24 Hour Tea x Zen - reflection #1

At 6pm Tuesday 5 November, Seikan and I completed a 24 hour tea and zen sesshin (sesshin is a long duration, intensive period of zazen meditation). The 24 Hour Tea x Zen was conducted with no food or talking, just Zen monk Seikan Czek and I doing our thing: he sitting in zazen, me sitting and performing the tea ceremony. People were welcome to enter the cubed space to partake of tea and sit zazen.

My first reflection is on the common themes that welled up in my mind心 during the 24 hours.

Here they are in no particular order:


1. The Seven Rules of Rikyu.

The Seven Rules of Rikyu are:
Make a delicious bowl of tea; lay the charcoal so that it heats the water; arrange the flowers as they are in the field; in summer suggest coolness, in winter, warmth; do everything ahead of time; prepare for rain; and give those with whom you find yourself every consideration.

I think to master these rules is to master life, a reverent life, a life where we find ourselves in constant contact with other human beings, animals, and Mother Nature.

Before the event I was concentrating on rules five and six. As it was a 24 hour event with a strict time schedule and no breaks, talking or food, it was critical to have everything prepared in advance, and to be prepared for rain and the cold night.

As people could enter the cube to freely partake of a bowl of tea and sit zazen, for the majority of the 24 hours I was concentrating on rules one and seven. These rules are concerned with cultivating the pure spirit inside you that serves a bowl tea without judgement, assumption, or reservation. Into each bowl of tea I poured my heartfelt sincerity, love, and reverence for life, believing that tea takes on the sentiment of the maker. I believed in everyone that entered the cube - believed that they would 'get' the spirit of tea and zen no matter what their knowledge, beliefs or state of consciousness (we had several guests affected by drugs and alcohol). To my delight, all people that entered the cube 'got' that tea and zen was a spiritual practice for deepening one's relationship with the self an others.


2. 'Big Time Sensuality' by Björk.

Björk is one of the central idols who influences the way I live and what I aspire to be. If more people were like Björk the world would be even more awesome than it is. A world of creative minds and sensual, soulful artists enriching their environments with art, giving, love, passion and honest smiles.

Every time I listen to Big Time Sensuality I get shivers. For me, it sings the truth of every second of life being a moment you are blessed to feel and influence your environment: 'I can sense it, something important is about to happen, it's coming up'. And then it happens! You're alive! And then the next moment: 'I can sense it, something important is about to happen, it's coming up' And then it happens! You're alive! And then the next moment: 'I can sense it, something important is about to happen, it's coming up' And then it happens! You're alive!

You get the picture - live every moment with an acute sense that right here, right now, matters. The person you are talking to is another person of irreducible value - give them all the love and respect you yourself deserve. Get joy from experiencing yourself in time.

As a bodhisattva wannabe of the backstreets devoting himself to Tea/Zen/Art, I often joke that the chorus of Big Time Sensuality is my life motto: 'hardcore and gentle, big time sensuality'.

3. 'The Triumph of a Heart' - another Björk song!

The triumph of a heart, that gives all - that gives all
The triumph of a heart, that gives all - that gives all
The triumph of a heart, that gives all - that gives all

4. The Heart Sutra. Especially my favourite parts:

無無明亦無無明尽　
There is no delusion, and no end to delusion.

無苦集滅道無智亦無得　
There is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no end to suffering, no Way, no wisdom, and no attainment.

(Affirmation!)

色即是空空即是色　
Form itself is emptiness; emptiness itself is form.

(Bliss!)

5. Lying naked with the person I love.

Yep, I'm a human being with carnal passion circulating through my blood after all.

Picture from manga 'Hyouge Mono'
by Yoshihiro Yamada / Kodansha

_/\_

Photos by Ryo Yamauchi:

Block	Time	Zazen & Tea	Date	Activity
1	18:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Mon 4 Nov
	18:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Mon 4 Nov
	18:30:00	kinhin start	Mon 4 Nov
	18:40:00	kinhin finish	Mon 4 Nov
2	18:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Mon 4 Nov
	19:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Mon 4 Nov
	19:10:00	kinhin start	Mon 4 Nov
	19:20:00	kinhin finish	Mon 4 Nov
3	19:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Mon 4 Nov
	19:50:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Mon 4 Nov
	19:50:00	kinhin start	Mon 4 Nov
	20:00:00	kinhin finish	Mon 4 Nov
4	20:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Mon 4 Nov
	20:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Mon 4 Nov
	20:30:00	kinhin start	Mon 4 Nov
	20:40:00	kinhin finish	Mon 4 Nov
5	20:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Mon 4 Nov	Heart Sutra
	21:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Mon 4 Nov
	21:10:00	kinhin start	Mon 4 Nov
	21:20:00	kinhin finish	Mon 4 Nov
6	21:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Mon 4 Nov
	21:50:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Mon 4 Nov
	21:50:00	kinhin start	Mon 4 Nov
	22:00:00	kinhin finish	Mon 4 Nov
7	22:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Mon 4 Nov
	22:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Mon 4 Nov
	22:30:00	kinhin start	Mon 4 Nov
	22:40:00	kinhin finish	Mon 4 Nov
8	22:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Mon 4 Nov
	23:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Mon 4 Nov
	23:10:00	kinhin start	Mon 4 Nov
	23:20:00	kinhin finish	Mon 4 Nov
9	23:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Mon 4 Nov
	23:50:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Mon 4 Nov
	23:50:00	kinhin start	Mon 4 Nov
	0:00:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
10	0:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov	Heart Sutra
	0:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	0:30:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	0:40:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
11	0:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	1:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	1:10:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	1:20:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
12	1:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	1:50:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	1:50:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	2:00:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
13	2:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	2:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	2:30:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	2:40:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
14	2:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	3:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	3:10:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	3:20:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
15	3:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov	Heart Sutra
	3:50:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	3:50:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	4:00:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
16	4:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	4:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	4:30:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	4:40:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
17	4:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	5:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	5:10:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	5:20:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
18	5:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	5:50:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	5:50:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	6:00:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
19	6:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	6:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	6:30:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	6:40:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
20	6:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov	Heart Sutra
	7:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	7:10:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	7:20:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
21	7:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	7:50:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	7:50:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	8:00:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
22	8:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	8:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	8:30:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	8:40:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
23	8:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	9:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	9:10:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	9:20:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
24	9:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	9:50:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	9:50:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	10:00:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
25	10:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov	Heart Sutra
	10:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	10:30:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	10:40:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
26	10:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	11:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	11:10:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	11:20:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
27	11:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	11:50:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	11:50:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	12:00:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
28	12:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	12:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	12:30:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	12:40:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
29	12:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	13:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	13:10:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	13:20:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
30	13:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov	Heart Sutra
	13:50:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	13:50:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	14:00:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
31	14:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	14:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	14:30:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	14:40:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
32	14:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	15:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	15:10:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	15:20:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
33	15:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	15:50:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	15:50:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	16:00:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
34	16:00:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	16:30:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	16:30:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	16:40:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
35	16:40:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov	Heart Sutra
	17:10:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov
	17:10:00	kinhin start	Tue 5 Nov
	17:20:00	kinhin finish	Tue 5 Nov
36	17:20:00	Zazen & Tea start	Tue 5 Nov
	18:00:00	Zazen & Tea finish	Tue 5 Nov