SweetPersimmon

Intensive Japanese Garden Study in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:19:00 +0000

The Research Center for Japanese Garden Art and Historical Heritage is pleased to announce the 15th annual English language intensive course in the history, design theory, landscape ecology, and practice of the Japanese Garden.

The two-week program (July 30 -August 10, 2012) offers serious students from abroad a number of unique opportunities to study the Japanese garden. Some days will be divided between site visits and lectures on campus, but there will be several all-day excursions as well. On-site lectures will be given in some gardens that are usually not open to the public. The 15th seminar is now in the process of accepting applications for review and selection. In order to provide maximum personal attention, we strive for a group limited to not more than 25 students. However, if there are not enough applications, and the resulting number of selected participants is less than 20, the seminar may be canceled.

Anyone with a serious interest in Japanese gardens can join the two-week Intensive Seminar Plus at a cost of 420,000 Japanese yen (about $5,380 USD at ¥78/$1). Students under the age of 35 who are enrolled full time in a school or university can participate at a reduced fee of 350,000 Japanese yen, but have to submit proof of their age and full-time enrollment. This seminar fee covers: all lectures, entrance fees and transportations to site visits, excursions, course materials exclusive for participants, and rooms with breakfast in a comfortable inn (13 nights at shared rooms) for the duration of the course.
ALL APPLICATIONS FOR THE YEAR 2012 PROGRAM MUST BE RECEIVED BY FEBRUARY 29, 2012.
Download the 2012 Japanese Garden Intensive Seminar pdf pamphlet.

Yukima no kusa

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:24:00 +0000

I have had a few requests to see what the sweets were like for Hatsugama. I neglected to take photos of the sweets last week, but this week I re-created them for the introduction class that started today.

Yukima no kusa is the poetic name, it means the sprouts under the snow.

Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Upcoming Events for Issoan Tea School

Januray 21, Introduction to Chado 10 week class begins, 1:30 -3:00
January 29, Kagetsu at Meiko'sensei's house 1:30- 4:00 pm
Feb. 3rd International School of Beaverton demo 5-8 pm
Feb. 15, Beginning chanoyu - tray style 10 week class begins 7:00-8:30
Feb. 16, 17 18, 19 Portland Garden show demos. Thursday afternoon through Sunday
Feb. 26 Kagetsu class at Mieko sensei's 1:30 -4:00

Win a Trip to Japan!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Japan National Tourism Organization is giving away free trips to Japan - open to the US only.
Spring 2012 will be a special season as it marks the centennial anniversary of Japan's Gift of Trees to the U.S. To celebrate this anniversary, we're giving you and a guest the chance to explore Japan inside and out. Read through all 6 itineraries, pick your favorite, and enter for your chance to win your dream vacation!

Heritage
Indulgence
Gourmet
Adventure
Modern Art
Pop Culture

Go here to enter and for more details.

The Artist's Touch, The Craftsman's Hand

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:06:00 +0000

Today I went to the Portland Art Museum's Exhibition of Woodblock Prints from their collection, The Artist's Touch, The Craftsman's Hand. It was a spectacular review of the history of woodblocks from the late seventeenth century to the present day. The museum owns more than 2,500 works and is showcasing a selection of some 250 of the most historically important and visually compelling Japanese prints in the collection. I must say it is a fabulous exhibition, but hurry in to see it as it only lasts until January 22.

Before or after your visit, I recommend my friend Tomoe's, Behind the Museum Cafe, on Southwest 10th. I had the matcha set which includes a Japanese Tea sweet and bowl of matcha, whisked by Tomoe. She also serves sandwiches, onigiri (Japanese rice ball), pastries, and other types of Japanese green tea and, if you must, coffee. There you can also see ceramic artist Motoko Hori's works and antiques from Ryokusuido Antique shop.

What a wonder way to relax after the intensity of Hatsugama.

Hatsugama - The Year of the Dragon

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:48:00 +0000

We just concluded Hatsugama for 2012. These events take considerable planning, but it does make it one of the most spectacular tea events of the year. Everyone dressed in their finest kimono and brought their most harmonious attitude. Here are a few photos from the event:

Just unpacking and washing the utensils needed for the event seemed like a lot of work. Plus cleaning and sweeping, cooking and cleaning, arranging and cleaning and finally cleaning and once final cleaning.

