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A Brief Update (4/28).

Dear Followers and Readers,

I hope you are finding the translations of the Hundred Poems interesting and informative.

Please understand that the reason why I am publishing each poem separately, rather than in groups of five or ten (as I did before), is because I have noticed that when published in groups, people tend to read through them quickly, without taking time to think carefully about the lesson kernelized in each poem. Which basically defeats the purpose of offering this new translation (since the difference between this version and what you will have seen previously is, in many cases, not especially great).

Ultimately, these poems were intended to provide an introduction to the study of Rikyū's chanoyu, the theoretical basis of which will be finalized in the Three Hundred Lines (which, as I described them so many years ago, were Jōō's "graduate course" in chanoyu theory).

I have been experiencing file system issues with the hard drives that I modified a week or so ago, and the only way to resolve the issue appears to be that I will have to reformat the drives, and then reinstall all of the programs and data. The reformatting process alone will take at least half of a day for each of the drives (and since the external drive is a backup for the internal one, they cannot be formatted simultaneously), so it appears that I will be unable to continue working on these posts until sometime Monday (or Tuesday). I expect the next translation will not be ready before Monday evening, or, more likely, Tuesday at midday.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely yours,

Daniel M. Burkus daniel_burkus@yahoo.com

Donations: https://paypal.me/chanoyutowa

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The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 12.

〽 Temae ni ha omoi wo karuku karui wo ba           omoku atsukau ajiwai wo shire

     [手前には重いを輕く輕いをば、           重く扱う味わいを知れ].

    “During [one’s] temae, heavy [objects] should be [handled] as if they were light; and, if light things are handled as if they are heavy:  understand that this gives flavor¹ [to that temae]!”

    The idea is that handling objects in this way gives one’s temae balance.  It is in this approach that the host’s mastery and sensitivity were said to be revealed.

    The fact that not even Nakayama included this verse in his discussion of the poems suggests that it was added to the collection toward the end of the seventeenth century².

_________________________

¹Here we see an increasing emphasis on the performative nature of the temae, which deviates from Rikyū’s own ideas.

²The copy of the Sen family version of the Hundred Poems that is preserved by the Sekishū school seems to have been given to Katagiri Sadamasa [片桐貞昌; 1605 ~1673] during the period when he was first studying chanoyu.  The absence of this poem from that collection suggests that it was not added until later (perhaps at a time when there was a conscious effort being made to bring the total number of poems up to a round hundred -- since the original number would have been disconcerting to the practitioners of the Edo period).

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The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 11.

〽 Temae ni ha tsuyo-mi bakari wo omou-na yo           tsuyoi ha yowaku karuku omokare

     [手前には强味ばかりを思うなよ、           强きは弱く輕く重かれ].

    “In [your] temae, if you concentrate on only giving a feeling of strength, that strength will [either] seem weak, or undignified, or oppressive¹.”

    The preparation of tea must be done with sincerity.  If the host approaches the matter with the idea that he wants to give a strong and manly performance, the result will probably strike the guests as insincere.  Performative behavior is always inappropriate, since it will inevitably strike the guests as either hollow and pretentious, laughable, or threateningly oppressive.  The host should perform his temae sincerely and naturally, as an expression of his physicality.

    This poem is not found in any of the sixteenth century manuscripts, which suggests that it was composed and added during the early Edo period.  It is found only in those collections associated with the Sen family².

_________________________

¹In the present day, because the word of chanoyu has become (some would say, excessively) dominated by women, many young men make a conscious choice to express a certain “machismo” through their temae -- as if they were playing at being samurai*.  The effect is almost invariably just as expressed in this poem -- not only do they come off as being particularly insincere, but their temae overpowers everything else, leaving the guests feeling distinctly uncomfortable. ___________ *This same attitude was not uncommon during the Edo period precisely because the samurai, as a caste, had, in an era of peace, lost their raison d’être.  Thus the circumstances, and this way of manifesting a sense of masculinity, were very similar to the modern day.

²During the early years of the Edo period, the Sen family was closely associated with Hosokawa Sansai, and it is possibly he who was responsible for adding this poem to the collection of the Hundred Poems that he eventually passed along to them.  (The fact that Nakayama’s “Sen family” version is identical to what we find in the Kyūshū manuscript also bespeaks its connection to Hosokawa Sansai.)

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The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 10.

