Since of tea ceremony in Japan

Tea ceremony (on Japan tyanou) concerns to the most original, unique arts. It plays an essential role in a spiritual and public life during several centuries. Tyanou – strictly painted ritual in which participate the master of tea – the one who makes tea and spills it, and those who are present thus and then drink.

The first, writes N.T.Fedorenko, the priest making tea action, the second – the participants of action joining them. At each style of behaviour covering and a pose at sitting, and all movements, both a look, and a manner of speech.

Aesthetics ?????, its refined ritual submit to canons a zen-Buddhism. According to a legend, it originates from China since times of the first patriarch of Buddhism Bodxidxarma.

Once, the legend says, sitting in meditation, Bodxidxarma has felt, that its eyes are closed and against its will drives at a dream. Then, having become angry about itself, it has pulled out the eyelid and has thrown them on the ground. On this place the unusual bush with juicy leaves has soon grown.

Later pupils Bodxidxarma’s began to make these leaves hot water – the drink helped them to keep vivacity. Actually tea ceremony has arisen in China long before occurrence of the Buddhism. According to many sources, it has entered Lao-dzu. It somewhere in V century B.C., legends testify, has offered ritual with a cup of "a gold elixir". This ritual prospered in China down to the Mongolian invasion.

Later Chineses have reduced ceremony with "a gold elixir" to simple seal dried leaves of a tea bush. (this method has reached us.) the Japanese who have successfully avoided the Mongolian gain, continued to cultivate art of tea drinking, supplementing with its special manipulations.

Long since tea ceremony was indispensable attribute of meetings of the Japanese philosophers and artists. During tea drinking wise speeches were said, verses were read, works of art were considered.

Thus carefully for each case bouquets of colours and special utensils for tea leaves of a drink stole up. Gradually such procedure grasped also other layers of a society. In XVI-XVII centuries it became popular among the Japanese aristocracy, Samurais.

Tea ceremony as art tyanou was issued in some kind of system of rest from every day cares, In the most classical form it began to be made in tea small houses (tyasicy).

References specify, that first such small house is constructed in 1473 Tea small houses – tyasicy – resembled tiny poor huts of east wise men, they were extremely modest both on appearance, and on internal furniture.

Unpretentiousness of conditions created the maximum sensation of beauty, to comprehend which sense follows by philosophical judgement of a reality. As ornaments the roll with philosophical saying, a picture of the ancient artist and a bouquet of colours was supposed only. The system tyasicy and procedure of tea drinking have been developed by known masters tyanou Dzeo Taneko (1503-1555) and to Sen-no Soeki (1521-1591), become well-known under name Riku.

All known masters tyanou, Riku in particular, were adherents a zen-Buddhism. Procedure of tea ceremony and the device tyasicy reflected the basic ideas a zen. The size of a room for tea drinking (sykiya) at about eight square meters.

According to positions syters, in the similar size eighty four thousand pupils of the Buddha once could be located. This allegory has the theory of the Buddhism denying presence at truly "clarified" weight and volume of a body in the basis. Founders tyasicy, apparently, assumed to raise associations of Buddhist sense already the fact of stay in a close closet.

Such associations amplified twilight which was created by weak light from a small window under the ceiling and reflection of light from the walls trimmed by dark grey clay. All this caused in visitors sensation of a pleasant solitude in a shadow.

For full pleasure, writer D.Tanidzaki (1886-1965) approves, some twilight, limiting cleanliness and such silence that the ear distinguished even mosquito singing "is necessary to the Japanese". Japanese always, narrates Tanidzaki Dzunitaro, aspire to a shadow.

"Our drawing rooms, – it explains, – are arranged so that solar beams got into them hardly. Not being content with it, we even more delete from ourselves beams of the sun, attaching before drawing rooms special canopies or long verandahs. From a garden we pass reflected light in a room… Trying that the weak daylight only furtively got to us… We prefer this… The twilight to any ornaments – on it never tired to admire". The equipment of an interior classical tyasicy in a full degree corresponded to aesthetic canons and national character of the Japanese aspiring achievement of internal harmony. Preparation for such mood began on the approach to tyasicy.

From times Riku a tea small house surround with a small garden. The garden, in opinion of "the master of tea", should promote increase of special mood without which ceremony would appear senseless.

