Life Lessons And The Way of Tea and Balance
The Japanese have made an art form out of using tea for more than 455 years. This art has had a dramatic influence on the culture in Japan that is still present today.
“The Way of Tea (Chado)”, in the West, is a popular tea ceremony. This ceremony has a lasting effect on those who practice throughout their lives and provides insights on life lessons. Chado is actually a complex discipline that combines different types of Japanese crafts, arts and also teaches appreciation for such things as garden design, textiles and architecture.
A person can find peace and comfort, as well as interceptive on life lessons through nature’s pure serenity today. Sanctuary such as this is found when one studies “The Way of Tea”. One can begin to understand the movements of tea through also considering various aspects of nature and our surrounding environment. This begins an appreciation of the delicate balance between motion and stillness.
Our world is full of appointments and commitments on a daily basis and we all need some sense of calmness. This tea ceremony is a way of slowing life down long enough to notice all the details. Tea is the living practice for balancing the present with traditional beliefs.
Tea is not just for satisfying physical thirst, as there is a broader use for it. You will discover that tea also satisfies a person’s emotional thirst, as well as the physical one. However, you must train your thinking to be serene and peaceful at the same time you learn the tea ceremony.
A person has to give your body and spirit time to adjust, as you train in the practice of Chado. This is part of the purpose of this tea ceremony. Practice of mindfulness on a regular basis leads one to learning the tea’s movements, as well as the philosophy associated with tea.
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The Four Principles (Life Lessons) of Chado
WA – Harmony
The principle of this is an oneness between people and nature. With every tea ceremony, harmony is discovered with all who are attendance. The harmony involved in Chado could lead people to understand the delicacy of everything.
KEI – Respect
A feeling of thankfulness leads to respect. The practice of the tea ceremony to the beginner may seem overly formal and strict, but all is done just to create an atmosphere of respect.
SEI – Purity
Other important parts in the study of the tea ceremony are order lateness and cleanliness in both a spiritual and physical sense. SEI purity is about simplification and doing away with any unneeded elements.
JAKU – Tranquility
Jaku is not a principle of tea that can be directly attained through one specific practice. However, the silence of Jaku will be attained when you practice WA Harmony, KEI Respect and SEI Purity.
Sen no Rikyo, who lived from 1522 to 1591 stated, “Know that this is fundamental: the way of tea consists simply of boiling water, preparing tea, and drinking it.”
You may at first, feel the tea movements seem awkward and slow, but with further practice you will deeper understand the movements and how it relates to life’s lessons You have to understand at which point the form is crucial, but to know this is not enough. Studying tea also leads to studying life itself and life lessons.
You have a chance to reflect on your personal state of being, when preparing tea. When you connect with your heart, as you whisk the tea, you learn the true meaning of Chado.
During Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior Intensive we will explore and participate in Chado to help you reflect on life lessons.
