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International Tea Day & World Day for Cultural Diversity
The most developed tea traditions elevated tea preparation to a spiritual practice - a meditation in motion.
The Four Principles:
和 Wa - Harmony
敬 Kei - Respect
清 Sei - Purity
寂 Jaku - Tranquility
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/ \
| | <-- Chawan (tea bowl)
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The Way of Tea developed by Sen no Rikyu in the 16th century. Every movement is prescribed - how to enter the tea room, how to hold the bowl, how to admire the scroll. The ceremony can last hours. Through attention to small things, practitioners find presence and peace.
Gongfu: Skill/Effort Tea
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/ \ <-- Gaiwan lid
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| | <-- Bowl
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| | <-- Sharing pitcher
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Gongfu means 'making tea with skill.' Using a small gaiwan or Yixing clay teapot, the tea master performs many short infusions - each revealing different aspects of the leaf. The same leaves might be steeped 8-15 times. Equipment matters: unglazed Yixing clay absorbs tea oils over years, becoming seasoned to a particular tea.
The Three Glasses:
First - Gentle as life
Second - Strong as love
Third - Bitter as death
) ) )
( ( ( <-- Pour from height
) ) ) for foam
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| || || | <-- Three glasses
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Gunpowder green tea with fresh mint and generous sugar. The tea is poured from a height to create foam - a skill that takes practice. Three glasses are traditional. Hospitality demands that guests drink at least one; refusing tea is an insult. The host pours and serves; the guest receives.
Despite their differences, all tea ceremonies share something: the elevation of an everyday act to something meaningful. Taking time. Paying attention. Being present. In a world of distraction, the tea ceremony says: this moment matters.