The Way of Tea

Abstract

The tea ceremony presents a unique challenge to the anthropologist, for the essence of tea and of Zen is said to elude logical, discursive analysis. Zen favors experience and intuition over intellection, and although the tea ceremony has given rise to a long tradition of scholarly exegesis, the Zen arts continue to emphasize the primacy of transcendence through alogical, non-verbal means. Tea ceremonies may be held on a variety of occasions, depending on the season, the time of day, the school of tea, and so forth. Kaiseki is food for the tea ceremony. Each guest is given a small individual tray with a bowl of rice, one of soup, and perhaps a dish of vegetables and/or fish, though other foods may be offered in addition. The machiai and the tea room itself form a homologous pair; each is small, enclosed, tatami lined, and a scroll hangs in each.