The Book of Tea (1906)

The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura gave a history of tea and the Asian philosophy of tea. It is important to note that the author died in 1913 before major world events and that his ideas reflect an ethnocentric view which may have been common when he was living.

Tea originally was thought of as medicinal only but later gained recognition as a beverage in 8th Century China. Teaism is a cult in Japan that emphasized purity, cleanliness and simplicity. This philosophy compared emotions to tea. There could be too little tea or emotion or too much.

My favorite parts of this book are the discussion of the evolution or the three ways of preparing tea. The first way that tea was prepared was by boiling it with rice, ginger, salt, milk and spices until you have a cake to make tea from. It is still prepared that way in Tibet and Mongolia.

The second way developed in the Ming Dynasty is powdered tea. This is called the whipped method and does not use salt. It began in Southern China but this method only survives in Japan where the Mongols were unable to take over. Along with this, the simple tea room and the tea ceremony developed in Japan. The ceremony and drinking of tea is supposed to drive away fatigue.

The Ming Dynasty in China started using steeped tea which the Western world is familiar with. Tea was best enjoyed in porcelain cups.

What I didn’t like in this book was the assumption that the Japanese way of Teaism is the best way. The author criticizes the Western way and instead of thinking of them as just different assumes that the Eastern way is best.

I did enjoy this e-book very much, especially the history of tea and the discussion of the requirement s of Japanese tea rooms and the philosophy of Teaism. I just touched on the topics in this book; the author goes into great depth on them.

I do recommend it but you will need to accept the authors’ assumptions about which culture is better, West or East. ( )

This is a delightful book, written about 100 years ago, about the tea ceremony, its spiritual roots and its influence on Japanese culture.

The writer traces the roots of the tea ceremony in Taoism and Zen Buddhism, emphasising the importance of enjoying the present moment and seeing beauty in small, everyday things. He shows how the purity and simplicity of the tea-room came from emulation of the Zen monastery, and this in turn influenced Japanese architecture for centuries. There were some wonderful observations, for example on the deliberate avoidance of symmetry or repetition in the decoration of the tea-room, on the grounds that "True beauty could be discovered only by one who mentally completed the incomplete." The process was more important than attempting a perfect end result.

The writing itself is a thing of elegant beauty. Here's a brief example:

"The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things." ( )

This is an interesting and short book. It covers some of the history of Tea in China and Japan, but focusses more on the cultural, religious and artistic aspects of tea drinking, the tea ceremony and the tea house. ( )

The Tao of Tea

Written in English for an American audience during Japan's rise to imperial power, the Book of Tea "has served for nearly a century as one of the most perceptive introductions to Asian life".

The author believed that Asia was one and that Japan was a "repository of Asia". He had studied the Chinese classics and its religious culture as a young man, which led him to believe that Chanoyu (the "Tea Ceremony") was a form of spiritual discipline. Art stands against all that is false, grasping and self-serving, and Chanoyu is a path to a life that is true and authentic as it worships the imperfect.

Taoism and Zen Buddhism from the Chinese Sung dynasty are maintained in the tea ceremony, long after the loss of this tradition in China with the rise of the Yuen. The tea ceremony is an excuse for the worship of purity and refinement, it is Taoism in disguise. Pity, economy and modesty are the three jewels of Taoist life. Equally to Taoism, Zen is the worship of relativism. The Tea Ceremony originated in Zen monks successively drinking tea from a bowl before the image of the Bhodi Dharma and expresses harmony, respect, tranquillity and purity.

The Tea Room is consecrated to the worship of the imperfect, is asymmetrical and purposely leaving something unfinished. As such the Tea Room is made with extreme craftsmanship and more costly than an ordinary mansion. Entered via a garden, the door would be no more than 3 feet high.

All objects should be selected so that no colour or design is repeated. The art should represent the individual taste of the tea master. Flower arrangements should not be "noisy" but simple and harmonise with the art and the weather. The architecture and decoration done by tea masters have influenced palaces and monasteries. Painting and lacquer ware were also influenced, although the author does not elaborate here.

The core text of the book constantly juxtaposes Eastern simplicity against Western overabundance, as if attack were the best form of defence (while I was reading the Book of Tea I was asking myself if Ian Buruma had written about it). As another point of critique The Book of Tea advocates an aestheticism that is primarily Japanese and Korean and alien to more exuberant repositories of Asia like Chinese or Thai culture (or any pachinko parlour).

Overall this seemed a good edition of an elitist book with an excellent introduction and after word. ( )

This is an interesting little volume and reveals something of the Japanese mind set. I read it once years ago and surprisingly remembered a good deal of it. I did seen an authentic tea ceremony (unbelievably green) and the patience, philosophy, and ideology of tea can be clearly discerned in the practice.

Great introductory book into the "art of tea" from an Asian perspective. ( )

I am an avid tea drinker. I must drink multiple cups a day. While I prefer black tea usually, I have found that I am fond of an occasional cup of green, white, or oolong. This, of course, does not include the teasans I also like to drink: mate, rooibos, the like. I like me a good cup of tea.

When I discovered The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo, I knew that I had to read it. Okakura has written here a delightful gem tracing the history of tea, including the history of Teaism, as well as describing the Japanese tea ceremony. In addition, he goes into detail about things that went hand-in-hand with tea, including zen, and some philosophical thoughts on things like flowers, which have their place in the tea ceremony.

If you would be interested in a deeper history of tea, at least as far as the Japanese tea culture was involved as of the turn of the 20th centure, then this book is indispensible. While it doesn’t cover much if any of the UK tea customs, I found that it stood well as a useful resource to anybody who has a curiosity regarding tea.

