Japanese Tea Ceremony Symbolisms

            The Japanese tea ceremony, or the Way of the Tea as it is known in Japan, is a very complex ritual that calls for perfection in every move. Although tea originally came from China, the tea ceremony has become a uniquely Japanese tradition that is seen as a symbol of the Japanese way of life. As with every ritual in the world, it is founded on myths and philosophies, more specifically Zen Buddhism.

There are four basic principles to the Japanese tea ceremony. These are respect, purity, harmony and tranquility. Respect calls for the host to be respectful to his/her guest regardless of their status in life. A guest could show respect to the host by properly observing the etiquettes of the ceremony. Purity means leaving the worries of the world behind while doing the ceremony. The host should also perform the ceremony out of pure heart. Purity is also practiced through the ritual cleaning of the tea utensils. To achieve harmony, the ceremony and even the teahouse itself should mimic nature. Even the tea garden should be a representation of the nature surrounding it. If the first three concepts are followed, experienced and embraced, the observers of the ceremony can finally achieve tranquility. The teahouse itself is also full of symbolism. You may observe that the walls are unpainted and edges are rough because that’s how nature looks like.

Before entering a teahouse, guests are required to wash their hands and mouth in a stone basin called a tsukubai. This practice is a symbol of purification, in which the dust and dirt of the world are washed away before entering the teahouse. Entering the teahouse through a small door (approximately 68 cm), the guests are reminded to be humble and leave their pride outside the door for inside, all are equal. The tea room itself is full of Zen symbolism. In Japanese, one of its names is sukiya, which means a place of emptiness. The topic of emptiness is an important concept of Zen, because it represents enlightenment.

The size of the room also has a meaning to it. The ideal size of the room is about 3 sqm or 4.5 tatami mats. This means that it can be divided into 9 equal parts. The number 9 is important to many cultures because it symbolizes completion. After the guests enter the teahouse, they are seated on the east facing west, while the host is sits on the southwest corner of the room. This system is founded on the idea that evil travels from the northwest so the host can then absorb the evil influence, thereby protecting the guests. Even the items that are used in the ceremony actually have individual meanings to them. For example, sandalwood incense is used. It is because this incense is commonly associated with Buddha and is used to convey a sense of transcendence and purification.

All of these things happen before tea is served. The purpose of these activities is to purify the participants before the ceremony. After tea is served and drank, the utensils are examined by the guests who admire the beauty of the objects. These actions further connote the respect of the guests to their host. Then the utensils are ritually washed in front of the guests to again purify them. The guests then exchange final greetings with the host and then leave the tea house for the waiting room. They then bow to the host, and then take leave.