In the display area

The knotted willow and scroll that reads "Yume" or dream

Tea room before guests arrive

Kama by the famous Keitan Takahashi

Temaeza with Yamazato dana, Oimatsu natsume, and mizusashi by Rob Fornell

Here is the Kaiki (tea record for Hatsugama)

Machiai – Seasonal New Year Display
Ko: Kyo no ume, plum of Kyoto
Kogo: Celedon Plumeria by John Nakai
Kamakamishiki: White Hoshogami
Scroll: Yume “Dream” by Tajima Soko Daisojo of Koyasan Temple, Japan
Traditional knotted willow

Seasonal New Years food
Fuchidaka: Black kakiawase
Sweet: White kinton with gold flakes "Yukima no kusa" (spouts under the snow)
Tana: Yamazato dana: Mountain Village stand
Mizusashi: Rob Fornell, Seattle Potter
Kama: Kashiwa (oak leaf) ubaguchi (hag’s mouth) by Keitan Takahashi
Okiro: Mulberry wood
Kensui: Bronze efugo style
Futaoki: Kakehashi – four bridges, four directions, four decades by Richard Milgrim
Koicha: Ha muro no mukashi by Yamamasa Koyamaen
Chaire: Daikai from Seto
Shifuku: Rikyubai shoha donsu
Chashaku: “Michi” gift from Minako Sensei
Chawan: Red Raku with silver lining from Shimadai set by Waraku

Natsume: Oimatsu with hinged lid. Lacquer by Soetsu
Omojawan: “Aibukai,” the caressing shore by Tacy Apostolik
Higashi: Oike senbei and yuzu peel
Higashi bon: Orange lacquer from Urasenke made by Zohiko
Mizutsugi: Blue and White Sometsuke
Usucha: Kirisame by Aoi tea company

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:29:00 +0000

To my readers, I apologize for not posting more often.
This weekend we will be holding Hatsugama, the first tea gathering of the year. It will take place in the new Issoan Tea Room and I'll be posting photos from the event.

Also for those of you who have been visiting iwww.issonatea.com, it is undergoing a re-design. It was originally built by me in Frontpage. Alas, Microsoft no longer supports it and I have lost my key to the software, so I cannot update it. A new look will be coming soon with new content.

New classes are forming for the new year.
.

Introduction to Japanese Culture through the Tea Ceremony

Harmony, purity, respect and tranquility. These are the four principles of tea ceremony distilled from Japanese culture. In this ten week class, students will be introduced to Chado, the way of tea. The arts of Japan will be examined through the ritual preparation and drinking of matcha, Japanese ceremonial tea. Students will participate in at least six tea ceremonies, an incense ceremony, and kimono dressing. Japanese architecture, gardening, flower arranging and calligraphy will also be covered. Classes will take place in a Japanese tea room located 4 blocks south of PCC Rock Creek campus: 17761 NW Marylhurst Ct., Portland, OR 97229

Fee: $250, materials will be available for purchase at class.

Meets Saturdays for 10 weeks, starting January 21st, 1:30-3:00 pm at Issoan Tea Room.

Beginning Chanoyu

Learn the procedures for Ryakubon, tray style, the most simple of Japanese Tea Ceremonies. This procedure can be done almost anywhere with a minimum of utensils. Learn the correct handling of utensils and further your knowledge of Japanese culture. Learn how to make different kinds of tea sweets, proper etiquette for both host and guests at a tea ceremony. Introduction to Japanese Culture through the Tea Ceremony recommended but not required. Classes will take place at Ryokusuido Japanese Antiques Shop: 3826 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR 97232

Fee: $250, materials available for purchase at class

Meets Wednesdays for 10 weeks, starting February 15th, 7:00-8:30

Call Margie Yap, 503.645.7058 to register. Limited availability

Email: margie@issoantea.com

Season's Greetings

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:59:00 +0000

Season's Greetings to all of my students and followers and families. Here's to a peaceful Christmas, end of the year celebrations and prosperity in the new year.

