February
Leadership Reflection:
Leadership and a
Cup of Tea
Leaders live in a fast-paced,
multi-tasking world, full of responsibilities and split-second decision-making.
Therefore, it’s important for leaders to take some time away (every now and
then) to slow down, stop, and reflect on their circumstances and how they can
use their leadership skills and position to make the world a better place, not
only in the present, but also in the future. An excellent way to cultivate this
type of reflection is to learn about – and experience – chado (the way of tea)
for oneself in an authentic setting. Fortunately, at the University of
Illinois, the way of tea can be experienced at Japan House through its regular
schedule of Japanese tea ceremonies.
What can leaders learn from the Japanese
tea ceremony? The greatest tea master in Japanese history, Sen Rikyu, described
the ideals of chado over 400 years ago: harmony, respect, purity, and
tranquility. The core concept behind the tea ceremony is the realization of the
principle, “Ichigo, ichie” (which means “one life, one opportunity” in
Japanese). This means that we should learn how to recognize and savor the
numinosity in each moment of our lives, because each moment is truly unique and
will never come again. The following article, which is reprinted (in a
condensed and updated form) from my Presidential column in the Secretariat’s
April 2008 newsletter, describes my own first experience of the Japanese tea
ceremony and how it has impacted my life ever since.
A Visit to Japan House
by RHC
In December 2007, ACES James Scholar
Shannon O’Laughlin invited me to visit Japan House to take part in a tea
ceremony hosted by its Director, Professor Kimiko Gunji. Shannon, a longtime
member of the James Scholar Media Team (JSMT), was enrolled in Professor
Gunji’s ARTD 209 (Chado: The Way of Tea) course during the fall semester.
According to its catalog listing:
In this course, the study of Zen aesthetics and
philosophy, as well as special rituals and equipment for serving a bowl of tea
will be introduced. Serving a bowl of tea is an ordinary act, yet in the tea
ceremony this very ordinary act has been elevated into an extraordinary art
form. When one wishes to serve a bowl of tea in the sincerest and the most
pleasant manner, one has to pay detailed attention to each movement, and the
recipient is to enjoy a bowl of tea not only with the palate but also with all
other senses. Thus, both host and guest can enrich life through a bowl of tea.
Through this course experience, it is hoped that students realize that any
simple and ordinary act can be extraordinary and can contribute to their
success in all human endeavors. One of the most important objectives of this
course is to learn what it means to be a fine human being. (Archived @ http://japanhouse.art.illinois.edu/en/education/university/chado)
Shannon was eager to share her experience
of chado
with me, so I was pleased to accept her invitation.
On a cloudy Thursday afternoon
[12/13/2007], we arrived at Japan House, which is located at 2000 South Lincoln
Avenue in Urbana (not far from the College of Veterinary Medicine). As Shannon
and I hung up our coats and removed our shoes in the cloakroom, we (along with
the other guests) were greeted by a Japan House volunteer: Dr. Morton Weir,
Chancellor Emeritus of the Urbana campus. Dr. Weir gave us a tour of the house
(including the tearooms) and showed us (through the large glass windows) the
gardens that surround it (a traditional Japanese garden on one side and a Zen
rock garden on the other). We then entered the classroom where academic courses
are taught; there, we were introduced to Professor Gunji and received an
overview of the tea ceremony before it began.
The Japanese tea ceremony is a beautiful
and complex art form that has been developing in East Asia for over a
millennium. Professor Gunji, as our host, prepared the tea – a special variety
of green tea called matcha, imported from Japan.
Before the tea was served, however, we each received and ate a small sweet;
then, after the tea had been prepared with a bamboo whisk and other ceremonial
utensils, tea was served to each guest in a bowl decorated with traditional
designs (such as flowers). It is customary for the guests to take a few moments
to admire the artwork on the bowl before drinking the tea. We then proceeded to
savor the matcha tea, which was delicious!
The tea ceremony created an atmosphere
that was both contemplative and mindful. It was wonderful to participate in a
time-honored ritual that opens the door to new levels of intercultural
understanding. Each portion of the ceremony was conducted gracefully and
graciously by our host, and although the basic form of the ceremony is fixed,
it was unhurried, and the format invited each participant to watch, learn, and
appreciate the ceremony in every detail. One lesson (among many) that I took
away with me from the tea ceremony is that “simple” things, such as enjoying
tea with friends, can have a numinous beauty all their own, and so we need to
keep our eyes open for this “everyday numinosity” lest we miss out on the
enchantment that it can bring into our daily lives.
I have revisited Japan House many times over the last
several years. This photo was taken on 2/20/2014 following a tea ceremony. From
left to right: Professor Jennifer Gunji-Ballsrud (current Director of Japan
House), Maria Pauls (ACES James Scholar Class of 2014, Bronze Tablet Scholar,
& JSMT President Emerita), and myself. (Photo Credit: Japan House Staff)
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