The Lure of a Tea House

Tea gardens and tea houses in Japan in the 16th century represented

 "a mutual rejoicing in such spiritual bonds of comradeship, in the course of the search for Truth, Good and Beauty"

- Emori Nahiko

Nahiko further explains

"For example, if both the host and guests discover in the tea cup, brought into the tea-room by the host, some common element of beauty, the souls of those persons become united." 

(“Chashitsu [Tea-rooms], by Emori Nahiko and Asahitani Sau. Asahi Shimbun, 1949.) I got this quote from a fabulous website called The Saunterer - check it out.

This lovely quote inspired me to search out versions of Tea Houses and more:

Terunobu Fujimori's Too-High Tea House, in Nagano, Japan is perched atop a pair of tree trunks 20 feet tall: he says, “One leg is dangerous and three legs are too stable and boring.”

model for the above tea house - DWELL magazine

 

Is this search for truth, good and beauty  what animates us serenity garden lovers to build such frivolous buildings -

not big enough to sleep in - and just large enough to house maybe 2 people in a common quest for the ...ineffable?  (great word)
 
 

"A house and 'dewed' ground

 

Guest and host

Drinking together a cup of tea

In quiet contemplation

In spiritual symphony"

 

~ David Mastalka, Architect of the tea house (shown above and below) in Czech Republic.

 

"The spherical shape directs your attention to the hearth, on which the tea is prepared and creates a close bondage with all who are present."  ~ David Mastalka

And this brings us to the Tea House, a work in progress so wonderfully chronicled in the great blog , Each Little World

Tea House Rises

Guest's Door.

"Traditionally the door to the tea house is very low, forcing guests to humble themselves as they enter on their knees.

 I think that there is also some folklore about Samarai swordsmen having to leave their swords outside and entering head first — a real sign of trust." ~ Mark Golbach, designer and photographer and builder of this tea house

Each Little World Blog - check it out!

This blog post was inspired by a lovely walk I took with a dear friend at Mariandale in Ossining.....walking along a wooded path we came upon their 'healing hut' :

looking out from the tea house through the entry arch to the Hudson River

By the way, drinking just half a cup of green or oolong tea daily reduces a person's risk of high blood pressure by almost 50%. Loaded with anti-oxidants, tea has been shown in study after study to inhibit many forms of cancer and to promote recovery.
so build that tea house today!

here is a great book that describes how to do it: