One of my very favorites is from the recently released Urasenke Chado
Textbook. It's about Rikyu and an eccentric tea practitioner named
Hechikan. I'll type it as it appeared in the book:
When Rikyu arrived at Hechikan's house [where he had been invited for
a gathering], he found a big hole dug in front of the low doorway of
the roji, covered in a makeshift fashion with a sunoko drain board and
topped with some dirt. Rikyu casually stepped on it, whereupon the
dirt crumbled and he fell into the hole. Since muddy water was at the
bottom of the hole, Rikyu got wet and muddy from head to toe. Looking
aghast, Hechikan came rushing out of the house. "Oh my goodness! Are
you all right?" he said, and guided Rikyu to a bath that had already
been readied. Rikyu washed himself and put on a fresh kimono that
Hechikan provided. Then he was shown into the tea room and served tea.
Rikyu enjoyed his tea and went home.
A person who heard the story asked Rikyu, "Why did you fall in the
hole on purpose? You knew there was a hole, didn't you?" Rikyu
answered, "I knew his plan. It was easy to guess. But if I didn't fall
into the hole, my host's careful planning and efforts would all have
been to naught. Precisely because I fell in the hole, the tea
gathering was so interesting that it is now a precious memory I shall
never forget as long as I live. Chanoyu is not successful unless the
host and the guest are sensitive enough to understand their mutual
intentions and respond to them properly."
Every time I think of Hechikan gleefully digging that hole I just
smile. :-)
Morgan
On Dec 2, 2011, at 1:23 PM, chanokokoro wrote:
