| Michael Ricci was weeding the Tea House
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| | because inside the tea room everybody is
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| garden when I arrived for our interview.
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| | the same." Nowadays, he says, we take off
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| We sat in front of the little tea "hut"
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| | our rings, jewelry and watches. "Anything
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| at Buddhist-inspired Naropa University in
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| | that says 'This is Me,' or that takes us
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| Boulder, Colorado where in just one hour
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| | outside of the tearoom. Tea Ceremony is a
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| I would scoot through the tiny doorway on
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| | timeless realm in a bottle."The ceremony
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| my knees to participate in my first
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| | is an expression of harmony, respect,
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| Japanese Tea Ceremony along with his
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| | purity, and tranquility through each
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| students and other newcomers.Michael
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| | deeply symbolic gesture--a graceful
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| found the Tea Ceremony (Chado) through
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| | choreography between host and
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| Japanese Zen Buddhism. "I started reading
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| | guest.Koicha is abowl of 'thick tea,'
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| about Zen and I kept coming across
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| | made with a lot of Matcha (powdered green
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| references to tea. I called up Naropa and
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| | tea) and less hot water. One bowl is
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| they happened to be offering their first
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| | shared between all 3 to 5 guests. The
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| class on it through the extended studies
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| | host serves the tea to 'First Guest,'
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| program. There was one position left. I
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| | (who is not a beginner and can model tea
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| came and immediately fell in love with
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| | etiquette). First Guest bows to Second
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| it." He adds, "It seemed like the perfect
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| | Guest and says in Japanese "Excuse me for
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| way to understand more about Zen and
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| | taking my tea before you." Second Guest
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| start doing something contemplative
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| | bows, too. First Guest drinks their
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| alongside my meditation. It was a
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| | share, turns and wipes the bowl's edge in
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| spiritual path that made sense to
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| | a specific way with a paper napkin, and
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| me.""Everything the Japanese do turns
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| | then passes it to Second Guest. Michael
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| into an art, and that's the way they
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| | says, " Koicha is the most intimate part
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| treat tea. Keeping the tradition alive is
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| | of the gathering, sharing the bowl like
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| serious, and the rules are very important
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| | that." An initiation of sorts, I
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| to them. The Japanese Tea Ceremony
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| | thought.'Thin Tea,' Usucha , is more
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| incorporates almost all of the
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| | water and less tea, but only about three
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| traditional Japanese arts--flower
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| | and a half sips. "It's just enough to
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| arranging, calligraphy, laquerware,
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| | quench your thirst. It's powder and it's
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| ceramics, bamboo, wood. I'm an artist so
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| | not steeped. It is whisked," Michael
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| I just fell in love with all of
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| | explains. " During 'Thin Tea' the host
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| it."Michael spent two years studying Tea
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| | makes each guest a bowl of tea from the
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| with Hobart Bell, head of the Boulder Zen
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| | same bowl. They each take turns first
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| Center before being accepted to study at
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| | eating their sweet then drinking the
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| Urasenke Headquarters in Kyoto under the
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| | tea." First Guest receives the bowl of
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| guidance of 15th Generation Grand Tea
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| | tea, drinks it, passes it back to the
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| Master of the Urasenke lineage of tea,
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| | host who wipes it, cleans it, and gives
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| which is the largest practicing tea
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| | the next guest their bowl of tea in that
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| lineage in the world. Here he was
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| | same bowl. A watery sweet made of bean
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| immersed in traditional Japanese culture
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| | paste was served to refresh us that
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| and etiquette, learning all facets of
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| | summer day.Soon each guest in turn
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| Japanese Tea. But he had only scratched
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| | examined the utensils--scoop, bowl and
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| the surface after one year of study, so
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| | whisk--and inspected the bright green
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| he stayed another year and a half. After
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| | valley in the bowl from which a portion
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| that, he says, "I moved into a Zen
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| | of Matcha had been skillfully scooped by
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| Buddhist temple and trained alongside the
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| | the host when the tea was prepared. As
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| monks. I didn't take vows, but I lived
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| | the host retreated to the tiny kitchen,
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| the life of a monk for 6 months."It is
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| | the conversation between guests turned to
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| from this humble state of mind that
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| | appreciation of the warm weather, the
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| Michael shares his knowledge through his
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| | tea, the teahouse. My body tingled with a
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| tea classes and his art."There are two
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| | feeling of wellbeing. Was it the
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| ways to enjoy tea between host and guest.
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| | L-theanine in the green tea? Or a result
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| The first, Chaji, is a formal
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| | of paying close attention to every
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| several-course meal that can last four to
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| | movement?My mind arrived at stillness,
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| five hours. The abbreviated version,
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| | like tea leaves settling on the bottom of
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| called Chakai, is simply a sweet and a
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| | a cup.*****Michael Ricci is a tea
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| bowl of tea."Michael was teaching the day
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| | practitioner who teaches the Japanese Tea
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| I was there, so each of his students
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| | Ceremony and its related arts and
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| performed the short version tea ceremony
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| | cultural influences. He studied the art
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| one by one over four hours' time.There
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| | and craft of making tea utensils in the
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| are no distractions inside the teahouse.
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| | traditional Japanese pottery style called
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| Michael explains, "You're sitting on your
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| | Raku, invented in Japan over 400 years
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| knees in a very small room for 4 hours in
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| | ago specifically for the tea ceremony. He
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| a very intimate atmosphere. The dialogue
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| | makes tea utensils from clay, bamboo and
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| is stripped down. Everything is designed
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| | wood, which you can see during one of his
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| to keep focus on the moment and to
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| | classes or special event tea ceremonies.
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| completely forget about the world outside
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| | He has lectured and held demonstrations
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| of the teahouse.""The little door, called
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| | at pottery studios, universities and art
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| nijiriguchi , was designed for everybody
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| | organizations along the Front Range in
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| to bow their heads as they enter the tea
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| | Colorado, USA. Contact Michael at (970)
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| room. Shoguns and Samari might be sitting
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| | 530-0436.copyright 2005 Terry
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| next to peasants. They would have to take
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| | CalamitoFreelance writer and tea promoter
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| off their swords and leave them outside,
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| | Terry Calamito publishes the free weekly
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| bow their heads and humble themselves
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| | ezine Start Sipping.
|
