Introduction: Rikyu, Emptiness and the Way of Tea
I first learned about Rikyu while watching the documentary Dream Window: Reflections on the Japanese Garden at Four Seasons of Gardens in Kyoto, Photographs by Mizuno Katsuhiko, an exhibit at the Japanese Foundation, Toronto, which ran from June 17 – August 27, 2009.
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During the documentary they mentioned the concept of emptiness and that less is more. Preliminary research revealed that Rikyu was a Japanese tea master.
I struggled to understand the concept of “emptiness” and the “Way of Tea.” Many of the concepts I came across during my research on Rikyu were quite foreign to me as a westerner. My interpretation is that the notion of “emptiness” or “nothingness” focuses on frugality, simplicity, authenticity, freedom from attachments and possessions, at oneness with nature and self, reverence and a respect for life. Emptiness leads to enlightenment.
What is the Way of Tea?
Japanese Tea Ceremony is a tradition, a ritual in Japan which started many centuries ago. It was often an elaborate ceremony, and Rikyu is credited for making it a quieter and simpler affair so that everyone, wealthy and poor could practice “tea.” Japanese tea ceremonies are not just about drinking tea, but about meditating, getting back to the fundamentals of what is really important in life. Fellowshiping with one another. This is so important in our 24/7 world.
Rikyu's approach to tea became known as wabicha. To truly understand tea, Rikyu believed practitioners needed to study poetry, art, literature, architecture, and history. He taught four guiding principles: harmony (wa), respect (kei), purity (sei), and tranquility (jaku), principles that could serve as a foundation for any good life. What Is Wabi-Sabi?
That list is intersection thinking in practice. Rikyu treated tea as a discipline that could only be mastered by drawing from fields that had nothing to do with tea on the surface. Poetry sharpened his sense of imagery. Architecture shaped his sense of space. History gave him context for why simplicity mattered more in his era than in others. None of these subjects taught him tea directly, but together they made his understanding of it deeper than any single discipline could have.
The current Grand Master of the tradition has described the purpose of the Tea-Way as “to realize tranquility in communion with others within our world.” That tranquility works on three levels: within yourself, in your relationships with others, and in harmony with your surroundings. The tea ceremony itself becomes a kind of meditation in motion, each moment coming into focus and then releasing into the next. The Psychology of Peace through the Way of Tea
Who was Rikyu?
- Son of one of the wealthy Sakai merchants
- Japanese tea master who lived from 1521-1591
- Zen Buddhist monk
- Practiced the way of tea as a path to enlightenment
- Taught the four principles of tea: “wa” , “kei”, “sei,” and ‘jaku”
- Tragic death ordered by the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598)
Final Thoughts: Rikyu, Emptiness and the Way of Tea
For me, the way to tea and emptiness suggest that we should take comfort in the simple things in life, truly be ourselves and build community with one another. We need more people today to experience the way of tea and emptiness to live a more fulfilled and satisfied life. What does the way to tea mean to you? Will you make space for emptiness in your life?
Rikyu also left behind a quieter lesson: mastery in one discipline often comes from studying several others first. Where else in your life are you mastering one thing by studying five others?
Products to Buy to Help You Experience the Way of Tea
RIKYU RKTS508CP Cast Iron Tea Pot Tea Set Pine Copper, 24 Ounce, Gold
RIKYU TS20/06BK Cast Iron Bamboo Tea Set with Trivet, 16 Ounce, Black by JapanBargain
Iwachu Japanese Iron Tetsubin Teapot with “Rikyu Green” Maple Leaf, Burgundy/Lichen Green
Way of Tea: Reflections on a Life with Tea
The Japanese Way of Tea: From Its Origins in China to Sen Rikyu
Wind in the Pines: Classic Writings of the Way of Tea as a Buddhist Path
Further Reading
The Psychology of Peace through the Way of Tea By Ms. Sheila Fling
Source
“An Anthropological Perspective on the Japanese Tea Ceremony,” Herbert Plutschow, Anthropoetics 5, no. 1 (Spring/Summer 1999)
The Psychology of Peace through the Way of Tea By Ms. Sheila Fling
Stress Management and Conflict Resolution via the Way of Tea? Japan Studies Association Journal (2001), Volume 3, 65-71
You can watch Dream Window: Reflections On The Japanese Garden (Full HD)
Next Steps
Wondering what to do next, you can do all of:
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