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    Book of Tea: Beauty, Simplicity and the Zen Aesthetic
    Book of Tea: Beauty, Simplicity and the Zen Aesthetic
    Book of Tea: Beauty, Simplicity and the Zen Aesthetic
    Ebook132 pages1 hour

    Book of Tea: Beauty, Simplicity and the Zen Aesthetic

    By Okakura Kakuzo, Andrew Juniper and Liza Dalby

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    About this ebook

    "Transcending the narrow confines of its title, presents a unified concept of life, art and nature. Along the way exploring topics related to tea appreciation, including Zen, flower arranging and Taoism. An early cultural activist, Okakura's mission was to preserve Japanese art and aesthetic practices from an extinction that seemed imminent. -- Stephen Mansfield, The Japan Times"
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTuttle Publishing
    Release dateNov 20, 2018
    ISBN9781462920495
    Book of Tea: Beauty, Simplicity and the Zen Aesthetic
    Author

    Okakura Kakuzo

    Okakura Kakuzo was born in 1862, the son of a merchant. He learnt English as a child and went on to study languages at Tokyo University. There, he started a movement to preserve Japanese culture from the rise of modernism and westernization. At the age of only twenty-nine he was made principle of the National Art School and many of his students went on to become famous artists. In 1898 he resigned to found a dissident school of art. To raise funds, he travelled to America where he found a wealthy and interested patron in Mrs Isabella Gardner, ‘Queen of Boston’. Now a successful artist, he was also appointed curator of Chinese and Japanese art at the Boston Museum. A dramatic and extrovert character, he wrote The Book of Tea in 1906 and died seven years later, in 1913.

