TeaLife Audio – Episode 133 – Things in Tokonoma

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Hosts

  • Adam
  • Anthony
  • Marius

Things in Tokonoma

Poem

Observe with your eyes listen with your ears and take in the incense, Keep questioning things and deepen your understanding without pretence

目にも見よ耳にもふれよ香を嗅ぎてことを問ひつゝよく合点せよ me nimo mi yo mimi nimo fure yo kō o kagite koto o toitsutsu yoku gatten seyo


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TeaLife Audio – Episode 132 – Value of Tea

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Hosts

  • Adam
  • Anthony
  • Marius

Topic – Value of Tea

Poem 90
稽古とは一より習い十を知れ、十より歸る元の其の一

keiko to wa ichi yori narai jyū wo shire, jyū yori kaeru moto no sono ichi

Practice starts from ‘1’ And continues through to ’10’ Each step is learnt well Before returning to ‘1’ Where new understanding lies


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TeaLife Audio – EP 131 – Margie and Teaching

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Host

  • Adam
  • Anthony
  • Marius

Guest

Topic – Magie and teaching

Poem #89.

掛物や花を拝見する時は三尺ほどは座をよけてみよ

kakemono ya hana wo haiken suru toki wa san shaku hodo wa za wo yokete miyo

When viewing flowers or scrolls in a space for tea Appreciate from a distance of three shaku: this is where your seat ought to be

Information referenced


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TeaLife Audio – Ep 130 – Sumi

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Hosts

  • Adam
  • Anthony
  • Kyle
  • Marus

Topic – Sumi

Poem #88
When displaying a wicker flower vase in the alcove space,
It sits directly on the floor with no board under its base
床の上に籠花入を置く時は薄板などはしかぬものなり
toko no ue ni kago hana-ire o oku toki wa usuita nado wa shikanu mono nari

Information Referenced

Kyles sumi supplier: https://www.instagram.com/dartmoorcharcoal/ https://www.instagram.com/johnwilliamsondartmoor/


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TeaLife Audio – Episode 129 – Sarah, an online journey

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Hosts:

  • Adam
  • Sarah
  • Marius

Topic – An online journey

板床に葉茶壺茶入品々を飾らで 飾る法も有りけり
ita-doko ni ha-cha-tsubo cha-ire shina-jina o kazara de kazaru hō mo arikeri

A board-floor alcove rejects precious pieces like tea jars for display
But should the occasion call, there are other rules to obey

Information Referenced:


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TeaLife Audio – Episode 128 – Sven and Chinese Tea

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Hosts
– Adam
– Sven Schwannberger
 
Topic
Chinese tea
 
Poem
Die Ros’ ist ohn warumb
Sie blühet weil sie blühet
Sie achtt nicht jhrer selbst
fragt nicht ob man sie sihet.
 
 
The rose is without “Why”?
It blooms because it blooms
Not admiring itself 
Nor asking to be seen by others.

 

Angelus Silesius (1624-1677)
 

Information Referenced

 
 


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TeaLife Audio – Episode 126 – Ichi go Ichi e

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Hosts

  • Adam
  • Anthony
  • Marius

Topic Ichi Go Ichi E

Information referenced:

Yamanoue Sōji’s expression of ‘ichi-go ichi-e’ appears the Record of Yamanoue Sōji, a detailed compendium of annotated lists of utensils and notations of teachings in the lineage descending from Jukō, transmitted down through Jukō’s adopted heir Sōju, Torii Insetsu, Jōō and Rikyū, to Rikyū’s student and fellow Sakai merchant Yamanoue Sōji (1544-1590). In this famous work are two lists that come under the title “Points of Attention for Practitioners of Tea”. The ichi-go ichi-e philosophy appears in point 10 of the second list:
 

“10. Concerning the manner as a guest: attention should be given to building a unified gathering, There are may secretly transmitted provisions. For the sake of beginners, Jōō spoke of htis matter. At present, however, [such provisions] are rejected by Rikyū. He revealed bits and pieces during a nightfall tea gathering. To begin with, even during a morning or an evening gathering, and needless to say a gathering for the first showing of the jar of new tea, or even an ordinary chanoyu, from the moment you enter the garden pathway until the time you depart, hold the host in most respectful esteem, in the spirit that that encounter will occur but once in your life 一期ニ一度ノ会ノヤウニ.”

 

 

Sōji’s words are not as as succinct as the four character phrase we have today. It wasn’t until the mid 19th century that we have documented evidence of ichi-go ichi-e expressed as its compound 4 character idiomatic form. This was done by Ii Naosuke, Prime Minister of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate, in his work titled: Collected Notes on the Chanoyu Gathering or “Chanoyu Ichie Shū”:
 

“The gathering in chanoyu is spoken of as ‘a single encounter in a lifetime’ (ichigo ichie). Thus, although the same host and guests may come together a number of times, when one considers that one cannot return again to the gathering of this very day, one realises it indeed occurs but once in one’s life. Therefore, the host is meticulously attentive to all things, applying deep mindfulness and complete sincerity so that there be not the slightest negligence. And the guest, fully discerning the preciousness of the circumstances leading to the gathering, should be sensitive to the host’s intentions not to be remiss in what is meant by ‘a single encounter in a lifetime’.” 

 


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TeaLife Audio – Ep 125 – Koan practice

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Host
– Adam

Guest
– Peter Bursky outbursk@gmail.com

Information referenced:
Sydney Zen Centre
Wind in The Pines – Hirota
Tea Life Tea Mind – Soshitsu Sen XV
The Old Tea Seller – Baisao/Waddell
Zen in the Art of The Tea Ceremony – Hammitzsch
One Taste Of Truth – Wilson

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