied under the Rinzai school at the Daitoku-ji temple, in the Kyoto area. Takeno Joo was credited for honoring simplicity and minimalism in his tea practice, and for the document “Wabi no fumi” 侘びの文 (Letter on Wabi), where he shares a list of core values to honor Wabi Cha tea ceremony:

• Wabi cha is honesty

• Wabi cha is prudence and self restraint, both emotional and material

• Simplicity and minimalism is at the core of this practice

• Wabi cha is generosity and loving kindness

• Manners should be polite and harmonious

• One must not be critical of others and their tea ceremony

• One must be humble, without pride

• One should not use the utensils of others without being invited to

• Tea ceremony must not be reduced to the appreciation of utensils

• Utensils should not be distracting you from the experience of the tea

• Wabi cha is first and foremost an occasion to consider the heart of your guests

Later in the 16th century, the lineage of Takeno Joo was transmitted to the venerable Sen no rikyu, an important tea master who studied Zen in Sakai, and later in Kyoto at the Daitoku-ji temple. Rikyu became a very well recognized tea master in the beginning of his 20’, after being associated with two great political figures of the Azuchi-Momoyama period in Japan, Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Sen no rikyu had the occasion to serve tea in the famous Golden Tearoom, but also in a small two-mat tea hut called Yamazato. There isn’t clear information on how he felt to be separated between two very contrasting styles, but we may think that due to his Zen training, Sen no rikyu had a preference for the small minimal tea space.

One of the most famous sentence of Sen no rikyu, “Ichi-go Ichi-e”, which can be translated as “One time, One meeting”, or “Only this moment is life”, shedding light on the unrepeatable and transient quality of the moment.

Rikyu is credited for the influence of the Raku, a type of pottery traditionally used in the tea ceremony, embodying the essence of wabi sabi. Rikyu influenced the importance of developing a purified taste in material things, as a way to transcend materialism, to be able to focus on the connection to the tea and nature in the ceremony. He would encourage rustic and authentic tools and vessels.

“ Chanoyu must be made with the heart

Not with the hands

Make it without making it

From the stillness of your mind “

- Sen No Rikyu

The lineage of Sen no rikyu was transmitted through 3 of his grandson, who founded the San-senke lines, 3 main schools of japanese tea ceremony : Omotesenke, Urasenke and Mushanokoji senke. Some of Rikyu’s disciplines formed their own lineages of tea, and many other lines came from the Urasenke line. Today we are celebrating the 16th generation of tea masters carrying the lineage of the Urasenke line. The lineage of Sen no rikyu is still being transmitted, 400 years later. 

Koans and Tea Ceremony

Traditionally, the tea ceremony is shared in silence. 

Due to the influence of zen, it is also possible to incorporate the exploration of koans, through the experience of tea.

The word “koan” is difficult to translate. It could be understood as an invitation for contemplation.

An occasion to remember nothingness, to explore the “great doubt”, the unknown.

A koan can be a sentence, a story, that isn’t “making sense” according to the version of “sense” or “reality” that we tend to get attached to. It is an invitation to meditate, beyond the common sense of reality that we know.

An example of Koan can be :

“This reality is not this reality, therefore it is this reality”

“Can you feel the colors of your breath”

You can explore koans through the books :

• The Gateless Gate

• The Blue Cliff Records

• The book of Equanimity

Tea Exploration : the ritual of Senchado

In the 17th century, the chinese monk Ingen traveled to Japan and brought the practice of Gongfu cha to the japanese. As opposed to the Wabi Cha or traditional japanese tea ceremony, where powdered green tea is served, the Japanese were now receiving the initiation for steeped tea leaves.

From this way and ritual, the practice of Senchado was born, consisting of steeping tea leaves into vessels, similar to the idea and intention found in Gongfu cha. In Japan, Senchado is the equivalent of the chinese way of Gongfu cha. 

Ingen was also the founder of the Obaku school of Zen. 

Senchado ritual became popular during the 18th century because of the monk Baisao, a tea master who decided to carry the practice of Senchado into the street of Kyoto, to share tea in a more casual manner, allowing tea to become more accessible to people from different communities, beyond the temples. One of Baisao's famous quotes would be “In this tea caddy, I’ve got the whole Universe”. 

In Senchado, we typically serve either Sencha or Gyokuro tea.

Traditionally, only 3 infusions are being served.

The first cup is Umami (vibrant), the second cup is Nigami (bitter) and the third cup is vanishing (gentle and light). Senchado is reminiscent of the transience and impermanence of life. The cups are slightly bigger than for Gongfu cha, since the journey is much shorter. After the third cup, the leaves can be eaten raw, or cooked into a wok with tamari sauce and served to eat. You will learn more about ways to reuse your leaves after tea, in Chapter 7, the ritual beyond the ritual.

In the following videos, you will get the opportunity to learn about the different vessels, tools and gestures, as well as explore the flow of the ritual of Senchado.

