This site provides some information on the japanese tea ceremony and important aspects related to it. It looks into Zen and Zen poems as well as poems written by the great tea master Sen no Rikyu. There is a simple description of how to hold a tea ceremony with limited resources. And finally a little about the history of the Japanese tea ceremony.
(content sample: teahyakka.com/E.html)
” …The custom of drinking tea was prevalent in China before the time of Christ.
Tea was first imported from China as a beverage and over the course of several hundred
years was developed into the art of Chanoyu from which developed Chado.
The study of tea is effective in teaching discipline and instilling respect for others.
The Japanese created a unique way of life by elevating the mundane practice of drinking tea
to a spiritual discipline. Especially after the contact with Zen, The Way of Tea was strengthened because the spirit of Tea and Zen became to be seen as one and the same.
Peace, respect, purity, and tranquility are the four precepts of Chanoyu.
Chanoyu, over the centuries, has become deeply rooted in the hearts and customs of the
Japanese people and has had a great influence on Japanese culture … “