The introduction on lined a large stone a path leading to tyasicy, means the beginning of the first stage of meditation: entered leaves during this moment all the wordly cares and concentrates on an anticipation of its expecting ceremony.

In process of promotion to tyasicy concentration amplifies, and meditation passes in the second phase. It is promoted by the old lantern poorly shining a path in evening and night hours, a stone-well (cykabai), in the hollowed deepening storing water for lavabo and rinsings of a mouth, low, height in 90 centimeters a door through which pass, becoming in an aperture on knees.

At an input visitors make bow and take seat on-japan style on mats. Towards there is an owner, in turn, giving low bow to visitors. Melodious sounds of raging water are heard. The third stage of meditation begins. The certain mood is created also with utensils.

It is surprisingly simple: cups, a copper teapot, a bamboo mixer, hussy for storage of tea, etc. All this bears on itself a strike of time, but all is irreproachably pure. Japanese are imposed by dullness. "Europeans, – writes Tanidzaki, – use table utensils from silver, steel or nickel, polish it up to dazzling shine, we do not bear such shine.

We use silverwares also… but never polish them to brilliance. Vice versa, we are glad, when this brilliance goes down from the surface of objects, when they acquire the raid of remoteness, when they darkle from time…

We… we love things, carrying on itself tracks of human flesh, oily soot, weathering and rain edemata". Most primitive tea-pot, wooden spoon for pouring expecting, rough ceramic cup is all of renders a charming action on the participants of ceremony.

Tea is brewed special – green in the sprinkle of snow. Boiling of water in classic tyasitsu is carried out on coals from sakury. Brewing is shaken up in a cup a bamboo brush, an enough thick foamy liquid turns out.

In XVI in. the to hundred different rules of this procedure, which have force and presently, appeared. Rules behave to arrangement of flowers, boiling of water, expecting brewing, to the overflow of drink and etc

All of rules have for an object to cause sense of naturalness or feeling of art of tyanoyu without artificiality. When at Rikyu asked how he attained the trade, he answered: "Very simply. Boil water, brew tea, labour for necessary taste. Not forget about flowers, they must look as living. In summer create coolness, in winter – pleasant warmth. That be all". He added and then: "Show me that, who grasped all of it, I with pleasure a figure by his student".

Sense of tea ceremony, it is talked, opens up in the known saying of Rikyu: "Tyanoyu is worship beauty in the grey light of week-days".

In modern terms such worship is distant but always appears possible. The stormy stream of life takes, takes in people, and to Japanese, it would seem, not to traditions. However much it is, it does not behave to the tea ceremony, it was firmly intertwined in life and way of life of Japan. However in accordance with the spirit of time, justly notices Navlitskaya, in our time dividing of procedure happened into the "real" and "facilitated".

All of traditional terms are strictly observed in first case, including the use of tyasitsu, where enter, rising on a stone and "creeping" in the narrow opening. Sit only on heels, a talk is conducted only within the framework of classic ritual. The "facilitated" ceremony is often conducted in ordinary apartments, tables and chairs are even put in rooms. Thus, certainly, the process of tea-drinking, formal remaining unchanging, is somehow simplified.

The nevertheless developed dzen-buddhists cult is jealously guarded, retreat from traditional procedure is considered in Japan undesirable. Thus, the canons of dzen-buddhism are however observed. The participants of tea ceremony are attached to these canons, it would seem, insignificant, however having large suggesting force by receptions.

The nevertheless developed dzen-buddhists cult is jealously guarded, retreat from traditional procedure is considered in Japan undesirable. Thus, the canons of dzen-buddhism are however observed. The participants of tea ceremony are attached to these canons, it would seem, insignificant, however having large suggesting force by receptions.

On a wall the roll with philosophical saying hangs. It is written to a dzen-Buddhist style and such archaic calligraphy, that the few can disassemble and understand sense written, for example: "the Bamboo green, and flowers red" or "Water is water".

To visitors explain this sense, it, apparently, is very simple, but deeper in the philosophical attitude: "Things are things, and it is fine!" Sometimes these ideas are expressed in the poetic form haiky, sometimes reflected in a picture of the old master, as a rule, with observance of a principle vabi.

