Chanoyu Reading List

"The Spirit of Tea" by Sen Soshitsu (XV)

• Beautiful color illustrations / use of captions
• Nice beginner book for tea and the Tea Ceremony
• Learned about the spirit behind chado ... "the way of tea"
• Tea isn't something one can learn through books, one must learn through the body

"Tea Here Now" by Donna Fellman & Lhasha Tizer

"Urasenke Chanyo Handbook One" by Sen Soshitsu (XV)

"Wind in the Pines: Classic Writings of the Way of Tea as a Buddhist Path" by Dennis Hirota

• Translated from the original Japanese, historical documents relating to chado
• Recommended by sensai as a good history book that covers a wide variety of teachings

Happy Valentine's Day! P.S. This is On The Internet, I wasn't hanging around with these frat boys.

Japanese Tea Ceremony Class #2

How to fold my Fukasa

Japanese pottery (natural coloring, asymetrical, imperfect)

vs. Chinese pottery (intricate design, symetrical, flawless)

How to place my fan pointing toward the other guests if I am the high guest and toward the high point in the room if I am the low guest.

After entering, place fan on first fold of tatami mats, bow 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, place fan in above position upon taking my position 16 folds back.

Grab the tea bowl with my left hand.

Support bowl with left hand, right hand cups bowl gently, right thumb resting under mouth.

Wipe mouth of bowl with right thumb and forefinger and when presenting cup, present it front facing host.

Wisdom From My Coffee Cup

"Americans spend an average of 29 hours a week watching TV -- which means in a typical life span we devote 13 uninterrupted years to our TV sets! The biggest problem with mass media isn't low quality - it's high quality. Cutting down just an hour a day would provide extra years of life - for music and family, exercise and reading, conversation and coffee."