〽 Namaru to ha te-tsuzuki hayaku mata osoku           tokoro-dokoro no sorowanu wo iu

     [鈍るとは手續き早く又遲く、           所〻の揃わぬを云う].

    “With respect to namaru¹, [we use this word to mean] when the continuing movements of the hands are now fast², and then slow³, so that [one] would say that here and there [the temae] is uneven.”

    When someone performs a temae in this way, it gives the guests the feeling that the host is unsure about what he is doing:  he rushes through those actions in which he is confident, but lacks decisiveness or aplomb when he comes to those movements of which he is unsure.  This is disquieting.

    Once again, there is an important difference between the earliest versions of this poem, and those that were passed on during the Edo period.  This early version reads:

〽 Namaru to ha michi ni te hayaku mata osoku          tokoro-dokoro ni mura aru wo iu

    [なまるとは道にてはやく又遲く          所〻に斑あるを云う].

    “With respect to namaru, [we use this word] when [one’s progress on] the Way is [now] rapid, [now] sluggish, [so that we] would say that here and there it is uneven⁴.”

    In other words, while the later versions are talking about irregularities that are sometimes apparent in the student’s temae, here the focus is on the inconsistencies in the disciple’s spiritual development -- in one’s difficulty in attaining and maintaining a state of samadhi during the temae.  This latter lapse is much more critical, since the former can be cured by practicing the temae again and again⁵.

_________________________

¹Namaru [鈍る] means that a blade has become dull or chipped, so it can no longer cut smoothly.  Drawing such a blade through something will cause the stroke to snag at one point, while it still cuts quickly at another, hence the allusion.

²Hayaku [早く] means swiftly, rapidly.  It also implies things like promptly and hastily -- that is, something that is done too fast, or too quickly.

³Osoku [遲く] means things like late, tardily, and belatedly -- with the implication being that something is done too slowly.

⁴Mura aru [斑ある], which usually refers to color or pattern (the kanji represents a piece of jade that has been cleaved into two by a blade, revealing the freshly cut surfaces and their imperfections) means there is blotchiness; the color is uneven; the appearance is not uniform.

⁵Of course, “practice” is also the cure for a case of irresolute spiritual development -- though training in chanoyu samadhi, at least, would have to be predicated on competency in the temae (since an uncertain hand during the temae would distract the mind from the cultivation of emptiness).

    It is important to take note of how chanoyu became completely secularized during the early Edo period, as the machi-shū’s ideology spread throughout the world of tea.

    In fact, this idiomatic reference to swords, as seen in the word namaru (meaning a dull sword), is completely in character for Zen writings from the classical period where, for example, we find things like the kōan [公案] “zō gyokken” [造玉劍], which means “sharpen your jade [or treasure] sword.”  The sword represents the master’s spiritual power; a dull sword, in turn, represents that on which the novice needs to apply his effort -- in other words, his samadhi.

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The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 9.

〽 Nani ni te mo oki-tsuke kaeru te-banare ba           koishii-hito ni wakareru to shire

     [何にても置き付け歸る手離れば、           戀人に別れると知れ].

    “No matter what you are placing down, when you release your [grasp and withdraw your] hands, it should be as if you are taking leave from your beloved:  understand [this]¹!”

    Utensils should be set down, and then the hands should be drawn away slowly, languidly, as if reluctant to withdraw your touch from your beloved.  Acting in this way will avoid the appearance of being abrupt, which might give the impression that the host is either (mentally) preoccupied (with something else), or in a hurry.

    Rather than oki-tsuke [置き付け]², the earlier versions of this poem have dōgu-oku [道具置く]³.

    Ultimately, though, the meaning of both is the same⁴.

_________________________

¹To shire [と知れ]:  shire [知れ] is the imperative form of the verb shiru [知る], which means to understand.  This, therefore, is being phrased as a command (rather than a suggestion, which might imply that the advice is optional).

²Oki-tsuke [置き付け] means to place something adjacent to, or in association with, some other object(s).

    This wording was used to make this poem refer to the case where the utensil that the host has brought into the room is being placed in the seat that it will occupy during the temae* -- apparently in contrast to the case where that utensil is temporarily set down somewhere else first†, and then later moved into its usual seat.

