The Way of Tea

This is one of the most time honored Japanese traditional arts. It encompasses all different art forms, aesthetics, philosophies and religions. 

Sen Rikyu, the greatest tea master almost 500 years ago, codified four spirits of tea. They signify the highest ideal for the Way of Tea:
和 (Wa) — Harmony 
敬 (Kei) — Respect
​清 (Sei) — Purity
寂 (Jaku) — Tranquility 

The basis of the Way of Tea involves the act of serving and receiving a bowl of tea with utmost sincerity, appreciation, and attentiveness while bearing a single-mindedness and keen awareness of the concept of 一期一会 (Ichigo, Ichie; one life, one opportunity).

The Way of Tea takes ordinary, everyday activities such as arranging, cleaning, serving, and drinking, and elevates them through aesthetic ritualization into a high art form, which fosters spiritual enrichment and leads to a foundation for a way of life.  I hope all of the participants in the Way of Tea acknowledge its core spirits and gain a seed of peace through their experience to be able to contribute to building a better, more peaceful world.

​​~ Peace is a journey of a thousand miles and it must be taken one step at a time
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973)

​Kimiko Gunji,
President