The Book of Tea Classic Edition

First off, not really about tea. It's an overview of the history and philosophy of China and Japan through talking about tea. Okakura is a Japanese author who learned English at a young age, written in 1906. I found this book by clicking around on some links about Wabi-Sabi and because of my love for Chinese Tea I decided to read this one. The tea ceremony's I have been involved in are certainly rich, simple, peaceful experiences, it has a similar effect as yoga on mind and body. I hope to drink several cups of various asian varieties of tea every day for the rest of my life. I would recommend this short book to anyone interested in Asia, it's history and philosophy, and as well, it's tea. Especially the westerner. The author being Japanese but well versed in western thought (through his early command of the english language) offers a great rebuttal to the attitude of the west towards Asia, which I wish so bad us westerners could catch on to. That can be found especially in the beginning, but certainly throughout. "They (the tea-masters) have given emphasis to our natural love of simplicity, and shown us the beauty of humility." Some more quotes: "There is a subtle charm in the taste of tea which makes it irresistible and capable of idealization." "Lotung, a Tang poet, wrote: “The first cup moistens my lips and throat, the second cup breaks my loneliness, the third cup searches my barren entrail but to find therein some five thousand volumes of odd ideographs. The fourth cup raises a slight perspiration,— all the wrong of life passes away through my pores. At the fifth cup I am purified; the sixth cup calls me to the realms of the immortals. The seventh cup— ah, but I could take no more! I only feel the breath of cool wind that rises in my sleeves." --- Surprisingly, the tea after drinking a couple cups has these effects! It's way different than the caffeine high from coffee as well. It's a much more hydrated, non-jittery feeling. The author describes the tea ceremony as being derived from the practice of Buddhist monks drinking tea before their altars. It can easily be a spiritual, life-giving experience. “If people of inferior intelligence hear of the Tao, they laugh immensely. It would not be the Tao unless they laughed at it.” "Hide yourself under a bushel quickly, for if your real usefulness were known to the world you would soon be knocked down to the highest bidder by the public auctioneer. Why do men and women like to advertise themselves so much? Is it not but an instinct derived from the days of slavery?"