Much enjoyed, albeit with a cup of Earl Grey. I won’t tell if you won’t. ( )

very good condition ( )

A wide-wandering discourse on aesthetics and ethics, only slightly touching on the mechanics and techniques of tea-making. Nor is this a manual on the tea ceremony. No, it is a tour on the culture and thinking of old Japan.

1st pub 1906. This early ed w/dw. 1862-1913. Frontis Coloured Stones by Korin + 9 other illustrations. Decorative color cover as on dw. ( )

I should have thought to read other reviews about this book before picking it up because I thought this was going to be a book that told me all I'd want to know about tea. What it turned out to be is a book that doesn't live up to its title.

I was expecting to read about the history of tea, who started to drink it first, how they drank it, and how the practice of drinking tea spread. The initial chapters did manage to cover some of this, and I enjoyed the first third of the book as it traced the practice of drinking tea through China, Japan and India. It also introduced Taoism, Buddhism and Zen philosophy but that was a nice complement to the practice of drinking tea. From there, we went into the architecture of Japanese tea houses and at that point, all references to tea seemed rather incidental as the author took us then to comparisons between the Japanese minimalist approach to artistic perfection in architecture, interior decoration, art and flower arrangement.

I was expecting to learn about how the different types of tea were grown and harvested. I was expecting to learn about how the teas are blended, how different cultures drink their tea and how their tea drinking practices evolved over time. I was expecting to learn about tea ceremonies (if any) in different countries and the significance behind the rituals. There were references to tea masters in this book, but no explanation about how one became a tea master ... I assume it's more than just drinking and making copious pots of tea? I was expecting to learn about any medicinal properties in tea, and even how tea is sometimes used in some cuisines. I was expecting to read about the evolution of tea from its simple beginnings to the more complex offerings available today.

And all my expectations were left unfulfilled. The author appeared to have forgotten what he started out to write. ( )

The Book of Tea was written by Japanese scholar Kakuzo Okakura and was published in 1906.

While containing some interesting facts about the evolution of tea drinking and the history and significance behind the Tea Ceremony, this book is only marginally about tea. It’s more a treatise on Japanese art and culture as a whole. Entire chapters are devoted to architecture, art appreciation and flower arranging. However, Okakura eventually ties everything back to the importance of tea in the Asian cultures.

There is also considerable time spent discussing Taoism and its relationship to “Teaism.” The Book of Tea was written in support of a personal passion and it equates all "Teaist" practices to an art. While not an authoritative source of information for tea aficionados, the text is extremely quotable and has some beautiful descriptions of the importance of tea in the Japanese culture.

"In the liquid amber within the ivory porcelain, the initiated may touch the sweet reticence of Confucius, the piquancy of Laotse, and the ethereal aroma of Sakyamuni himself."

This book would be of interest to anyone wanting to better understand Japanese appreciation of beauty and order- regardless of whether you are a tea drinker. ( )

More about Zen than tea, but still a very inspiring read. ( )

1st pub 1906.

Highly interesting book. Okakura describes not just the tea ceremony, but a very Zen way of life, a philosophical undercurrent found in all aspects of Japan but epitomized in the tea ceremony. Quiet, pensive, poetic. ( )

http://littlegreenbook.vox.com/library/post/book-028-kakuzo-okakura---the-book-o... ( )

The Book of Tea is not primarily about tea, but of the philosophy of tea. Okakura Kakuzo where an Japanese that came to the USA, and during the stay wrote a book that should explain the Japanese philosophy and way of thinking to the Americans. Being a scholar he really succeeds in his task and has produced a beautiful book, covering most aspects of the Japanese thinking about tea.

The book covers several aspects of tea but should be seen and read as a book more concerned about the Japanese thinking and philosophic approach of tea, then a book that contains a lot of facts about its history etc.

This is a popular book and is printed in many editions, but the one I've read is, according to what I've been told, the most beautifully typeset of them. The paper has a brownish, creamy colour and the layout of the page is very well done. There is also a small box which one can store the book in. ( )

On the surface, this is a book about history - the history of tea, and art, and religion. But this is really a book about so much more - it compares the culture and way of thinking of the East and West, the past and the present. It makes the reader think about and reassess what is important in life, what is really beautiful, what is worth keeping or fighting for. What is dignity.
This essay, which wends its way between the discovery of tea, flower arranging, architecture and Taoism along with other enticing subjects, is truly an enlightening and thrilling book, in a quiet and gentle way (is that possible?) Whether you are interested in East Asian culture, Tea, or would just like a compass to help you re-orientate your priorities, you will probably gain something from this ode to the importance and influence of Tea. ( )

http://members.aol.com/willadams/portfolio/typography/thebookoftea.pdf ( )

I signed up for a reading course on this book at the Art Institute. It's not really about the tea ceremony, though that figures into the essay, but it is about the philosphy of what Okakura calls "Teaism", its aesthetic philosophy and its relationship to Zen. Okakura wrote this in English, while living in Boston where he was curator of Chinese and Japanese Art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Originally intended as a lecture, and published in 1906, the language is very flowery, in contrast to the severe simplicity of tea ceremony. This sentence, I think, sums it up: Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.

This edition is illustrated with photographs by Daniel Proctor of items used in Tea Ceremony, and has an introduction by Liza Dalby.

I signed up for a reading course on this book at the Art Institute. It's not really about the tea ceremony, though that figures into the essay, but it is about the philosphy of what Okakura calls "Teaism", its aesthetic philosophy and its relationship to Zen. Okakura wrote this in English, while living in Boston where he was curator of Chinese and Japanese Art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Originally intended as a lecture, and published in 1906, the language is very flowery, in contrast to the severe simplicity of tea ceremony. This sentence, I think, sums it up: Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.

http://www.archidose.org/books/tea.html ( )