    In other words, (according to this version) the host should use this sort of languid leave-taking gesture only (or primarily) when placing the utensil into its appointed seat. ___________ *Such as the mizusashi, in a hakobi-temae, where it is brought out and immediately set down in the spot that it will occupy throughout the temae.

†For example, the chawan, which, when brought out from the katte or dōko, is temporarily placed near the host’s knee, before it is subsequently moved to sit beside the chaire.

³Dōgu-oku [道具置く] means the utensil is placed....  In this version, there is apparently no distinction between the case where the utensil immediately is placed in its usual seat, and the case where it is being rested temporarily somewhere else.

    And, indeed, this interpretation is valid, since, during the temae, this kind of languid movement is appropriate when placing the chawan down in front of the knees, or resting the chaire in its place after cleaning it, or scooping out the tea, as well as when resting the chashaku on top of its lid.  In this way, the host’s gestures will seem to flow from one into the other, with nothing disconcerting or abrupt.

⁴The Kyūshū manuscript version begins “no matter what you are placing down...,” while Jōō’s and Rikyū’s sixteenth century versions begin “irrespective of which utensil you are placing down.....”  The important point, however, is regarding the way that the host releases his hands from the object.

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The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 8.

〽 Keiko to ha ichi yori narai jū wo shire           jū yori kaeru moto no sono ichi

     [稽古とは一より習い十を知れ、           十より歸る元の其の一].

    “With respect to [our] lessons, [we] begin to study from ‘one’ until [we] understand ‘ten;’ then from ‘ten’ [we] return again to the beginning at that ‘one.’”

    As has been mentioned before, during Jōō’s and Rikyū’s period, aspiring students of chanoyu began by joining a tea club, and participating in their (usually monthly or bimonthly) gatherings, as a middle guest.  The purpose was so that the beginner would see how everything fit together, so he could make sense of the individual motions.

     Then, when his understanding was considered to be good enough to provide a firm foundation, he was invited to begin to learn the motions.  Much as is done today, he began by practicing the basic motions -- how to fold the fukusa, how to wipe the tea container and chashaku, how to handle the hishaku, and so forth.  These are the ‘ones’ that the poem speaks of.

    And finally, once these individual moves have been mastered, the student would begin to combine them together, to produce a complete temae.  This complete temae is what Jōō is referring to with the word ‘ten.’

    Yet after mastering the complete sequence, the student should return to the beginning, and perfect each individual movement in the context of the whole temae.  This is what Jōō is saying in this poem¹.

    This is no less relevant today -- indeed, it is perhaps even more important, since it is more often than not the case that the beginner begins his study of the wari-geiko [割り稽古] without ever having seen the complete temae (or been able to observe one closely enough that its individual parts can be recognized, and so become meaningful).

    All of the collections retain the same wording for this poem, which attests to its universality -- of its importance of perfecting the individual moves in the context of the whole temae, to the development of every student, now just as much as in the past.

_________________________

¹Some of the modern schools argue that the ‘ones’ are actually the individual temae in their formal courses of study, beginning with the hakobi-temae* and basic usucha and koicha temae, and concluding with the basic daisu temae -- where karamono utensils are used in this setting.

    The problem with this interpretation, however, is that, particularly in the case of Rikyū, all of these “advanced” temae were variations on his basic temae (rather than individual entities, with often contradicting rules, as seen in the modern temae).  Furthermore, we must remember that the Hundred Poems were written as aids to the beginner; and there is no good reason why a beginner should be concerning himself with things that he will not encounter until many years in the future.

    In this poem, Jōō was talking about the component parts of the basic temae, and the way those parts are fitted together to produce the whole; and then making the argument that the student should return and perfect those individual motions in the context of the whole temae.  This is the only way that he will be assured of eventual mastery. ___________ *Now, of course, most schools have inserted an abbreviated tray temae at the beginning, which is unfortunate -- since it distorts the student’s perception of what is most important in chanoyu.

    According to Rikyū, it is the condition of the water that is the most critical element -- the thing that will make or break the success of the gathering.  Yet the bon ryaku-temae [盆略手前] provides the host with no way to actually control the temperature of the hot water -- leading students to believe (perhaps subconsciously) that it is not important.  This is only deepened by the continual use of electric hotplates as the heat source.  As a result, many practitioners never develop this sensitivity, even when they have mastered the complexities of the most advanced temae.

    This is another issue that can be blamed on the fact that very few beginners have ever seen chanoyu practiced in the context of the tea gathering.