Published in 1906, Okakura’s ‘Book of Tea’ espouses that tea is the foundation for a system of life, a philosophy, and it’s associated benefits all conspire to bring together that which is fundamental, holistically and spiritually. From Taoist and Zen upbringings, Teaism (not a typo!) comes with an admixture of the two as a world-philosophy, disposition and mindset. Being in the here and now and as Okakura writes: ‘The whole ideal of Teaism is a result of this Zen conception of greatness in the smallest incidents of life.’ (308) And beyond the philosophy which is the works pertinence, we are given a glimpse of the importance of the things of everyday life and how they should be approached, also we get both an education in tea-making and architecture. It’s a pretty neat, quick, read if you have any interest in Eastern Philosophy / Religion. Broken into brief segments the work includes: 1. The Cup of Humanity. 2. The Schools of Tea. 3. Taoism and Zennism. 4. The Tea Room. 5. Art Appreciation. 6. Flowers. 7. Tea-Masters. The work begins with Okakura’s reaction of the end of Japanese Isolationism (mid-1600’s to mid-1800’s), the bemuddled feeling of the people when they’ve realized that their governments xenophobia has led them to all sorts of bizarre conceptions and contrarily, that Westerners also have laid many poor misconceptions upon the Japanese people. However, the binding, humanitarian element throughout the discourse between the east and west, the thing that weaves together our humanity, has been the reverence and esteem toward good tea – ‘The white man has scoffed at our religion and our morals, but has accepted the brown beverage without hesitation.’ (53), since at least 1610 when the Dutch East India Company brought tea first to Europe. The second part of the work deals with the beginnings of tea. It focuses on preparation: boiled (Sang), whipped (Tong) and steeped (Ming) - (100). Okakura acknowledges that the Western world is bereft of the prior two methods because Europe entered the picture at the end of the Ming Dynasty (in China: 1368-1644). He elaborates on the preparation methods, detailing them finely and with the care one would expect of a teaist. The third segment of the book brings about a discussion regarding Taoism and it’s component philosophies as they relate to both enhancing characteristics of Zen and Confucianism, the major players in, then, Eastern philosophy / religion. The major tenants include: present-mindedness, laughter at absurdity, an easy demeanor and path, way, means, mode… of being, existing, in the world. The fourth section puts on display the tea-room and it introduces the tea ceremony. Much time is given the architectural process and much thought put into criticizing Western architecture for using oft repeated styles and this is usually coupled with, upon strolling the inside, a lack of modesty so great as it regards material matter, that one is stricken by its indecency. Whereas the tea-room was a small, non-descript, humility begging structure, which may have one or two decorations and seat no more than usually 5 at a time. A very intimate gathering, and one full of custom as Okakura goes on to explain in the sixth section during his analysis of the use of flowers during the tea ceremony. Sections 5 and 6 are brief and deal mainly with what truly appreciating the respective titles means (art, flowers) and their usefulness and symbolism in Japanese culture, and specifically as it may relate to the tea rooms. Here is learned a snippet of some of Japan’s earliest competitive decorative florists: the Ikenobos (Formalistic School)! But Okakura finds that to be a topic which would be too long discussed and probably insubstantiate a work about tea. The work concludes with a summary of how a tea-master lives his life and directs his abilities. There is found here much accreditation, justly due, to the inventions of Japans tea-masters. Quotes: ‘Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence.’ (3) ‘… scarcely any attention has been drawn to Teaism, which represents so much of our Art of Life.’ (24) ‘Teaism is the art of concealing beauty that you may discover it, of suggesting what you dare not reveal.’ (78) ‘Teaism was Taoism in disguise.’ (192) ‘People are not taught to be really virtuous, but to behave properly. We are wicked because we are frightfully self-conscious.’ (229) ‘How can one be serious with the world when the world itself is so ridiculous!’ (231) ‘But, after all, we see only our own image in the universe, - our particular idiosyncrasies dictate the mode of our perceptions.’ (505)

Okay. Please note: The Book of Tea was written in ENGLISH originally. Yes, Okakura Kakuz' was fluent and decided to target the book towards Westerners. In knowing this, I have very little patience for those publishers that have editions filled with errors (Looking at you Dover). Since it's not a translated work, the original text should be what is printed. The original copyright has expired, so there is not legal reason why subsequent editions would vary with the text. So the main determining factor I used is finding a publisher that I trusted. Sadly my first purchase of this book was returned because I hit buy now and it popped the Dover edition into my cart... But click under Format and select one of the editions from a reputable publisher. If you look at the 1 star ratings, most are the Dover, Tuttle, or Kindle editions. The 5 star ratings tend to be for the Penguin or Shambhala editions. I think the acid free, high quality paper used in the Shambhala edition is nice and the pictures nice to look at. It makes a great book for quiet reflection and isn't an embarrassment to your coffee table or bookshelf since it has a nice cover.