Month of Teacher's Running

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:37:00 +0000

December is a busy time for teacher and it is nicknamed the month of teacher's running. That is the truth for me this year. Not only am I preparing for the holidays, hatsugama and tea lessons, but am also sewing and making bags for the SweetPersimmon store. More about that later.

Hatsugama invitations should be in the mail soon. Please mark your calendars for Saturday January 14th.

Don't forget this coming Sunday the 18th is Kagetsu study at 1:30 at Mieko sensei's house. New introduction and tray style classes are forming for January. Please let me know if you have friends who may be interested. I'll post and send emails soon.

In the meantime, some of my students are looking at acquiring a kama. It is a big commitment to purchase one, but when you see the work that goes into making one, it is well worth the price. Each Kama is one of a kind since they break the mold after casting. It normally takes 3 months to go through the process and compltete a kama. If you take care of your kama, it will last a lifetime. We are fortunate to have on loan from Tim-sensei in Seattle a beautiful Ro kama made by the famous Keitan Takahashi. This kama was made in the early 1960s before he was named a living national treasure in Japan. He passed away in 1999.

The process for making a kama:

Step 1 : Making a sketch of the body
Step 2 : Making designs on the Washi paper
Step 3 : Making mold by sands
Step 4 : Making designs on the mold
Step 5 : Cast iron into the mold
Step 6 : Polish the surface of the Kama

Below are videos showing the work that goes into making a kama and some of the beautiful work by Keitan Takahashi. Please enjoy.

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:58:00 +0000

For my regular readers, I apologize for not blogging in a long, long time.

I dressed the students in my introduction class in kimono and we went into the tea room to have tea. Don't they look great?

We only have two more classes left and it has really gone fast.

New classes are forming now for January. Another introduction class, a beginner class, and continuing class for advanced students. Don't forget, we have a monthy kagetsu class this Sunday, November 20. Stay tuned for the kaiskei cooking class and other workshops including altering kimono, kobukusa making and sweets making class.

Drinking the Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:59:00 +0000

New Intro to Chado classes forming now

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:26:00 +0000

New Introduction to Chado, the way of tea classes forming now.

Students will learn the etiquette of how to be a guest at a tea ceremony, the basic order of the tea ceremony and how to whisk green powdered ceremonial tea. Students will also participate in 4 Japanese tea ceremonies from informal to semi-formal tea gatherings. An overview of Japanese aesthetics and how tea has influenced Japanese culture will be presented. Students will also be introduced to tea ceramics, calligraphy, kimono dressing, and incense ceremony. They will also be introduced to zazen meditation and discuss how to put tea practice into every day life.

When: Wednesday evenings, from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Where: Ryokusuido Tea Room 3826 NE Glisan St. Portland, OR
Dates:10 weeks beginning September 28 - Dec. 7 (no class November 23rd for Thanksgiving holiday)

When: Sunday morning from 10:00-11:30 pm
Where: Issoan Tea Room, 17761 NW Marylhurst Ct., Portland, OR (near Rock Creek PCC)
Dates: 10 weeks beginning October 2 - Dec. 4

Space is limited. Please call Margie to register, 503-645-7058. or email me sweetpersimmon1@gmail.com

Return to Tohoku - The Road to Recovery

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 23:07:00 +0000

The husband of one of my students made a video about the recovery efforts in Japan. I hope you will take heart that things are beginning to get better for the people in Tohoku after the earthquake and tsunami.

Ask questions -- Rikyu hyakushu

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:42:00 +0000

はじをすて人に物とひ習うべし是ぞ上手の基なりける
haji o sute hito ni mono tohi narau beshi kore zo jozu no motoi nari keru

Sometimes person may feel embarrassed to ask questions. That embarrassment should be set aside and questions asked.
or
One must discard all embarrassment when training in tea for this is the foundation of mastery.
or
One should abandon feelings of embarrassment and ask people questions; this is the keystone to become adept.

This poem can be interpreted in many ways, but to my thinking, I would like to put the emphasis on not being embarrassed rather than asking the questions. In the previous poem, learning by looking and studying is emphasized, so before you ask questions, take time to look, study and reflect on what it is that you have a question about.