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The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 7.

〽 Kokoro-zashi fukai hito ha iku-tabi mo           aware-mi fukaku oku zo oshiuru

     [志深き人には幾度も、           哀れみ深く奧ぞ敎うる].

    “Regarding persons of goodwill¹, [we should] continually [appeal to] their sense of compassion, to instruct [us] in the deepest secrets² [of chanoyu].”

    All people are only capable of acting up to their own level of attainment.  It is important, therefore, for the beginner to be discriminating, with respect to those to whom he applies for instruction.  And once he has settled on such a person, the novice should endeavor to emulate him, committing wholeheartedly to the path, and endeavoring to absorb their most intimate and profound teachings.

    Here, once again, the present version differs slightly from the original:

〽 kokorozashi fukaki hito ni ha sen-tabi mo          awaremi fukaku nō zo oshiyuru

    [志深い人には千度も          哀れみ深く能ぞ敎ゆる].

    “Regarding persons of goodwill, a thousand times [we should appeal to] their sense of compassion, to impart [to us] a deep competence.”

    Sen-tabi mo [千度も], which is found in Katagiri Sekishū’s version of Jōō’s original verse, means “even a thousand times³.”

    Nō [なほ = 能] means “to be able (to do something successfully),” “to be skillful.” “to be competent,” “to be capable.”

    So, rather than the “deepest secrets⁴” (which, as a concept, did not really exist before the appearance of the iemoto system⁵ in the early Edo period), here the novice is urged to entreat those more-advanced practitioners of goodwill to help him advance by imparting those teachings that will help him become competent and able.

_________________________

¹This refers to someone who, being knowledgeable, is kind and generous with their knowledge, offering it freely to the beginner without reservation (and without thoughts of remuneration).  While it could refer to a teacher, the implication can be taken that this is simply a fellow practitioner -- albeit someone with a more advanced level of training.

²Fukaku-oku zo [深く奧ぞ]:  fukaku-oku [深く奧] literally means the deeper recesses (of the teachings), hence deep secrets*; the particle zo [ぞ], in this particular kind of construction, while it also adds emphasis (underscores the importance of), also renders the expression “deep secrets” unlimited -- in other words, the poem is not begging for any specific teaching or instruction; but, rather, it asks the person of goodwill to impart anything and everything that they are capable of providing, so as to further the beginner’s development.

³Which is to say, countless times (a thousand being impossible to count at a glance).

⁴This phrase is probably alluding to the so-called oku-den [奧傳], the deepest stratum of a school’s most secret teachings.

⁵This system mimics the organization of the central government (the bakufu [幕府]) of the Edo period.  

    While it was possible to complete Rikyū’s course of study in a matter of a month or two, this system demanded a lifetime’s commitment, with the deeper teachings doled out little by little over that span of time, culminating (in most cases) when the disciple is physically too old to truly benefit from their disclosure.  The Buddhist system evolved to follow a similar pattern, elevating the monk to the more spiritually enlightened status (conferred by a diploma) only months before his or her death.

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The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 6.

〽 Cha no temae mono-shizuka ni to, kiku-mono wo            sosō ni naze-shi hito ha ayamari

     [茶の手前物靜かにと、聞く物を           麤相に何故し人は誤り].

    “The temae for cha[noyu] should be [performed] quietly.  [Things that are] overheard can cause [the host] to make a mistake -- which is why people [who are guilty of this] are wrong.”

    This poem is usually understood to be referring to the host, but (in this version) it also refers to the guests as well.

    During the gathering, the host’s responsibility is to prepare the tea.  If he allows himself to become distracted by things that the guests are talking about among themselves, he can all too easily make a mistake, and the quality of the bowl of tea he is preparing might suffer.  So while he should not allow himself to be distracted, it is also incumbent on the guests to avoid tempting him to do so by chattering loudly enough so the host overhears them.

    It was to avoid this danger that Sen no Dōan [千道安; 1546 ~ 1607], Rikyū’s only son¹, created the Dōan-gakkoi [道安圍い] -- where the host’s seat is separated from the guests by a wall and a sliding door, which protects him from being distracted by the guests².

