SHCHERBAN Nataliia
 

Tea ceremony - one of the mysterious traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun , which reaches everyday lives with appeasement and sublime harmony, and gives the opportunity to feel the hidden wisdom of Zen philosophy. I, like many foreign students who knew about the ceremony only from books, was very happy to have an opportunity to visit the home of Ms. Matsumoto -Sado (tea ceremony) instructor.

In the cozy house of the tea ceremony instructor, we were met by real beauties in kimonos and Ms. Matsumoto. We were also surprised by the wide tatami rooms and shoji screens which opened and closed with every movement, as though resembling constant changes in the mind of each guest. All students were very nervous and afraid of doing something inappropriate, such as stepping on two tatami at once, entering the wrong room or most importantly, too worried about sitting in a zazen pose for too long. But, as soon as we entered the ceremony room, the courteous and kind hostesses dispelled all alarm. Time flew by too quickly.

The ceremony began with welcomes and Japanese sweets, which look and taste like the current season, as refreshments. Students of Ms. Matsumoto impressed us by their impeccable craftsmanship during the preparation of traditional tea (“matcha”) . It seemed that every movement was expressing the unfathomable idea of harmony, and time itself slowed down in the hands of the women in kimono. Ms. Matsumoto explained the history and meaning of the traditional cups of tea, and we watched as the emerald matcha powder, blended with crystal clear water by the graceful movements of the girls, turned into a delicious drink.

In addition, we were provided the opportunity to participate in the ceremony itself, by taking turns to make tea for our friends, while playing the roles of guests and hosts. Inspired by a similar experiment, we even forgot about the time and past fears.

At the end of the ceremony, we asked Ms. Matsumoto various questions. We were told about the history of the tea ceremony and some features of the ritual itself. Our attention was attracted by the ikebana flower arrangement and the mysterious characters of the poem hanging on a scroll over the charming flowers: "Hearing a noise on the street at night, I thought of rain, but opening the door in the morning, I saw that many autumn leaves had fallen." The meaning of this ancient wisdom is that the world, like the leaves, has many fascinating lessons that we should learn and many tests, which we should pass to find our own way in life.

Hopefully, the tea ceremony in the house of Ms. Matsumoto was for each student like a moment in verse, a tiny speck of knowledge about the mysterious culture of Japan, a period of relaxation and immersion into our inner world, while outside we heard the Japanese flute -like song of the wind in the trees ...