The Book of Tea
Kakuzo Okakura, 1906
A Japanese art critic explains why tea—its room, its flowers, its humility—is a philosophy for living, written to correct the West's picture of Asia.
Kakuzo Okakura
1862–1913
Okakura wrote The Book of Tea in English and later became curator of Japanese art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Feels like wonder and art.
A spotless path can still be missing something.
Rikiu was watching his son Shoan as he swept and watered the garden path. “Not clean enough,” said Rikiu, when Shoan had finished his task, and bade him try again. After a weary hour the son turned to Rikiu: “Father, there is nothing more to be done. The steps have been washed for the third time, the stone lanterns and the trees are well sprinkled with water, moss and lichens are shining with a fresh verdure; not a twig, not a leaf have I left on the ground.” “Young fool,” chided the tea-master, “that is not the way a garden path should be swept.” Saying this, Rikiu stepped into the garden, shook a tree and scattered over the garden gold and crimson leaves, scraps of the brocade of autumn! What Rikiu demanded was not cleanliness alone, but the beautiful and the natural also. Books by Kakuzo Okakura
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