Amy C

Discover the 3 Easy Steps To Performing A Japanese Tea Ceremony



Posted: Sunday, January 10, 2010

by Amy C
Tabletop Fountains

Japanese tea ceremonies are traditionally known as "sadou", which translates to "The Way of Tea" in English. The two key aspect of a Japanese tea ceremony are balance and simplicity. This ceremony is given special importance and is performed with unique rituals.

Here are the 3 easy steps to perform a Japanese tea ceremony:

1.) Purification: This is the first step of performing the ceremony. Teishu, the performer of ceremony, purifies his hand and mouth by doing the cleansing ritual using a Tsukubai fountain. Guests are indicated to enter the tea house by ringing a bell. The Teishu bows down to his guests upon their entrance. After this, the Teishu leads the group through the gate towards the ceremony location. This gate has a spiritual significance as it represents the seperation between physical world and spiritual world.

2.) As the tea ceremony continues, the performer of ceremony brings in the tea container into the room.This container, also known as chasen, is placed next to the water. Symbolically, this whisk is related to moon and water is related to moon. The reason for placing the whisk in vicinity of water is to balance and harmonize the energy of tea and water and thereby create a yin-yan balance.

3.) Now is when the actual ceremony commences. Before serving the tea, the performer cleans the tea container and the tea scoop with fine silk cloth. The host pours the tea in the bowl and serves it to the guests, however, it is done with lot of grace and elegance. The bowl is offered in a fashion so that it is facing towards the guest so that they can enjoy the visual beauty of the beautiful bowl.

Japanese gardens are perfect place to relax and rejuvenate your senses. Waterfalls, bamboo fountains, and tea houses are common elements of a Japanese garden. Outside the tea house in a Japanese tea garden, there is a bamboo fountain - this fountain is known as Tsukubai. Visitors are required to perform cleansing ritual using the Tsukubai bamboo fountain prior to entering the tea house. Traditional Japanese monks believe that doing so purifies their soul and de-clutters their mind while enhancing their spiritual appeal.

This ritual of tea ceremony considered highly ceremonial in Japanese culture. These are the three steps to performing a Japanese Tea Ceremony. It is one of the most serene experiences and is performed with a lot of grace, while savoring each and every step.

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Amy C. invites you to design your own Japanese tea house - To design a Japanese Bamboo Fountain, browse the high-quality bamboo spout collection at the Tabletop Fountain Store.
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