THE WAY OF TEA: JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
On November 15, our sister organization, the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), invited our president to attend a traditional tea ceremony in a beautiful Washington, D.C., residence transformed into what is called the Peace Embassy. It was attended by women diplomats, ambassadors, and ambassadors' wives, all of whom were happy to take time out from their busy lives and be transplanted for a few hours into the tranquility and healing atmosphere of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
Mrs. Tomiko Duggan, public affairs director for UPF International, explained beautifully the very profound meaning of this ceremony, which is normally partaken of in a special tea house. Mrs. Duggan, clad in a traditional kimono, said, "Upon entering that place, everyone 'loses' their position and treats each other as fellow human beings. It is a time to relax, enjoy, and share, as one remembers the meaning of four important characters," which are:
Wa - Harmony Kei - Respect Sei - Purity Jyaku -Tranquility
Wa is the state of harmony and beauty that creates a feeling of goodness.
Kei is the attitude of respect for all things. This is not only a sincere respect for human beings, but for the sanctity of nature and all material objects.
Sei is purification. The pure heart without flaw makes a person honest, truthful, and sincere. In the tea ceremony, there are several movements made by the master in the process of preparing and serving the tea that symbolize the purification of the heart.
Jyaku is the level of enlightenment, when you are in oneness with the universal principle. At this stage, there is only tranquility in one's heart.
After everyone partakes of a cup of bitter tea prepared in front of us by the tea master, everyone receives a special, nicely decorated sweet made of rice cake to balance the bitterness of the tea.
The evening ended with the emphasis on coming together in this kind of space also as a family, and the importance of taking time out to share just one human being to another.
Mrs. Duggan also announced the Global Women's Peace Network and introduced our president, Angelika Selle, as one of the GWPN officers. Mrs. Duggan, also a GWPN officer, invited everyone to join the new organization and network together.
The evening ended with a delicious sushi dinner prepared by Japanese women residents of the Washington, D.C., area, dressed in kimonos. As one participant said, "I truly feel relaxed. All my stress is gone!" This is to show how much we can learn from the East in our stressful Western world. More than that, it was also a treat for the spirit and soul.
