Meeting In A Tea Cup

Strangely enough humanity has so far met in the tea-cup.
- Kakuzō Okakura

I finished reading The Book of Tea by Kakuzō Okakura, written in 1906. He comes to the pages with views of his own Japanese culture and has many comparisons of our western world. To me, this was fascinating. Reading it excites me to learn more about tea and the Japanese lifestyle, as he details the way they decorate, how they focus on simplicity, and how they are very intentional about not being symmetrical in decor. The tea room, specifically, has meanings behind every aspect. Each detail is well thought out, and nothing is overlooked, from the shape of the vase placed on a table, the short doorway of the traditional tea room (which causes every person to duck low, a sign of humility), the dress of the patrons, the dishes, the cleanliness, etc.

Thus prepared the guest will silently approach the sanctuary, and, if a samurai, will leave his sword on the rack beneath the eaves, the tea-room being pre-eminently the house of peace.

The book is a compilation of topics -  tea, tea-houses, religion, art, culture, decor, and the western world. His words written more than a hundred years ago still speak truths to the differences in our cultures. He points out the propensity of the western world to collect more and more, and to display their wealth with grand houses and displays like a museum inside them. While, the Japanese aim to display simplicity and neutral tones. Clutter in a house clutters the mind, but the westerners always seek more. It was interesting to read from this perspective (myself being a westerner), and finding many pieces of truth all the same.

I like the focus on thoughtfulness, mindfulness, and simplicity. The desire to remove distractions appeals to me as I seek to be intentional in my life in all aspects. We have much to learn from one another, in our different cultures. There are pieces of truth in all of them.

In the tea-room it is left for each guest in imagination to complete the total effect in relation to himself.