    Here the reader will notice that all of the other corresponding versions of this poem differ from what is found in the Kyūshū manuscript -- by specifying that this poem is referring to the service of usucha:

〽 temae to ha usucha ni ari to, kiku-mono wo          sosō ni omou-hito ha ayamari

    [手前とは薄茶にありと、聞く物を          麤相に思う人は誤り].

    “During the temae, when it is [the time to serve] usucha, when [the host] makes the mistake of thinking about the things that are said [by the guests], he is in error.”

    The reason why these versions of the poem focuses on the service of usucha is because, during the service of koicha, everyone was always supposed to be silent, and sit formally -- thus there would be no occasion for the host to be distracted by the guests’ chattering at that time.  But once the temae moved on³ to usucha, the guests were allowed to relax their posture, and this informality inevitably lead to their talking quietly among themselves⁴.

    However, by the middle of the seventeenth century (when Hosokawa Sansai⁵, who died in 1646, was the last-surviving daimyō who had studied with Rikyū), people were already forgetting about the spiritual nature of the service of koicha⁶, and so were considering it to be simply a way for the host to include a selection of serious, wabi utensils⁷ (to counterbalance the elegant, rather flashy utensils that were used for usucha).  As a result, he seems have felt it was necessary to expand upon the original meaning of the poem -- to warn his contemporaries that the host’s listening to the guests’ discussions at any time during the goza was inappropriate⁸.

    The shimo-no-ku [下の句] in the variant quoted by Oda reads somatsu ni nase-shi-hito ha ayamari [粗末に]; which means “this easy-going person [in other words, the person listening to the guests’ chatter, referring to the host] is wrong.”  But the overall meaning of all three versions is similar.

_________________________

¹Shōan [千少安; 1546 ~ 1614], who was also known as Sōan [小安], was the son of Miyaō Saburō Sannyū [宮王三郎三入], Hideyoshi’s nō [能], and another of his close advisers.  During the battle of Yamazaki, that followed the death of Nobunaga, Saburō Sannyū threw himself on top of Hideyoshi and took the bullet that had been aimed at him, thus giving his life to protect Hideyoshi’s.  After the battle, Hideyoshi took Saburō Sannyū‘s widow into his harem; and later, after Rikyū was compelled to set up a household in Kyōto, within the confines of Hideyoshi’s palace compound, Hideyoshi sent that woman to Rikyū to manage his household (and act as Hideyoshi’s in-house spy).  Shōan was some 42 years of age at that time, but there are few records that indicate that he ever met Rikyū on more than one or two public occasions (when the two men exchanged greetings).

    The Sen family assertions of a connection between Shōan and Rikyū are the result of their appropriation of accounts that actually related to other people:

◦ Furuta Sōshitsu was introduced to Rikyū in the months before Jōō’s death (when the boy was 11 years old), and it appears that he spent at least some time, in his early years, in Rikyū’s Sakai household, studying chanoyu intimately from Rikyū (after Oribe’s death, the Sen family substituted Shōan’s name for Sōshitsu’s when recounting these stories).

◦ One of Rikyū’s closest childhood friends, as well as the husband of Rikyu’s favorite daughter -- and the friend with whom he shared many tea experiences -- was Mozu-ya Sōan [萬代屋宗安; ? ~ 1594], whose name is also written as Sōan [小安] and Shōan [少安] (probably childhood nicknames, indicating he was a year or two younger than Rikyū).  Stories recounting the tea escapades of Rikyū and Sōan were appropriated to create a fictitious body of evidence to imply that Shōan (the son of Miyaō Saburō Sannyū) had been closely associated with Rikyū for many years.

    In fact, Saburō Sannyū’s son Shōan (along with Shōan’s son Sōtan) was a member of the group of machi-shū followers of Imai Sōkyū, and practiced and taught Sōkyū’s machi-shū style of chanoyu.

²This agreed with the way chanoyu was originally practiced -- where the person preparing the tea sat in the small tsugi-no-ma that adjoined the shoin, opening the door and offering out the chawan only after the tea was made.

    The Sen family’s propaganda that Dōan created this kind of arrangement because he was obese, or lame, were aspersions intended to discredit Rikyū’s actual son in the eyes of the Edo public, to the benefit of Shōan and his son Sōtan (who had no connection with either Rikyū or his style of chanoyu).