The matter of asking questions comes up quite often with my students. In a lot of learning situations here, asking questions, having discussions and debates show the teacher that you are engaged and participating. But as I wrote in this post, there are appropriate times and appropriate questions. And don't forget, the poem doesn't say ask your teacher, there are other students in class, and your sempai (senior students) who may have asked the question previously who may be willing to help you out.

As for feeling embarrassed, some people have no problem with this, others may feel embarrassed because they are beginners, or more junior than everyone else. This is the time to discard your embarrassment. We were all beginners at one time. You are here on the path and everyone has his own journey in his own time. Ask your sensei if you may ask a question, or if it is an appropriate time to ask a question. Don't be embarrassed.

Demonstrations and presentations in September

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:13:00 +0000

September we will be busy with presentations and demonstrations of Chanoyu:

Saturday September 10 - Calaroga Terrace tea demonstration for 60 residents only

Monday September 12 - Portland Japanese Garden, Moonviewing tea demonstration 7:30 pm, registration required

Tuesday - Thursday September 13-15 Widbey Island, Serving tea for Roshi installation, by invitation only

Saturday September 17 - Portland Japanese Garden, Tea presentation 1 and 2 pm, free with admission to the garden, please come join us.

Rennovations complete at Issoan Tea Room

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:43:00 +0000

To my readers, I apologize for the lapse in blogging this last month. I will do better going forward.

For those of you who have emailed me asking if I was going to continue blogging and if I am okay, thank you and yes, I am okay just very busy this summer.

I thought that I would post some photos of the newly rennovated Issoan Tea Room:

This is the entry way into the tea room

Awning detail

Door handle detail

Tea room interior

Fusuma door detail

Shoji Window and detail

Overhead shoji lamp

I would like to express my gratitude to my design and construction manager, my husband. As you can see, he does beautiful work. It was his ideas to take the old book of tea utensils apart and apply them to the fusuma. He also wanted to incorporate the piece of wood given to us in the door and door handle. And the shoji lamp with its curved supports are all his own design and execution. Thank you so much.

Thank you also to my students who were patiently waiting for the tea room to be done. We can now have classes here again.

Looking and studying -- Rikyu hyakushu

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:30:00 +0000

ならひつつ見てこそ習はずよしあしいふは愚かなりけり
naraitsutsu mitekoso narae narawazu ni yoshiashi iu wa oroka narikeri
One learns by looking and studying. Without understanding completely one cannot criticize.
or
In the learning process, watch and learn. Voicing opinions without having done this is foolishness.

Learning the way of tea is difficult. At first, many things just don't make sense, everything is strange and it seems like you cannot control your own body in the tea room. In a situation like this it is best to observe and get the lay of the land.

When I was in Midorikai, in orientation on the first day, Mori sensei advised us that the key to learning chado in Kyoto was sunao no kokoro 直の心. This means an open heart, ready to just accept anything from anyone. People in Kyoto lived and breathed they way of tea and just about everyone there knew more about tea than we did, even if we had studied at home for 25 years. If I resisted, justified, offered excuses or complained, people were not likely to share their knowledge. He told me there were vast riches there about the way of tea, but I would have to become sunao. He said that sunao meant open without resistance, to take in everything as part of my training. To explain, offer excuse, or justify myself showed that I was not open but resisting the learning. I wrote more about this in the post Just say hai.

Criticizing is just a way to resist what is being taught. So is arguing and disagreeing with the teacher. Mori sensei said to just experience whatever the learning is, then reflect upon it later. You will come upon insights and grasp not only what the teacher was trying to convey, but also the lessons that you were meant to learn.

The power of commitment

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:33:00 +0000

Sometimes when I talk to people who are interested in studying the way of tea, they demur when I tell them the introduction class is 10 weeks long. I even had someone ask me if I could shorten that to two weeks because that was all that he could commit to for a class. For some people it is hard to make a commitment of ten weeks. For some people making a commitment at all is hard.   I understand. I have had problems with commitment in the past.

