Urasenke Chanoyu Center in NYC. This building used to be Mark Rothko's studio.
Last Friday, I attended one of the most important tea gatherings at my tea ceremony school, the Urasenke Chanoyu Center located on the Upper East Side in NYC.
This tea gathering, called "Rikyuki," is the memorial service of Sen no Rikyu, the greatest tea master who had a profound influence on the Japanese way of tea, known as the tea ceremony. Even though he died in 1591, more than 400 years ago, his teachings have been passed down, and now we are able to learn the way of tea not only in Japan but also here in NYC.
The Rikyuki used to be held every year, but our tea ceremony school could not hold any tea gatherings during the pandemic. Therefore, Rikyuki was held for the first time in three years.
The tea ceremony is a comprehensive Japanese art, and there are many things to learn, such as tea bowls, tea caddies, classic waka poems, Zen philosophy, and more. It is a never-ending journey for me, but ultimately, the tea ceremony is nothing but making a bowl of matcha.
I don’t know why, but I always feel great after the tea ceremony class. Perhaps it is because I am able to forget everything and focus on the moment.
Our tea ceremony school prohibits bringing mobile phones into the tea room. With small screens taking up so much of our time these days, it is hard to focus on being present. In our current lives, we rarely live without a mobile phone, so I greatly appreciate this rule.
At the Rikyuki, canola flowers are always used. The real reason for using the canola flowers is unknown, as there are various theories, such as that they bloomed when Sen no Rikyu died, or that he loved the flower so much. Yesterday, canola flower-shaped Japanese sweets were served with a bowl of matcha. It seemed that the yellow and light green colors of the sweets brought spring to the tea room. Instead of taking photos, I was able to fully enjoy the sweets, matcha, and the entire experience of the tea gathering.
Canola flower ”菜の花”
Savoring the moment is a simple pleasure that can mean everything in our lives. Learning about the tea ceremony always reminds me of this simple and essential thing in my life.
It was a wonderful time to enjoy a bowl of matcha while reflecting on Sen no Rikyu's legacy.