 I started to study SADO four years ago. Since then, I have been taking lessons
twice a month. (2 hour lessons)The reason why I started learning Tea ceremony is because I want to learn its beautiful conduct and also acquire skills in calligraphy, pottery, etc. from this lesson. I can become more in touch with Japanese culture systematically through this lesson. Not only do elderly people attend this class, but many young people are in this class as well. Ages ago, the main purpose for a single woman to take sado lessons was to acquire the proper mannerisms for marriage. Today, it seems to me that they learn it to find mental peace or to get rid of their daily stress and escape from the noisy city life. In the meantime, it seems that there is a tendency for Japanese people to look for their inner pride while globalization progresses. I would like to tell you about "Ichigo Ichie", which is a title that I learned from my sado lessons. The tea ceremony is realized in the soul of "zen". "Ichigo Ichie" is a phrase in "zen", which means "once in a lifetime encounter". "Ichigo Iche" is well used as a teaching which explains the importance of an encounter and is a very popular phrase for the tea ceremony as well as general conversation. "Ichigo" stands for the time of birth until one dies. "Ichie" expresses the encounter. I go to my Tea ceremony lesson on the way home from the office. When work at my company is busy, I feel stressed and after work, I can't make tea in a relaxed way. When this occurs, my teacher tells me to treat everything with politeness and care for everything the way I would care for someone dear to me. Thus, "Otemae" contains manners which realize pious and solemn pray and wish, that is mind of "Ichigo Ichie". "Ichigo Ichie" is an encounter not only with people but also with time, with thing moreover with myself. End       |