| Michael Ricci was weeding the Tea House garden | | | | room everybody is the same." Nowadays, he |
| when I arrived for our interview. We sat in front | | | | says, we take off our rings, jewelry and watches. |
| of the little tea "hut" at Buddhist-inspired Naropa | | | | "Anything that says 'This is Me,' or that takes us |
| University in Boulder, Colorado where in just one | | | | outside of the tearoom. Tea Ceremony is a |
| hour I would scoot through the tiny doorway on | | | | timeless realm in a bottle."The ceremony is an |
| my knees to participate in my first Japanese Tea | | | | expression of harmony, respect, purity, and |
| Ceremony along with his students and other | | | | tranquility through each deeply symbolic |
| newcomers.Michael found the Tea Ceremony | | | | gesture--a graceful choreography between host |
| (Chado) through Japanese Zen Buddhism. "I | | | | and guest.Koicha is abowl of 'thick tea,' made with |
| started reading about Zen and I kept coming | | | | a lot of Matcha (powdered green tea) and less |
| across references to tea. I called up Naropa and | | | | hot water. One bowl is shared between all 3 to 5 |
| they happened to be offering their first class on it | | | | guests. The host serves the tea to 'First Guest,' |
| through the extended studies program. There | | | | (who is not a beginner and can model tea |
| was one position left. I came and immediately fell | | | | etiquette). First Guest bows to Second Guest and |
| in love with it." He adds, "It seemed like the | | | | says in Japanese "Excuse me for taking my tea |
| perfect way to understand more about Zen and | | | | before you." Second Guest bows, too. First Guest |
| start doing something contemplative alongside my | | | | drinks their share, turns and wipes the bowl's |
| meditation. It was a spiritual path that made | | | | edge in a specific way with a paper napkin, and |
| sense to me.""Everything the Japanese do turns | | | | then passes it to Second Guest. Michael says, " |
| into an art, and that's the way they treat tea. | | | | Koicha is the most intimate part of the gathering, |
| Keeping the tradition alive is serious, and the rules | | | | sharing the bowl like that." An initiation of sorts, I |
| are very important to them. The Japanese Tea | | | | thought.'Thin Tea,' Usucha , is more water and |
| Ceremony incorporates almost all of the traditional | | | | less tea, but only about three and a half sips. "It's |
| Japanese arts--flower arranging, calligraphy, | | | | just enough to quench your thirst. It's powder and |
| laquerware, ceramics, bamboo, wood. I'm an artist | | | | it's not steeped. It is whisked," Michael explains. " |
| so I just fell in love with all of it."Michael spent two | | | | During 'Thin Tea' the host makes each guest a |
| years studying Tea with Hobart Bell, head of the | | | | bowl of tea from the same bowl. They each take |
| Boulder Zen Center before being accepted to | | | | turns first eating their sweet then drinking the |
| study at Urasenke Headquarters in Kyoto under | | | | tea." First Guest receives the bowl of tea, drinks |
| the guidance of 15th Generation Grand Tea | | | | it, passes it back to the host who wipes it, cleans |
| Master of the Urasenke lineage of tea, which is | | | | it, and gives the next guest their bowl of tea in |
| the largest practicing tea lineage in the world. Here | | | | that same bowl. A watery sweet made of bean |
| he was immersed in traditional Japanese culture | | | | paste was served to refresh us that summer |
| and etiquette, learning all facets of Japanese Tea. | | | | day.Soon each guest in turn examined the |
| But he had only scratched the surface after one | | | | utensils--scoop, bowl and whisk--and inspected the |
| year of study, so he stayed another year and a | | | | bright green valley in the bowl from which a |
| half. After that, he says, "I moved into a Zen | | | | portion of Matcha had been skillfully scooped by |
| Buddhist temple and trained alongside the monks. I | | | | the host when the tea was prepared. As the host |
| didn't take vows, but I lived the life of a monk | | | | retreated to the tiny kitchen, the conversation |
| for 6 months."It is from this humble state of mind | | | | between guests turned to appreciation of the |
| that Michael shares his knowledge through his tea | | | | warm weather, the tea, the teahouse. My body |
| classes and his art."There are two ways to enjoy | | | | tingled with a feeling of wellbeing. Was it the |
| tea between host and guest. The first, Chaji, is a | | | | L-theanine in the green tea? Or a result of paying |
| formal several-course meal that can last four to | | | | close attention to every movement?My mind |
| five hours. The abbreviated version, called Chakai, | | | | arrived at stillness, like tea leaves settling on the |
| is simply a sweet and a bowl of tea."Michael was | | | | bottom of a cup.*****Michael Ricci is a tea |
| teaching the day I was there, so each of his | | | | practitioner who teaches the Japanese Tea |
| students performed the short version tea | | | | Ceremony and its related arts and cultural |
| ceremony one by one over four hours' | | | | influences. He studied the art and craft of making |
| time.There are no distractions inside the teahouse. | | | | tea utensils in the traditional Japanese pottery |
| Michael explains, "You're sitting on your knees in a | | | | style called Raku, invented in Japan over 400 |
| very small room for 4 hours in a very intimate | | | | years ago specifically for the tea ceremony. He |
| atmosphere. The dialogue is stripped down. | | | | makes tea utensils from clay, bamboo and wood, |
| Everything is designed to keep focus on the | | | | which you can see during one of his classes or |
| moment and to completely forget about the | | | | special event tea ceremonies. He has lectured and |
| world outside of the teahouse.""The little door, | | | | held demonstrations at pottery studios, |
| called nijiriguchi , was designed for everybody to | | | | universities and art organizations along the Front |
| bow their heads as they enter the tea room. | | | | Range in Colorado, USA. Contact Michael at (970) |
| Shoguns and Samari might be sitting next to | | | | 530-0436.copyright 2005 Terry CalamitoFreelance |
| peasants. They would have to take off their | | | | writer and tea promoter Terry Calamito publishes |
| swords and leave them outside, bow their heads | | | | the free weekly ezine Start Sipping. |
| and humble themselves because inside the tea | | | | |