A classic worth reading that tells everything about TEA and its origin. ‘Tea’, a native drink from China has reached all over the world and is now considered as the most highly consumed liquid after water, by human beings. This Oriental drink is considered sacred by the East due to its colour, odour, taste and medicinal characteristics. It was officially introduced to the European countries in the sixteenth century. It is surprising to learn through this book that teaism has its own schools of evolution, The Boiled Tea (Caked Tea), The Whipped Tea (Powdered Tea) and The Steeped Tea (Leaf Tea), representing the spirit of age they prevailed during the Tang, The Ming and The Sung dynasties of China respectively. Also called as Tou, Tseh, Chung, Kha, Cha and Ming, this drink was highly prized for possessing the virtues of relieving fatigue, delighting the soul, prevent drowsiness, strengthening the will, repairing the eyesight and alleviate rheumatic pains. “Chaking” – the Holy scripture of Tea, written by the famous Chinese poet Luwuh, details everything about the tea plant and its leaves, method of identifying an gathering the suitable leaves for best quality tea and finally the making of the beverage from how to boil to how to drink. Tea has become a religion of the art of life in Japan also, where it grew to be an excuse for the worship of purity and refinement. Both Taosim and Zennism are said to be associated with the spirit of Tea and entire Chinese ideology seemed to have been influenced by this golden beverage. Finally, the importance and sanctity of a Tea Room (the Sukiya) in the Chinese and Japanese cultures is very impressive. Flowers and their arrangement in the Oriental homes also is linked to the great spiritual depths of knowledge nurtured by great emperors of China like Huensang. The birth and the Art of Flower Arrangement has been simultaneous with that of Teaism in the fifth century. The link is well established by the great Tea masters of China and Japan as a distinct religion by itself. Pros: The philosophy entwined behind the great history of Tea is mind boggling. No one would ever think that a whole set of ideologies revolved around Chinese dynasties through the influence of Tea. The simplicity of the Oriental cultures is attributed to the doctrine of Teaism in contrast to the explicit display of riches in Western culture. The beauty of flowers and their service to mankind was really fantastic. It is astonishing to learn that all the celebrated gardens of Japan were laid out by its tea masters once upon a time. Even great arts like pottery, textile designing, cooking, serving, painting etc were linked to the involvement of the tea masters of the Orient – simplicity and naturalistic being the catchwords. Nice to learn about the Tea Conferences of Japan. Cons: There is a lot of philosophy and spiritual teachings included in this book which doesn’t seem to have much relevance to Teaism. It only seemed to have been fitted in for better presentation of the book. My rating is 2.5 out of 5

I am not a huge fan of Sado (or Chanoyu by a Sen family), or any other name. But drinking three cups of tea a day is my routine. Was curious to know what the book published 100 years ago was like, and found it had many archaic terms like Teaism, Asiatics, "with too much tea," Yellow Peril, Hojo-Tokiyori or Japanese Haroun-Al-Raschid (sic). How changed the world has become in a century! -for good. The book started with a heavy items like humanity: Charles Lamb, Thackeray all that. But the following chapters taught me a lot of about things Japanese which I often have hard time explaining. Different kinds of tea, how to stroll in a garden, enter a tea room and keep composure there. Even martial art jujitsu was explained. A friend of mine, a 5-dan holder of Karate, appreciated me pointing the book's citation of jujitsu albeit different spellings. I just follow Britannica's way of spelling. Despite many other things that I had grappled with, I felt better because I had a cut of what the 16th century of Japan was like. Tea, Ikebana, Indian ink culture, are alive and well with present day Japan. Even Christianity had its own days or a century before Ieyasu extinguished it. The compact book gave me an insightful account of perspectives.

I love this book! It is not only a guide through history of tea, but a guide through the history of humanity, history of the relation between East and West and its values. The way it is written is poetic but it is still showing what the main differences between East and West are and how we are unable to understand the beauty of the moment, the beauty of present time, which is in the center of the tea ceremony. Western people are so determined to stick to their past and trying so hard to conquer their future that they forget to enjoy the only time they really can feel, the only time in which they can do something: the present time.

