An atmosphere is the most vital pre-requisite for life and mind. Without it, worlds are hard pounded deserts, dry as old bones, where alien feet fall soundlessly and even the dust is dead. With it everything is possible.
Since the dawn of the Way of Tea, this has been recognized by the great Masters of the times, as they sought to place emphases on the seasonal feeling in the tearoom, the utensils, the hanging scroll, and seasonal words and ideas given as names to many of the objects.
In compiling this anthology of seasonal feeling I have sought to bring together a number of ideas from different writings, these are recognized in the acknowledgement of sources. To these I have added my own limited research over the past twenty years. Not aiming to always translate exactly, but rather to give something of the flavour of the Japanese characters. I say limited as I am reminded of the flea who said 'we are ploughing 'as he rode on the back of the ox.
I join others who feel that chanoyu is one of the ways in which we can embark on the 'science of the soul', whose aim is to effect a definite transformation of man's nature, and that in this study there is something that must start in the mind apart from the evidence of the senses if we are to journey to another level of understanding. It is the sense of 'something' much greater that is the starting point of this journey.
In the planning, preparation, holding, and clearing away of a Chaji we have an exercise whose object is to let in the sense of this 'something greater' into every moment of our practice and lives, and in this we touch ideas that have transforming power.
As a host or guest at Chanoyu whatever is received, is received in the manner of the receiver, and experiences which have the same rate of vibration will fuse. Only in this way will harmony, respect, puriry, and tranquillity achieve to their fullest potential. When the host will truly have the mind of the guest, and the guest that of the host. There will then be moments of perfect harmony when everything is exactly right and things are done with great ease. These moments are high spiritual experiences in which every form of separateness or fragmentation is transcended.
Tea draws us into a mindful watchful state which has this power to transform and anyone of normal intelligence can undertake such a process.
Seasonal words are outward, visible and tangible signs of inner spiritual realities. They express after their own fashion, and represent a reflection of a higher immutable truth which everything of any reality necessarily partakes of.
'The May rains; Even the nameless stream Is a thing of dread' -- Buson
We are by nature earth-worshippers, fire-worshippers, water worshippers. The elements are our teachers, our playmates, our enemies, these "dear dangerous Lords of life". They bring us into being, and receive us again at the last. No wonder that we stand in awe before even the most casual stream when it is swollen and swirling with the waters of spring.
We tend to think that only the visible world has reality and structure and do not conceive the possibiliry that the psychological world, or inner world that we know as our thought, feeling and imagination, may also have a real I structure and exist in its own 'space' although not that space that we are in touch with through our sense organs. I Into this inner space may come ideas. They may visit the mind. What we see through the power of an idea cannot be seen when we are no longer in I contact with it. We know the experience of suddenly seeing the truth of something for the first time. At such moments we are altered and if they persisted we would be permanently altered.
We can think of an idea, as something that puts us in contact with another degree of understanding and takes us out of an inner routine and the habitual state of our usual reality. We cannot understand differently without ideas.
But the great sensory world with its noise, colour, and movement, rushing in through the open channels of sight and hearing, often overwhelms us. Now I would say that all ideas that have the power of altering us and letting new meaning into our lives are about the 'invisible' side of things and cannot be demonstrated directly or reached by reasoning alone. Because they relate to the invisible side of things they are not approached by reasoning according to the evidence of the senses.
With this workbook goes my gratitude to Oiemoto and the many teachers and fellow students who over the years have enabled and encouraged me to make a start on this the most important journey a man or woman can make towards the goal of 'know thyself'.
The human soul Is like the water; From heaven it comes, To heaven it rises And down again To the earth it descends Eternally changing Goethe
My best wishes to all who may use this 'fallen leaf'.
Michael A. Birch London September 1987