2 OPTIONS OF STEEPING VESSELS FOR SENCHADO

SENCHADO : PRESENTATION OF VESSELS AND TOOLS

Tools and vessels for Senchado

• Tea leaves, preferably a steamed tea, either Sencha or Gyokuro

• Kettle (in clay) with side handle and heating system (charcoal or other), on the left in the video

• Chabu (tea runner) or tea tray, made of bamboo or other material. It is the soil of your ritual, on which the vessels and tools are placed

• Steeping vessel : Hohin (vessel without handle, as shown in the video) or Yokode Kyusu (vessel with side handle)

• Yuzamashi: a vessel without a handle, in which we pour water, to let the water cool down, before transferring the water to the steeping vessel, as shown in the video

• Tea cups, a little larger than the cups used in gong fu cha

• Charyo: a tool used to present the tea leaves before the ritual, on the right in the video, either made of bamboo, clay or metal

• Kenshui: A container serving to rinse the vessels, just like the Jian Shui in Gong fu cha (on the right in the video)

• Chashaku: a teaspoon for the leaves

• Chakin (small linen or hemp cloth serving to purify the tea bowl and tools)

• Incense and incense holder

• Vase with fresh flowers

SENCHADO : THE FLOW OF THE RITUAL

SENCHADO : SECOND AND THIRD CUPS

JAPANESE TEA

In japanese culture, there are different categories of tea. Some are being produced following the steaming method, some are produced following the pan-frying method, some are powdered, some are roasted, some are aged and fermented. Here are a few of the main categories of tea. 

MATCHA MEDITATION

I am receiving a lot of requests from students wishing to explore a mindful way to connect with their matcha in a ritual. I do wish to advise that I am careful not to use the term “Chanoyu” here, but Matcha meditation instead. Although I have studied and explored the ritual of Matcha from teachers who studied under the Urasenke lineage, my practice is focused mostly on steeped leaves and not powdered leaves. Since we do have a beautiful Matcha at WAOTEA, produced from the same farmer producing our beautiful Gyokuro tea, I have been deepening my practice of powdered tea in the past few years. I have created for you a simple Matcha Meditation ritual, to connect mindfully to your powdered green tea. In the tradition, we start the ritual by preparing koicha (a thick form of matcha), but for this ritual, we will only be preparing usucha (the more known thin-liquid form of matcha). 

Vessels and tools for Matcha ritual :

• Matcha (we recommend Ikigai Matcha from WAOTEA)

• Chaki (the caddy in which your matcha is stored)

• Chagama (kettle and heating system, to boil your water)

• Simple chaxi (a bamboo tea runner)

• Hishaku (long bamboo ladle to pour the water)

• Chawan (Matcha bowl)

• Chasen (Matcha whisk)

• Chashaku (tea scoop)

• Small strainer, to sift your powder into the bowl

• Fukusa (a cloth used to symbolically purify the tea scoop and tea caddy)

• Chakin (small linen or hemp cloth to purify the tea bowl)

• Kenshui (waste water container, to discard the water for your rinse)

• Incense and incense holder

• Sweets, to eat before receiving or serving the Matcha

• Kashiki, the vessel to present the sweets

• Flower container with fresh flowers

The flow of the ritual :

• Sitting on the ground, close to the Earth

• All containers and tools in front of you

• Purify the Chashaku and Chaki with the Fukusa

• Purify the contour of the Chawan with Chakin

• Take Hishaku then bring water into the Chawan to purify it, then purify the Chasen in the Chawan

• Pour the rinse water into the Kenshui, the waste water container

• Serve the sweet bites

• “Okashi o dozo” (please receive the sweet bites)

• “Chodai Itashimasu” (I receive with gratitude)

• Preparation of Matcha Usucha

• Place the small strainer above the Chawan, to sift the Matcha and obtain a very fine powder

• Add 2 teaspoons with your Chashaku in the strainer, then sift the powder into the Chawan

• Remove the strainer, then add the hot water with the Hishaku on top of the powdered tea

• You are trying to fill the Chawan to about a quarter of water, so very little water

• Then whip the Matcha with the Chasen, from the bottom of the bowl, by doing "z" shapes with your whisk, for a few seconds, until you obtain a foam

• Take the Matcha bowl in your hands, then turn it 2 times clockwise to present the pretty side of the bowl to your guest.

• When the guest receives the bowl, they turn the bowl 2 times clockwise, so as not to drink directly from the pretty side of the bowl

• “O-temae chodai itashimasu” (I receive the tea with gratitude)

• If there is another guest, we can place the Chawan between ourselves and the other, then share “o-saki ni” to apologize for receiving the Matcha first

• Each guest is served one after the other

• When we are done receiving the Matcha, we turn the Chawan 2 times counterclockwise, to replace the Chawan to the same way it was received

• Then we put the Chawan on the ground, so that the host can purify it with hot water, then purify the Chasen, then pour the rinse water into the water waste container

• All the tools are now placed in the same way we started the ritual

• We finally take a moment to meditate with the wisdom of the wood element, shared through this ritual; the movement of the breath, the wind of change, in this infinite dance.

TEA COURSE PACKAGE

If you are supporting your practice with the tea course package, for this chapter, for the ritual of Senchado, we explore Mudita Sencha, a beautiful vibrant organic sencha green tea from Kyushu island, Japan. The leaves of this beautiful sencha were harvested at the end of April 2020, steamed and processed following the tradition, by a small family owned tea farm of Yame. 

Mudita sencha is carrying the vibrant wisdom of the Wood element, inviting us to allow our roots to settle into truth, as we honor the wind of change. “Mudita” is a buddhist idea that could translate as “rejoicing in other people’s joy”, or the joy of experiencing the joy of others. Mudita Sencha is a breath of light.