Welcome to the elegance of tea-ism. Weaving beauty with simplicity, I have much to learn from Japanese culture. Everything they do is done with such precision. I first fell in love with tea ceremony as a child watching "Alice and Wonder Land", then my love was evoked again in high school when I read "Memoirs of A Geisha" by Arthur Golden. (It's still my favorite book of all time, to this date!) I then found other books on reading tea leaves and using herbs to heal from Chronic Lyme Disease naturally, so ya, you could say I'm INTO tea. In my herbalist certification class, we were told to <i>"sip tea as if it were life itself."</i> And I have ever since. It's similar to the yogic thought process <i>use what you've learned on the mat and live it off the mat, extending it out onto the rest of your life.</i> Same, same but different. A few of my favorite quotes from the text: <b><i>"Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage." "Tea was Taoism in disguise." "Matcha- froth of the liquid jade."</i></b> I should mention that this title has NO RECIPES in it. It is more about Eastern (Japanese) culture, a history of tea, explanations of elegance and simplicity within tea ceremony, merging yin and yang, and getting the West and East to understand one another. Not only did I find the tea tools lost throughout ancient history to be most fascinating, but the part on Flower Masters was not something I was expecting to be included. It was an added grace of decadence and a free feng shui lesson! (Another topic of interest to me.) I am thankful to the community of volunteers who published these works after the author's passing. I've added many of his other titles to my list! For other snippets I found interesting, you can see my highlights and notes on Goodreads. I highlighted close to 50-some passages. I downloaded this e-book while it was free on Amazon. I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given. I have added the hardback to my Amazon shop (link in bio) for easy purchasing access if interested, or you can see if the e-book is still free, available for download. Happy reading!

This slim little book is not just an illustration of the history and preparation of tea, or a paean to a shared love of boiled leaves through the ages, although you'll find both inside. It's also a window into the culture and history of household ritual, of humble yet uplifting custom built around food that reaches back beyond a thousand years and into our own homes today. Everyone who has found solace in preparing a cup of tea will find this book speaks to them, and will find themselves touching and understanding something of the lives of people from the Victorian British to the ancient Chinese. The tradition of tea, as tradition is meant to, turns history into continuity.

Me gusta que el libro empieza con un giro filosófico sin perder la objetividad, que al principio es los antecedentes historicos y culturales del té. En mi experiencia en particular, no pienso que este libro sea una lectura pesada, sin embargo sí que me detuve a reflexionar en ocasiones (más que cuando he leido novelas). Si conoces mucho sobre el tema del té, entonces creo que entenderas muchas referencias que tal vez pasen desapercibidas si aún no estas tan familiarizado con el tema.

Lettura molto interessante dove viene approfondita la fisiologia e l'importanza delle stanze del the

This is an excellent book with some beautifully poetic and profound words. It's not exactly about tea in a simple way and might go over the head of some. Personally I loved it.

Num pequeníssimo livro; tanto. Cada página pode e deve ser apreciada, como o próprio chá. Em verdade, justamente esta bebida, o centro de todos os caminhos japoneses. Escrito originalmente num impressionante inglês, faz a rara transição perfeita de conceitos nipônicos tão difíceis, de forma tão sublime. Um clássico, tão pequeno e tão grandioso; tão quanto o são os conceitos de tudo e nada.

The Book of Tea von Kakuzō Okakura ist ein faszinierendes Werk, das ursprünglich 1906 für ein westliches Publikum geschrieben wurde. Es ist mehr als nur ein Buch über Tee; es ist eine tiefgründige Erkundung der japanischen Kultur, Philosophie und Kunst durch die Linse des Tees und der Teekultur. Okakura beschreibt Teaism als eine Lebensphilosophie, die Harmonie, Einfachheit und Respekt vor der Natur fördert. Er verbindet diese Philosophie mit Zen und Taoismus und zeigt, wie sie die japanische Kultur und Kunst beeinflusst hat. Zudem dient das Buch als Brücke zwischen Ost und West, indem es westlichen Lesern die Feinheiten der japanischen Teekultur näherbringt. Okakura diskutiert zudem die Bedeutung von Kunst und Ästhetik im Zusammenhang mit der Teezeremonie und wie diese Praktiken die japanische Architektur und Kunst beeinflusst haben. Der Schreibstil ist poetisch und philosophisch, was das Lesen fast schon zu einem meditativen Erlebnis macht. Ich habe das Buch auf Deutsch in Druckform und mich sehr gefreut, dass es hier als Ebook auf Englisch gratis verfügbar ist. Dann habe ich es zumindest immer dabei.