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    Reviews for Book of Tea

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      Okakura uses tea, a drink partaken of in both East and West, as a way of demystifying Japanese culture and challenging Orientalism in Europe and America. Written in English for a Western audience, it is a wonderfully poetic introduction to Japanese culture and aesthetics.
    • 5/5
      I was very fascinated by the different schools of thought and views on life, nature and art that are explored. Though the central theme of Tea is woven through the book, it contains so much more deep thinking and contemplation, when it comes to culture and society. I loved this unique glance at Japanese culture and society, as well as the flowing, comforting language Okakura uses.
    • 5/5
      A classic, well written work of Japanese literature. Its subtitle could be 'an asian life philosophy.' Written in 1906 as western culture became more adopted in Japan. This book was meant to preserve the traditions and 'Teaism' culture developed in Japan based in the ancient tea ceremony.
    • 4/5
      The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura gave a history of tea and the Asian philosophy of tea. It is important to note that the author died in 1913 before major world events and that his ideas reflect an ethnocentric view which may have been common when he was living.Tea originally was thought of as medicinal only but later gained recognition as a beverage in 8th Century China. Teaism is a cult in Japan that emphasized purity, cleanliness and simplicity. This philosophy compared emotions to tea. There could be too little tea or emotion or too much. My favorite parts of this book are the discussion of the evolution or the three ways of preparing tea. The first way that tea was prepared was by boiling it with rice, ginger, salt, milk and spices until you have a cake to make tea from. It is still prepared that way in Tibet and Mongolia.The second way developed in the Ming Dynasty is powdered tea. This is called the whipped method and does not use salt. It began in Southern China but this method only survives in Japan where the Mongols were unable to take over. Along with this, the simple tea room and the tea ceremony developed in Japan. The ceremony and drinking of tea is supposed to drive away fatigue.The Ming Dynasty in China started using steeped tea which the Western world is familiar with. Tea was best enjoyed in porcelain cups.What I didn’t like in this book was the assumption that the Japanese way of Teaism is the best way. The author criticizes the Western way and instead of thinking of them as just different assumes that the Eastern way is best.I did enjoy this e-book very much, especially the history of tea and the discussion of the requirement s of Japanese tea rooms and the philosophy of Teaism. I just touched on the topics in this book; the author goes into great depth on them.I do recommend it but you will need to accept the authors’ assumptions about which culture is better, West or East.
    • 4/5
      This is a delightful book, written about 100 years ago, about the tea ceremony, its spiritual roots and its influence on Japanese culture.The writer traces the roots of the tea ceremony in Taoism and Zen Buddhism, emphasising the importance of enjoying the present moment and seeing beauty in small, everyday things. He shows how the purity and simplicity of the tea-room came from emulation of the Zen monastery, and this in turn influenced Japanese architecture for centuries. There were some wonderful observations, for example on the deliberate avoidance of symmetry or repetition in the decoration of the tea-room, on the grounds that "True beauty could be discovered only by one who mentally completed the incomplete." The process was more important than attempting a perfect end result.The writing itself is a thing of elegant beauty. Here's a brief example:"The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things."
    • 4/5
      The Tao of Tea. Briefly, a compendium on how to do it without getting too carried away by it. "How can one be serious with the world itself is so ridiculous!"
    • 4/5
      Not actually about tea as much as it's about the way the tradition of the tea-house influenced the Japanese aesthetic. Interesting, touching - and not a terrible introduction to Zen, either.
    • 3/5
      I'm not going to ooh and aah over this book. There is some lovely writing in here, but I'm rather lukewarm at best on this one. A mildly interesting book that was first published in 1906. My edition was published in 2005 and includes a forward and afterward by Hounsai Genshitsu Sen which is almost as interesting as the book itself, and invaluable in helping to understand this book. The book is a bit of a history lesson on tea and Japanese culture and ways of thought. More about the Japanese way of thinking and appreciation for certain arts than anything else. When it was published Japan was just embarking on a path that was not enlightened. It is impossible for me to not think about what was to come. The author clearly believes the East is better than the West. I was hoping for a bit of enlightenment, but came away unimpressed.
    • 5/5
      The Book of Tea was published in 1906 in North America, where its Japanese author had been living for a number of years. Having grown up in Japan but with a largely Western education there for his earlier years, he sought all the more to connect with his Japanese cultural heritage throughout the rest of his life. Working in a number of artistic institutions and museums, he became expert on the Japanese and Eastern artistic and cultural traditions, and their historical development. What we have here is almost as much a musing on beauty, humanity, and nature, as it is a book on tea. As we come to appreciate through this book, tea and its associated aesthetics, whether or not they are central to the traditional Japanese spirit of culture, are at the very least representative of it as a whole.The aesthetics and practice of tea consumption in Japan differs greatly from tea in China, India, and the West due to a number of historical, social, geographical and philosophical differences between these cultures. This is very much a book on the Japanese culture of tea, which centres around their tea ceremony, though we are supplied with the relevant contextual detail from other regions to appreciate the interplay of these factors and their importance in determining the quintessentials of the Japanese way.As a short (90 pages) and very enjoyable read, I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in tea, world history, aesthetics, or Japanese or Eastern civilisation. Though primarily the work of an aesthete, there is also much to interest the reader in terms of social and anthropological thought. For a hectic modern society that spends so little time in quiet contemplation and enjoyment of the simple things, this book provides a welcome refreshing contrast.
    • 3/5
      This is an interesting and short book. It covers some of the history of Tea in China and Japan, but focusses more on the cultural, religious and artistic aspects of tea drinking, the tea ceremony and the tea house.
    • 4/5
      Great introductory book into the "art of tea" from an Asian perspective.
    • 4/5
      I am an avid tea drinker. I must drink multiple cups a day. While I prefer black tea usually, I have found that I am fond of an occasional cup of green, white, or oolong. This, of course, does not include the teasans I also like to drink: mate, rooibos, the like. I like me a good cup of tea.When I discovered The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo, I knew that I had to read it. Okakura has written here a delightful gem tracing the history of tea, including the history of Teaism, as well as describing the Japanese tea ceremony. In addition, he goes into detail about things that went hand-in-hand with tea, including zen, and some philosophical thoughts on things like flowers, which have their place in the tea ceremony.If you would be interested in a deeper history of tea, at least as far as the Japanese tea culture was involved as of the turn of the 20th centure, then this book is indispensible. While it doesn’t cover much if any of the UK tea customs, I found that it stood well as a useful resource to anybody who has a curiosity regarding tea.Much enjoyed, albeit with a cup of Earl Grey. I won’t tell if you won’t.
    • 2/5
      More about spirituality than actual tea, it's not a bad read if you like that kind of thing, but some of the more Zen chapters are a touch wishy-washy or just downright impenetrable if you aren't in the right frame of mind. Maybe that's the point.
    • 1/5
      I should have thought to read other reviews about this book before picking it up because I thought this was going to be a book that told me all I'd want to know about tea. What it turned out to be is a book that doesn't live up to its title.I was expecting to read about the history of tea, who started to drink it first, how they drank it, and how the practice of drinking tea spread. The initial chapters did manage to cover some of this, and I enjoyed the first third of the book as it traced the practice of drinking tea through China, Japan and India. It also introduced Taoism, Buddhism and Zen philosophy but that was a nice complement to the practice of drinking tea. From there, we went into the architecture of Japanese tea houses and at that point, all references to tea seemed rather incidental as the author took us then to comparisons between the Japanese minimalist approach to artistic perfection in architecture, interior decoration, art and flower arrangement. I was expecting to learn about how the different types of tea were grown and harvested. I was expecting to learn about how the teas are blended, how different cultures drink their tea and how their tea drinking practices evolved over time. I was expecting to learn about tea ceremonies (if any) in different countries and the significance behind the rituals. There were references to tea masters in this book, but no explanation about how one became a tea master ... I assume it's more than just drinking and making copious pots of tea? I was expecting to learn about any medicinal properties in tea, and even how tea is sometimes used in some cuisines. I was expecting to read about the evolution of tea from its simple beginnings to the more complex offerings available today.And all my expectations were left unfulfilled. The author appeared to have forgotten what he started out to write.
    • 5/5
      More about Zen than tea, but still a very inspiring read.

