Although the custom of drinking tea exists all over the world, no other people have loved tea as much as the Japanese, not only enjoying its taste, but also thoroughly refining and polishing everything from utensils and tools to buildings, gardens, and even daily customs, adding a deep spirituality, and elevating it to an art and culture, and even to an ethical and philosophical view of life.
The corridor lined with waiting rooms for "Hachiuemon-zashiki"
Excellent tea cultures also exist in China, where we Japanese learned the custom of drinking tea, and in the UK, which spread the culture of afternoon tea around the world.
However, in Japan, tea was initially imported for religious rituals and medicinal purposes. Later, during the Muromachi period, Murata Juko began "wabi-cha," which emphasized spirituality. Sen no Rikyu further deepened "chanoyu," transcending the mere framework of culture and completing it as a "do" (way) that deeply relates to how people live their lives.
Tenmoku tea bowl owned by Erinji Temple
The practice of "chanoyu" is not merely about boiling water, making tea, and entertaining guests. Through refined and formalized simple actions, it is about examining one's own mind and confronting the desires and attachments lurking within. Precisely because it is simple and unadorned, a person's true mind is clearly revealed in even the smallest gesture or slight pause.
Erinji Temple's tea room "Ikka-tei"
No matter who the other person is, there must be no flattery, let alone any pretense. To act naturally and with a clear mind at all times—this is the goal of chanoyu training. To master this requires lifelong practice.
Rikyu, revered as a "Tea Saint," underwent rigorous training under first-class Zen monks from a young age and mastered the profound principles of Zen. Through Rikyu, who was deeply devoted to Zen, the Japanese tea ceremony became one with the spirit of Zen. This state is called "chazen ichimi" (tea and Zen are one flavor).
Chief Priest Furukawa's dignified presence
The spirit of Zen, in a word, is to cast off all unnecessary things. When practicing zazen, one casts off all distracting thoughts and enters into a state of pure, unadulterated concentration. Traditionally, tea was favored in Zen temples not only for its medicinal properties to maintain good health but also to ward off sleepiness, eliminate distractions, and focus on meditation.
I heard that everyone at MATCHA Lab is committed to completely pesticide-free tea. The difficulty of producing completely pesticide-free tea is well known.
MATCHA Lab Stick Matcha in the tea room "Ikka-tei"
In this day and age, with growing concern for food safety, such initiatives should be highly valued. More than that, I believe it aligns with the spirit of "chazen ichimi," which aims to eliminate unnecessary elements, be "unadulterated," and be "natural."