On Sunday, April 12, 2008 a small group of members and house guests gathered at the Japanese Association of Singapore to assist at a tea ceremony presented by Kikoku and two hosting ladies dressed in the traditional Kimono. The tea ceremony is the ritualized preparation and serving of powdered green tea in the presence of guests. Though all efforts of the host are directed toward the enjoyment of the participants, this is not to say that the tea ceremony is a self-indulgent pastime for guests. The ceremony is equally designed to humble participants by focusing attention on the profound beauty of the simplest manifestations of nature, such as light, the sound of water and also manifestations of the creative force of the universe through human endeavor, for example in the crafting of beautiful objects.

Since the objective of a tea gathering is that of Zen Buddhism and the entire ritual is designed to focus the senses so that one is totally involved in the occasion and not distracted by mundane thoughts, the set up is very simple and Zen. Before entering the tea house, we had to wash our hands in a small, most simple but beautiful garden. Then we admired a white flower and gazed at the Japanese writing which said, your thoughts should only be for tea and guests. After gathering around the two hosting ladies on our knees, we were first served some sweets, to make up for the bitterness of the green tea that we were to taste later!  It was a sheer pleasure to watch their elegant movements when mixing the water from the tea kettle with the green tea powder, using a tiny wooden whisk. While handing a small bowl to each participant for tasting, she bowed her head all the way down to the floor and we expressed our appreciation with the same movement. We were then asked to rotate the bowl clockwise three times with the right hand before tasting the green liquid which resembled more a pea soup than a green tea. The taste was rather unusual and for most of us not very pleasant. However, it is said to cool down the body and reduce the risk of cancer, which makes one accept the bitter taste!

After half an hour of sitting on the floor I was probably not the only one who could feel the pain in the legs - hard to believe that the Japanese can sit for over four hours in that position!  Anyhow, the tearoom is not a place to complain and the guests do not engage in small talk or gossip, but limit their conversation to a discussion of the origin of utensils and praise for the beauty of natural manifestations.

It is rare in Japan now that a person has the luxury of owning a tea house or the motivation to entertain in one. Entertaining with the tea ritual has always been, with the exception of the Buddhist priesthood, the privilege of the elite. I'm glad I have had this kind of privilege thanks to the Swiss Association and the Japanese ladies! 

Claudia Haltenberger
SAS member