For those who have trouble with commitment there is always the possibility of making a wrong choice and being stuck.   There are those who never have enough time to commit, or enough money, or enough support or enough....

But I have learned the power of commitment. It is hard to close off your options and follow through on the one you have committed to, but once you have chosen a path, there is almost a relief that the choice is made, and movement is now possible.  If one is committed, there is no buyer's remorse. If one is committed, the narrowing of focus gives you energy. If one is committed things seem much clearer to you.   If one is committed you can see the end game and all its rewards.

Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would not otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man would have dreamed would come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic and power in it. Begin it now." ~W.H. Murray, The Scottish Himalayan Expedition.

Expert Tea Master

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:48:00 +0000

Someone referred to me recently as a tea master, and I was embarrassed enough to correct them by saying I was still a student of tea. In truth I still feel like such a novice on this path; there is still so much to learn.

They say that it takes about 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. By that definition, if you went to keiko for an hour and a half once a week, it would take a little more than 128 years for you to become an expert at chado, at least 2 lifetimes and perhaps more if you don't count formative years.

We could take a single aspect of the way of tea, tea ceramics, for example, and say you spent 40 hours a week just immersed in it, it would still take you nearly 5 years to become an expert. Yet you could spend 30 years studying tea ceramics and still not know all there was to know about it. Take that and multiply it by the many other aspects of the way of tea: flower arranging, gardening, architecture, calligraphy, cooking, sweet making, literature, poetry, history, etiquette, kimono, wood working, lacquer, Zen, and those years add up very quickly. Not to mention studying the hundreds of tea procedures, tea utensils and types of tea gatherings.

When people are first exposed to chanoyu, it seems so deceptively simple that anyone can do it. What they don't know is that it has taken years of practice to make it look simple. But even people just coming upon it can tell the difference between a beginner and a more experienced tea person. Why is that?

I believe that watching an experienced tea person, you are not just seeing the procedure for making tea. You are experiencing the heart of chanoyu. The experienced practitioner imbues the temae with his or her heart and consideration for others. When you and your body know the procedure by heart, you don't need to think about what comes next. You can free your mind to concentrate on the guest. There is no room for stage fright, or making mistakes. The movements flow and awareness and feelings fill the room. When the guest is experienced too, there is a magic that happens as host and guest become one. Both are of the same mind and both contribute to creating an almost transcendent experience, often without a word being spoken.

This has happened to me just a few times in my years of study, when everything comes together. I do hope that all tea students out there are willing to put in the hard work to be prepared for something like this. Is it mastery? I don't know. It is the way of tea.

Learning one to ten -- Rikyu Hyakushu

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:23:00 +0000

稽古とは一より習ひ十を知り十よりかへるもとのその一
Keiko towa ichi yori narai ju o shiri ju yori kaeru moto no sono ichi
Practice constitutes learning from one, becoming cognizant of ten, then returning from ten to one, the beginning.
Know that when training, learn from one to ten and return from ten again to one.

This is another one of Rikyu often quoted poems. Learning from the beginning to ten makes sense as it is a logical progression. Returning to one again seems like going backward to us. But when we return to the beginning again, we gain new insights, perspectives and understandings because of the journey we have taken to the top.

I very much appreciate teaching beginning students. It takes me back to when I was a beginning student and everything was strange and unfamiliar. There is this excitement of starting and the energy of something new. This state of mind is something experienced tea students strive for. Even though we have done the temae a hundred or even a thousand times, to make it seem brand new as if we are doing it for the first time and discovering it all over again is the challenge.

Even going from advanced temae back to ryakubon, I gain something new about it. In other words I don’t necessarily return to the beginning again, but it is more like a spiral, coming back to a similar place but deeper and more meaningful.

At every intensive, everybody, including the most advanced teachers go back to the beginning again. We start with bowing, walking, turning and moving in the tea room, then move on to folding the fukusa and handling utensils and purifying them. I always learn something new from these from these lessons. These lessons that I thought I knew, or I knew and forgot, or I knew but got sloppy bad habits.

