Winter intensive

The day after Christmas, December 26th we had our first Winter intensive at Issoan Tea School.  For my students it was their first intensive.  We started at 3 pm and ended at 9:30 pm.  In between we sat zazen, practiced warigeiko, reviewed movement in the tearoom,  did five teamae, laid the charcoal shozumi and rebuilt the charcoal fire gozumi.  One student brought a sushi platter and I made ankake udon for everyone.  It was such a success, that we plan to make it an annual event.

Shozumi and Gozumi, laying the initial fire and reubuilding the fire were particular highlights.  We don't often get to do these procedures, and especially gozumi so it was a special treat.  The charcoal is kind of like your timing device to keep your tea gathering on track. The charcoal is made from special wood and cut into specific size and shape to burn for a specified length of time.   It is amazing to hear the singing of the kettle suddenly go silent (and it does seem to be sudden) all at once.  It is also a clue to the guests that it is time to take their leave.

Of the two, gozumi is more difficult because you never know what the fire is going to look like as it burns down.  Many factors contribute to how the fire burns, from the haigata (ash form), to how the initial fire was laid, to shape of the kettle, how big the furo, how deep the ro,  to how long the fire has burned. 

So as a host, the first thing you do when you remove the kettle replenish it is to observe how the fire has burned.  How much charcoal is left?  Did the center collapse?  How much of the dozumi (large front charcoal) has burned?  Then you rearrange the coals to make room for fresh charcoal and lay them in the fire.  You have to use your own judgement whether to use all the charcoal in the basket or only use part of them.

It was a nice fire the students built.  And within 30 seconds of returning the kettle to the fire, we once again heard the matsukaze, the sound of the wind in the pines and the murmuring of the kettle.

The differences are the same

I had the privilege of attending an Omotesenke chakai this last weekend.  Even though I have participated in chakai in Japan, it was very educational to be able to see it again in a much more intimate setting.  

I get asked all the time about the differences between Omotesenke and Urasenke.  I usually respond that I don't study Omotesenke, so I cannot really compare and contrast the pros and cons of each. But I'd like to offer a few observances from the perspective of being a guest.

Our host is an experienced tea sensei from Japan.  In fact, she is a third generation tea teacher. She prepared the chakai for us, knowing that most if not all the guests were from the Urasenke tradition.

What surprised me, when it really shouldn't have, was how similar the chakai was to Urasenke style.  After all, the history is the same, the aesthetics are the same, it's connection to Zen is the same. the utensils are the same, and the order of the temae is the same. I felt very comfortable attending the chakai because most of it is the same as a typical Urasenke chakai: The tokonoma display is the same, the sweets are the same, nearly all the utensils are the same, and the order of the temae is the same. In fact, if I were just coming to Chanoyu for the first time, I think I would be unable to distinguish a difference in the two schools.

But because I was observing very closely and paying attention there are a few small differences. One is that the sweets were served in a covered dish.  Another difference is  that the inspecting and preparing the whisk is not as vigorous and the whisk was made of smoked bamboo, rather than the white bamboo we use. One other thing that tickled me was the beginning of folding the fukusa.  It was opened with a snap and then folded in a very similar manner that we use. The final thing I noticed was that the tea was not completely foamy on the top, though it was thoroughly mixed and was really delicious. 

Though there have been some misconceptions about the differences in the tea schools, to me, it really doesn't matter what school of tea you study. Some say that one or the other school likes to show off expensive utensils, or that the way they whisk the tea is because they use inexpensive tea.  Some people say that there is a big rivalry between Urasenke and Omotesenke, but I have not had that experience.  In Kyoto they invite each other to chakai. The headquarters for the schools are right next door and they are related.  In our chakai, we all got along very well with not hints whatsoever about rivalry.  It was another experience of sharing a bowl of tea and everyone thinking of each other.

What school of tea should you study? Find a teacher that you can study with for a long time who is willing to teach you and study the school that they teach.

Another Midorikai blog

I just found another Midorikai blog.  She seems to post quite frequently and has a lot of photos.  It takes me back to the time I was there in Kyoto.

Please check it out and add comments, it helps get through the tough times at Midorikai.  Link below and at the blog roll lower left:

Fail Better

Remembering winter chakai

I remember one of the most memorable chakai was at the Japanese Garden in Winter.   The snow was softly falling and it was only the host and I.  The scroll hanging in the tokonoma read,  "Everything's important, nothing really matters."

He had opened up all of the windows to the tea house and made tea in the cold. We could see the clouds of our own breath and soon we were breathing in unison.    The world was silent and we could only hear the sound of the kettle -  matsu kaze -- sound of the wind in the pines.  We sat in the tea room, watching the snow fall onto the moss in the garden and holding onto our bowls of tea to warm our hands. Max didn't like to say much, and grumbled when there were too many guests, but it was only me and him that day, sitting in silence, drinking tea, watching the snow fall, listening to the sound of the kettle.

'Tis the season

Yesterday was Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. Today is small business Saturday and Cyber Monday coming up.  It is officially now the shopping, buying and consuming season until the end of the year.

When my husband and I were first married, I asked him not to buy me things for occasions like birthdays and Christmas.  Instead, I asked him to buy me experiences.  He has been forced to be creative and yes, he has delivered in giving me experience gifts, from a home-catered meal to a private concert, to season theater tickets.   He also has arranged for me to dig a ditch with a back hoe and a consultation with a master gardener. I have been taken the Highland games and a trip to the Grand Canyon.  He has bought me sewing classes and a chance to race a car on the track Portland International Raceway. 

 We have agreed this year to give only one gift and shop local, and by the way, extra points for experience over things.

Perhaps for this year, you too can give the gift of experience for Christmas.  There is a new Introduction to Chado class beginning in January.  You can also give the experience of a Japanese Tea Ceremony by Issoan Tea School.  For more information, visit Issoantea.com.