Chazen ichimi holds that tea practice and the spirit of Zen come to the same thing. Since Murata Juko practised Zen under Ikkyu Sojun it has been the root concept of the interior dimension of tea.
Origins
From Juko's Zen practice onward, the wabi tea lineage running through Takeno Joo and Sen no Rikyu has been closely tied to Zen. The tradition of hanging a Zen monk's calligraphy in the alcove is an expression of the same idea.
In practice
The phrase is used in discussing what is fundamental about the practice — "the state of chazen ichimi", or the variant chazen ichinyo. It also explains why so much of the vocabulary of tea is Zen vocabulary, and why the calligraphy in the alcove is treated as the statement of the sitting rather than as decoration.
About this article
Edited by the operator of Chaen (a one-person operation) / Last updated:
Tea ceremony descriptions can vary by school and source. Where interpretations differ, this glossary avoids definitive claims and focuses on broadly shared understandings. If you notice an error, please let us know viaContact. To learn about our organization, seeAbout Chaen.
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Related terms
- Chado (The Way of Tea)chado
The Japanese practice of preparing and serving powdered green tea, treated as a lifelong discipline rather than a beverage ritual.
- Bokuseki (Zen calligraphy)bokuseki
Calligraphy by Zen monks, the most highly ranked of hanging scrolls, which fixes the theme of a sitting.
- Wabichawabicha
The restrained style of tea, developed in the 15th–16th centuries, that finds beauty in plainness and imperfection rather than in imported luxury.