I wrote more about this in the post The right way

Born in Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:08:00 +0000

Last Friday we had an incredible opportunity to attend a raku pottery lecture and demonstration by my friend Richard Brandt. Richard is a tea student and teaches pottery so he invited tea students to attend his summer raku pottery class. He put together a lecture about the history of raku firing and as a special treat, fired teabowls for us. Through his own experimentation, and his special glaze, he was able to make black raku teabowls for us. Below are photos of the process.

Loading the kiln

Fire 'er up

About 30 minutes later check the glaze

Safety first

Pulling the pot from the fire

Don't drop it

On the cooling rack. The coffee cans are used to slow the cooling down so the bowls don't crack.

Transformation through magic of the fire

From the inside

And best of all, tea tastes so good

Other students in the class used newspapers and garbage cans after they pulled their pots from the kiln.

Here you see the iridescence typical with American raku

Silver, gold, copper and a rainbow of sparkly colors

SweetPersimmon at the Hollywood WingDing

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:25:00 +0000

Meet us at the Whole Foods Hollywood WingDing on Saturday July 2nd from 12-5 pm. They'll be closing off 43rd Avenue between Whole Foods and the Bank in NE Portland, and making a party of it.

Besides the Hot Wing Throwdown competition (vote the best wings), there's going to be a beer garden, live music and exhibits from HandMade NW artisans (of which SweetPersimmon is one). I'll be featuring handbags in my spacious 10 x 10 booth.

Admission is free to the public. Wings are $.50 each with a minimum $2 purchase for voting ballot.10% of the proceeds will benefit the Hollywood Theater.

Hollywood Whole Foods WingDing
Saturday, July 2nd, 12-5 pm
NE 43rd Avenue (between Sandy and Tillamook)
Parking available in the Whole Foods Garage
enter on NE 44th between Tillamook and Sandy.

Raku pottery demo

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:11:00 +0000

I have scheduled an opportunity for students who are interested in pottery. Specifically, Raku pottery. My good friend Richard Brandt will be giving a lecture on the history of Raku and giving a demo of firing a black rakku style teabowl. Very exciting.

Students, please don't miss this opportunity. July 1 at 7:30-9:30 and PCC SE Center. Please sign up via email to me or let me know at class next week.

Update: The lecture will be at 6:00 pm with the demo at 7:30. Please let me know if you are coming.

No class again this week

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:35:00 +0000

Dear students,
I regret to inform you all that there will not be class again this week. Please be patient while we deal with this infestation. And to my guest Terue, if you read this post please call me to reschedule your visit. I apologize for the inconvenience to you. We will schedule a double make up in July. Please enjoy the summer evening on Thursday.

Margie

The deep desire to learn -- Rikyu hyakushu

noreply@blogger.com (Sweetpersimmon) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:09:00 +0000

こころざし　深き　人には　いくたびもあはれみ　深く　奥ぞ　教ふる

Kokorozashi fukaki hito niwa ikutabi mo awareme fukaku okuzo oshifuru.

To the student who has a deep desire to learn the secrets of chanoyu the teacher should spare no effort.

One should spare no effort in teaching those with a deep desire to learn.

You should many a time compassionately impart the inner teachings to one who has a deeply willing mind.

I'd like to comment on this from both the student's perspective as well as being a teacher. When I was an intermediate student, I was so hungry for anything I could get my hands on in learning more about Chado. And I must say that all of my teachers and all of my sempai have been more than generous to teach me what they know. The world of chado is so vast, and so deep, that nobody can know all there is to know about it. As students, we are attracted to certain aspects and not others. But every single teacher, sempai and student have taught me about the way of tea. They have taught me sometimes without knowing that I was learning. Even when I was not a good student and not paying attention in class, sensei would still try to teach me over and over again. I'd copy my sempai in the mizuya and try to pay attention when they were explaining things to other students.

As a teacher, when a student is hungry like that, it is a joy to teach them. Sometimes a comment in class will motivate a student to seek even more knowledge, skill or technique. When students ask me for extra help, I always try to give them extra attention. I love the way of tea so much, that I want to share as much as I can with others who want to learn. It is even inspiring to me to have a student who is motivated to learn. By passing on what I know, the next generation of students will be able to carry on the tradition that love.