As the master of tea ceremony Sokey speaks, "the purpose vabi – to allow to feel cleanliness, noncontamination monasteries of the Buddha. That is why the owner and visitors as soon as enter into a modest tea hut, clear itself of a terrestrial dust and conduct conversation hearts".

Procedure of tea-drinking, inculcated in Japan the monks of sect dzen, in modern terms continues to use a mass appeal. The substantive provisions of this thin procedure-art are explained on lectures in universities, on different sections, on employments of "groups of tyanoyu", organized large firms and public organizations.

Japaneses acknowledge and carefully cultivate the canons of tea ceremony not only because it enables them aesthetic pleasure. In the ritual of this ceremony they feel itself: strict regulation of conduct, exactly set pretexts for a ceremony, fully certain utensil and etc

For conducting of tea ceremony in most cases there is one enough desire, however there are occasions and sacral plan.

An owner sends invitation friends, and those two-three days prior to tea thank him for the rendered attention. In the day of tea-drinking guests going 15-20 minutes prior to the appointed time in the specially taken small room and choose the honoured guest (sekyaku) which is usually become by the man of more pride of place or senior on age.

They also expressly determine a subsequent hierarchy: who will be the second, third and etc Exactly in such order guests wash hands and included in the room intended for a ceremony and take one's the seats.

In guests kayseki is preceded the official tea-drinking, I.e. helping to the various set of meal: here both soups and rice, both fish and potato with seasoning and etc Owner, treating guests, tries to tell them some interesting case or history, he does all possible, to do a pastime very pleasant. For this purpose guests are treated and by small portion sake. Eat everything little by little, otherwise there is not sense in tea procedure.

Tea-drinking is begun with thick tea. An owner places cups so that he had them near at hand, and begins a tea action. At first drink prepares in one large cup for all of guests. Traditionally guests drink from it, passing to a cup each other.

It must cause sense of closeness. A ritual is fully certain: the first guest takes fukusa (silk shawl, piece of silk material), lays him on the palm of left arm, and puts right on it a cup. Nodding a neighbour – osaki-ni ("before you"), he takes a sip three with a half mouthfuls, after fukusa lays on a mat, wipes the edge of cup the kaysi (paper handkerchief; serviette) and passes to a cup the second guest.

Everybody repeats that procedure. All express the admiration a cup, first on behalf of all of guests asks an owner to tell its history. After strong tea liquid tea is given. Pillows and trays are here brought in with by pastries. Liquid tea prepares for all at once in a few cups. Guests can drink, as they will want.

There is a lot of forms of tea ceremony in Japan, however strictly set it is only a few: nightly tea, tea with a sunrise, evening tea, morning tea, postprandial tea, special tea.

Nightly tea begins at a moon. Guests come approximately in the half of twelfth and leave not later than four clock of night. Usually brew powdery tea. He is prepared on eyes guests: leaves release from veins and grind down in powder in a mortar.

Such tea is very strong, he is not given on an empty stomach. Therefore at first guests are easily helped to the different meal. Tea "with a sunrise" is drunk about three or four clock of morning. Guests remain here to six hours. Evening tea begins about six clock of evening.

The morning is practiced in hot weather, guests going to six clock of morning. Postprandial tea is usually given only with by pastry approximately after the o'clock of day. The special tea-drinking (rindzityanoyu) is organized on some solemn cases: meeting with friends, holidays, changing of time of year and etc

Women are mainly engaged in the art of tea ceremony in our days. Now quite often a tea ceremony is conducted not only in tea pavilions but also in one of dwellings rooms of house; treating is often preceded a tea ceremony.

However unchanging is a spirit of tea ceremony: aspiration to create the situation of heartfeltness, step back from vain, everyday anxieties and businesses. Still a tea ceremony is time for conversations about wonderful, about an art, literature, describe vividly, about a tea bowl and retinue in tokonome.

There is a great number of schools of tea ceremony in Japan. One of known is school of Urasenke in Kyoto.

Japaneses consider that a tea ceremony educates simplicity, naturalness, tidiness. Presumably, it so, but in a tea ceremony it is concluded et al. Attaching people to the exactly set ritual, it trains them to the strict order and absolute execution of social rules. A tea ceremony is one of bases of cultivation of national senses.