Arriving in Japan three decades ago wasn’t easy for Søren M. Chr. Bisgaard, a Danish-born master of the Urasenke school of the tea ceremony. Even though he had already travelled to 30 countries – including many parts of Asia – he found Japan to be a different type of brew.
“Things were completely different here,” Bisgaard recalls. “Figuring out what was going on was a challenge. But I did it the hard way. I embraced Japan on its own terms. And when you approach something with sincerity, with an open mind, and a certain amount of humbleness, it reveals itself to you.”
The effort to adjust and learn the culture has paid off for the Dane, who lives in Kyoto. Since enrolling as a student in Urasenke’s international division many years ago, he has devoted himself to the study of tea and now teaches Japanese and non-Japanese students, both in Japan and other countries. He has cultivated a very close relationship with the school, having received his chamei (or tea name) directly from the then grand tea master.
“The tea ceremony is one of the greatest achievements of Japanese culture,” says Bisgaard. “The quality of the tea itself is the very best, and the fact that you imbibe the whole leaf in its powdered form insures you get all the health benefits. The philosophical and aesthetic values central to the way of tea are a true contribution to humanity that can be shared with people in other cultures to enrich their lives.”
For Bisgaard, tea is much more than a drink to be enjoyed in the tea room. “The way of tea is a way of life, an opportunity to share something very beautiful and elevating with others,” he says. “That care, attention, and concentration should be something you practice constantly, not only in the tea room but in everything you do.”
There are four guiding principles in the tea ceremony – wa, kei, sei, and jaku – each representing one of the cultural and religious traditions of Japan. “Wa, or harmony, must be honoured at all costs,” Bisgaard notes. “This means harmonising oneself with the laws of nature, not consuming more than we need and producing as little waste as possible. This is a Taoist idea.”
Kei is derived from Confucianism and means respect. Showing respect for those older or in higher positions creates a mutually beneficial cycle. “Where there is respect from below, those above will show benevolence.
“In the tea ceremony, there is respect for both the host and the guest, as well as for the utensils used. Ultimately, this leads to respect for wisdom.”
Sei means purity: pure in mind, pure in body, and pure in spirit. “The tea room is a perfect expression of this concept,” Bisgaard says, “and you also find it at Shinto shrines, where the first thing you do is to go to a water basin and wash your hands and mouth. This is symbolic of washing off the dust of the world.”
The last principle is jaku, or tranquillity, a Buddhist notion. “The mind should be completely quiet, with no desires and no thinking, like a pond without ripples. Only then will the water reflect your own true nature.”
Bisgaard’s appreciation for the harmonious lifestyle has dampened desire for worldly wealth. “I could spend my time making money, but then I would have to compromise and do things that I don’t agree with.
“I may be poor as a result, but what I have you cannot buy. As long as I’m practicing the tea ceremony I am at peace with myself and doing something that other people may appreciate. And somehow I feel that’s enough. There’s no safety net whatsoever. I trust in the divinity of nature itself.”