Tea Ceremony Symbolism

Before attempting to understand the Japanese tea ceremony, a student of this deeply symbolic occasion must have some understanding of the history of the culture that created it. While short, the following is a fair representation of the roots and importance of the chanoyo in that country.

During through most of the history of Japan, war was a constant. The struggle to control the relatively limited amount of land available for cultivation and living produced some of the greatest techniques in the creation of weaponry. Because of the same limitations on living space, the culture developed that understood the need for a counter to the violence that could come at any moment. The introduction of Buddhism and the teaching that all life was impermanent and that clinging to what was impermanent was the source of suffering created a perfect setting for a peaceful counter to every day stress. The pursuit of peace within a person’s life and relationships with the world gave balance to the inherent chaos of life.

The tea ceremony came from the warrior culture of the Samurai. Tea was originally brought to Japan by Buddhist monks and understood to be medicinally valuable. Because of the initial association with Buddhism and good health, tea was largely contained to the elite upper class and religious ceremonies. Over centuries, as the Samurai became the de facto ruling class in the name of the emperor, what they did became popular with the farmers and merchant classes. Tea was, for all essential purposes, filtered through the levels of society from the top down.

The early tea ceremonies were actually pleasant competitions where Samurai wishing to show that they were well educated and cultured would taste different teas. The winner would be the one who correctly identified the teas that came from the finest batches and specific gardens in Kyoto. These events became more popular and eventually became settings where peaceful conversation and even treaties would be agreed on. The calming influence of the tea was broadened to include it as a primary component of the end of tensions between people.

By the 16th century, tea had become part of life across the entire spectrum of Japanese life. The teachings of one figure cemented the use of ceremony and tea together. Sen no Rikyu was born in present day Osaka in 1522. During his life he studied under multiple masters of the art of tea. His later life before his death in 1591 were when he brought together the components that today make up the tea ceremony. His contributions were vast, including the layout of the rooms that are used and several types of utensils. One of the most important aspects he imparted was that every meeting between people was unique and should be treated with the respect that a singular event deserved. He also taught that the tea should allow all parties to put aside their differences, as it showed that no matter how many or deep the differences between people, there was always a commonality between them – particularly over a cup of good tea.

Tea Ceremony Symbolism