The seven rules are the precepts on tea practice attributed to Sen no Rikyu: make the tea so that it suits the drinker; lay the charcoal so that the water boils; in summer give coolness, in winter warmth; arrange the flowers as they are in the field; be ready ahead of the appointed time; prepare an umbrella even when it will not rain; attend to your fellow guests. None is an esoteric secret; they set out the obvious requirements of hospitality, and that is the interest of the teaching.
How to read them
The seven items look like statements of the obvious, and behind each lies a considerable depth of attention. The teaching is understood as an account of how difficult it is to do the obvious thing, adequately and without excess, in this particular situation on this particular day.
A note on transmission
The seven rules, like the hundred-verse Rikyu Hyakushu, were compiled after Rikyu's death. They tell us reliably how the Edo period understood Rikyu, which is not the same thing as being a record of his words.
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.
Term info
- Category
- Term
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.
- Wabiwabi
Finding sufficiency of mind within insufficiency and plainness; one of the root concepts of tea practice.
- Ichigo ichie (one time, one meeting)ichigo ichie
The principle that every gathering is unrepeatable, and should therefore be treated as if it will never occur again.
- Wakei seijaku (harmony, respect, purity, tranquillity)wakei seijaku
The four-character summary of the ethical aims of tea practice, attributed to Sen no Rikyu.
- Omotenashi (hospitality)omotenashi
The host's fundamental orientation toward the guest; understated attention rather than demonstrated service.
- Mitate (seeing new use)mitate
Taking an object made for another purpose into the tea room as a utensil; where a host's invention shows most sharply.