I had an excellent opportunity to learn about it from my Japanese friend (Minako) who is a licensed teacher, with the help of two other great Japanese friends (Akiko and Yu-chan)...all three and I have known one another for 30 years from the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program ka..and the Japanese Government should feel so gooooood the program works for cementing people-to-people ties.
It isn't easy to have a lesson!
Akiko and Yu-chan took me with them to get the 'tools' from a special tea shop just for tea ceremony! We got tea, a bamboo ladle, a whisk, paper to serve desserts, etc. to be followed by desserts at a supermarket, those that were made just for Autumn. Then, behind the scenes, the two had to wash the bowls, kettles, cups, etc. while boiling water and carefully sifting grounded tea (for better aroma and taste) to be ready for the ceremony, performed in a room that was rented for the purpose.
In the room, Minako brought a vase to the special corner and watched it carefully. When things were all set, Minako taught me how to go through the small door to the room. The thinking of having a small door was to ask samurais to get in without having their swords with them. Minor details were told too like how to open the door by the left hand and then use the right hand to slide it not all through the way to make it easier to close.
I had the honor to sit at the VIP seat!
From there, every step was delicate and without proper training, it'd be so difficult to follow. I tried to follow as much as possible and to think along, from how to appreciate everything we use like the kettle and the bowl, how to measure the right amount of tea and water, how to hold the ladle without using any force, how to 'purify' the tea bowl, how to serve, and how to drink it properly (only how to drink has a few steps to follow laew ka! Wow! Wow!)
Minako asked me to make tea after her teaching and I was clumsy but managed to finish it with her close supervision ka. During the ceremony, I learned what it meant and how to do it the right way. My teacher taught me till the end to tell me how to leave the room properly ka!
My whole learning was about the Japanese thinking. It is so philosophically cultured-- how they attach themselves to the nature, how they appreciate the art and those who have produced art pieces, how they realize what they can learn every time they see the same piece of art, how their span of attention is much longer to go through the whole process with focus and inner joy, etc.
Honestly, I didn't expect much at first because I wanted to learn to appreciate more of the Japanese cultue from this rare opportunity, that was all. To my own surprise, I was able to go through the ceremony with full concentration and Ieft the place with the very feeling of calmness and deep happiness plus definitely more 'sa-ti'-- mindfulness ka!
As I'm writing at the moment, I have inner delight within me.....still!
And as I'm feeling so, my thanks to my three friends go deeper into my heart as well!
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