Directory: Kongōkai

Diamond world mandala

Eight-Ten: Nijiri-guchi

Chanoyu is presented in Tea rooms, Cha-shitsu, 茶室, Tea-room, that vary greatly in size. There are standards that are based on the number and size of tatami, and with many variations. There are essentially two types of Tea rooms – hiro-ma and koma. A hiro–ma, 広間, wide-room, ranges from a yo-jō-han, 四畳半, four-tatami-half, to almost any greater number of tatami. A ko–ma, 小間, small-room, can be a yojōhan or any room with fewer tatami. A small hut for Tea is called a sō–an, 草庵, grass-hut, because they originally had thatched roofs. A small Tea hut usually has a small entrance that causes one to crouch down...

Kobukusa and Mandala Part 2

In Chanoyu, when serving tea to a guest, the cha-wan, 茶碗, tea-bowl, may be placed on a ko-buku-sa, 古帛紗, old-cloth-gauze. The kobukusa is also used to display a revered object. There are countless types of fabrics, including treasured cloths from the past and also of foreign origin. The type of fabric reveals the choice and taste of the owner. Of the several sizes of kobukusa, the standard measures 4 x 4.2 sun kujira-jaku.The diagonally measurement is 5.8 sun kujira-jaku. The number 5 may represent the Go-rin, 五輪, Five-rings, principles, and the Go-gyō, 五行, Five-transitions, and the number 8, hachi, 八, is symbolic of Infinity in Space. When...

Chakin and Lotus

Over the past four decades, I have thought that there is a close relationship between the dō-gu, 道具, way-tool, of Chanoyu and Buddhist implements. That which prompts this thought is primarily in the presence of the lotus and its various aspects. It is the means in which one is reborn into Buddhist paradise. Perhaps the most obvious object is the lotus, and, in particular, its seedpod, ren-niku, 蓮肉, lotus-flesh. The conical pod resembles the form of the Ten-moku ja-wan, 天目茶碗, Heaven-eye tea-bowl. The Tenmoku bowl holding tea is placed on the Buddhist altar along with other utensils that are based on the lotus forms. Black lotus...