    Book preview

    Book of Tea - Okakura Kakuzo

    Foreword

    Born in 1862, Okakura Kakuzo was just six years old when Japan’s Edo period ended. Ten years earlier, Commodore Perry forced the Japanese to accept an end to their self-imposed isolation that had lasted for over 200 years. It was this opening to the West that lead to the Meiji period, an era when Japan redefined itself, embracing much of the technology, ideology and ambitions of the Western imperialists that flooded into the country. The shogunate was abolished, as was the old class system of samurai, farmers, craftsmen and merchants, and a prime minister was appointed.

    Less than forty years into the Meiji Restoration Japan had become the powerhouse of Asia, defeating the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War. The Book of Tea, Okakura’s seminal work on Japanese culture, was written in 1906, the year after this conflict ended. A product of this period of unprecedented change, it is a book that has remained relevant for over a hundred years—a measure of the depth of its message.

    Okakura had been in the unusual position of receiving an education in English from a Christian missionary, going on to study at Japan’s top university under a Harvard professor. His command of the English language was much better than many native speakers but his writing remained staunchly Japanese. His style is engaging and challenging in equal measure with no compromise to his agenda. He writes with the driest of wit, a wonderful blend of curmudgeonly humor, passion and erudition.

    In a tumultuous world of opposing philosophies, Okakura’s keen intellect gave him a unique perspective on his country’s culture and how it was perceived by those in the West. He had a great understanding and respect for the Western world while at the same time he struggled to disguise his disdain for what he called the White Disaster.

    For Okakura, as an Eastern nation Japan was fundamentally different from the West in the way the people understood themselves. This difference can be seen most strikingly in the philosophy of Zen Buddhism. One of the major themes of Zen is that we are not solely governed by the edicts of material determinism. This notion that we are not defined by things but instead are shaped by faith and ideas is a major theme that runs through The Book of Tea.

    The book follows a philosophical path that stems from Bodhidharma’s journey from India to China as Buddhism made its way to Japan. As with so many imports, Japan incorporated the tenets of Buddhism and its forerunner Taoism and then refined them in its own way. This philosophy helped form a uniquely Japanese mindset and from that sprang the tea culture of Japan.

    Zen is notoriously difficult to grasp from a Western perspective. The German philosopher Eugen Herrigel, author of the wonderful Zen in the Art of Archery, was told that he would not be able to comprehend Zen by study or conversation alone. So in an attempt to better understand, he took up archery and studied under a master. It was through this ritual of learning that he was able to grasp the philosophy.

    In the same way Okakura presented the tea ceremony as a representation of Zen. Bothered by a lack of understanding by the West, Okakura offered the tea ceremony as an example of the subtleties of Japanese culture. He created an ideal to exemplify the profound idea that the role of the self should be diminished, an opportunity to eschew opulence and celebrate beauty found in the mundane.

    When reading The Book of Tea one is struck by the timelessness of Okakura’s prose and the themes the book addresses. For a short book it pulls no punches—its geriatric status belies the vigor and relevance it holds today. The same dilemmas touched upon in the book still affect us. The West more than ever possesses a restlessness of spirit that Okakura suggested was the price that would be paid for a headlong dive into materialism. Without mincing words he stated, The world is groping in the shadow of egotism and vulgarity. One wonders how he might view the current spiritual landscape in an era that unashamedly champions the individual and the importance of self.

    Okakura also had strong feelings about the way mankind was changing the earth. Well over a century ago, long before the specter of global warming had appeared, he seemed to prophesy the negative impact of mankind on the environment, physically and spiritually. Just as Shinto identifies a spirit that resides in all things, Okakura’s respect for life comes through in the text. He even goes so far as to question one of the key components of the tea ceremony—the use of flowers. In a poignant moment, he writes from the perspective of a sentient and feeling flower whose life has been taken, a touch of natural beauty within the tea ceremony itself.

    Okakura certainly held strong views about life and how it should be lived. The Book of Tea addresses philosophical issues as much as it does the tea ceremony itself. The tea ceremony is seen as an extension of a particular world view, a view that encourages participants to find a moment in the present upon which they can focus…the sublime movements of the tea master, the meticulously prepared tea set, the rustic and humble, but exquisitely designed, tea room. By focusing on these carefully orchestrated things, it is then possible to loosen the shackles and demands of the ego. Mindfulness, which itself has become a twenty-first century buzzword, lies at the heart of the tea ceremony.

    In Buddhist thought, it is believed that our grasp of reality is more an interpretation of an illusion and that the belief that we are in control of an ordered world is folly. Western thought is dominated by the idea that the world can be understood and that we are governed by laws, that the world is real. What a difficult gap to bridge.

    As we in the West struggle to find a sense of balance and contentment amid the chaos of modern life it is perhaps unsurprising that many seek answers, not in the continued pursuit of material things or the fleeting pleasures that they can bring, but instead in more contemplative pursuits. Today, yoga and meditation are widespread and there seems to be a thirst to learn more.

    One gets the impression that Okakura would not be surprised by the social and psychological malaise that has resulted from our obsession with the seductions of the material world. He would probably take great heart from the fact that the arts of Japan that he so passionately promoted and the philosophies that have nurtured them are still as important today as they ever were, unchanged by time or the march of science. The message of Okakura, of Zen and the tea ceremony, is a message of humility and finding joy in simplicity that remains as important today as when the book was first written.

    —ANDREW JUNIPER

    Foreword to the 1956 Edition

    Not always does the fame of an author keep step with the fame of his books. Sometimes the man advances and his work recedes, as, for example, in the case of Dr. Samuel Johnson, whose personality continues to intrigue us today, just as much as it did his contemporaries; we can still see him vividly through the eyes of Boswell and other diarists and recorders, while much of his own writing has taken on an obsolescent tinge.

    The opposite fate seems to have befallen Okakura Kakuzo and The Book of Tea. The book is just fifty years old, and in this half century its fame has grown steadily and continuously. Starting out as an esoteric morsel for a select few in the small aesthetic world of Boston at the turn of the century, it has been moving in ever-widening circles, propelled as by a natural movement across the waters that lap the shores of Asia and of Europe, always radiating from the modest little edition that first appeared in America in 1906. From this original publication in English,

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