³As has been mentioned before, while Jōō served koicha and usucha in different temae (with each guest being offered an individual bowl of koicha, and up to two individual bowls of usucha), Rikyū made it a habit (in the small room) of combining the service of the two kinds of tea into a single temae (where the shōkyaku was offered his own bowl of koicha, while the other guests doubled up on subsequent bowls of thick tea; each guest was later served up to two individual bowls of usucha).  Either approach could be correctly considered in the present discussion.

⁴Indeed, the precedent for such behavior had been established by the Shino family (whose gatherings Jōō adopted as the format for his own tea gatherings), since, at their gatherings, the guests composed poems during the naka-dachi, and then read out and discussed those poems during the goza, while usucha was being served.

    Since Jōō drew his earliest followers from among his fellow guests at the Shino family’s kō-kai [香會], it was natural that he would have taken no offense at their doing so at his own gatherings, despite the focus now being on the service of tea.

⁵The Kyūshū manuscript is based on the version of the poems passed down by Hosokawa Sansai, and likely was written during his last years, after he retired and dedicated himself to chanoyu.  Indeed, his Buddhist name Sansai [三齋] dates from this period.

⁶Koicha had been the kind of tea offered to the Buddha since the earliest appearance of chanoyu during the Koryeo dynasty.

⁷It was around this time that the custom arose of serving koicha in the wabi small room, and then having the guests move into the shoin for usucha.       

    Indeed, reception rooms constructed during this period often had the jō-dan [上段] (on which the daimyō and his special guests sat) connect directly to the sō-an through a door on one side of the jō-dan, so the lord and his guests could move there without having to step down into the room where the several groups of attendants would be seated.

    This kind of arrangement can be seen in the sketch of the Jikō-in [慈光院] compound in Nara, which was constructed by Katagiri Sadamasa in 1663, as his residence after he retired from his government offices and titles.  The famous 2-mat daime Kōrin-an [高林庵] (with its toko located on the far side of the utensil mat, behind the host), which is outlined in purple, adjoins the shoin (outlined in cyan) through the small-room’s one-mat katte and two-mat tsugi-no-ma.

    A floor plan of the Kōrin-an and its tsugi-no-ma and katte is shown above (left), along with a photo showing the Kōrin-an on the right, the tsugi-no-ma on the left, and a view down the katte (with the shōji opening onto the shoin seen beyond, to the left of center).

⁸As a result, it became increasingly common for the host to only serve the koicha with his own hands, moving over to take a seat with the guests while his son, his assistant, or (in the case of the daimyō) one of his tea officials or other attendants, replaced him during the usucha-temae -- thus allowing the host to indulge in this casual conversation without violating the rules.

==============================================

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[chanoyu-to-wa]

The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 5.

〽 Temae ni ha yowami wo sutete tada tsuyoku           sare do fūzoku iyashisa wo sare

     [手前には弱みを捨てて只强く、           されど風俗卑やしさを去れ].

    “In [your] temae, get rid of [anything that seems] weak¹, and only [act with] resolution².  But also leave behind any mannerisms that seem crude³.”

    Weakness in this case might imply a lack of confidence, a lack of training, or a lack of concentration.  Through careful attention, one’s temae gains in tension, fluidity, and mindful spontaneity.

    Vulgarisms or crude mannerisms⁴ suggest that the person has fallen into a habitual way of performing the temae, without thinking about what he is actually doing.  This might suggest a lack of sincerity in the host’s approach to chanoyu, which will make the guests uncomfortable.

    Here, Jōō‘s original intention (as indicated by the phrasing of the poem in his Matsu-ya manuscript), appears to have been changed in the years following his death (since the meaning given above is already present in Rikyū’s earliest copy of the poems).

〽 Temae wo ba yowami wo wasure tada tsuyoku,          konomi-fūzoku iyashiku naze zo

    [手前をば弱みを忘れただ强く、          好み風俗卑しくなぜぞ].

    “In [our] temae we should forget about indecision, and only [act] decisively; but as for [your] favored mannerisms, why are they so crude?”

    The shimo-no-ku here is interesting.  Jōō is implying that people often fall into crude or vulgar habits when they reach the point where they no longer have to think about what they are doing -- when the procedure has been committed to muscle-memory.  His intention is to shock the reader into looking carefully at his own temae, and take note of those odd, though comfortable (konomi [好み]), mannerisms into which he has fallen -- take note of them, and diligently work on eradicating them completely.

    Meanwhile, the version of Jōō’s poem that was discovered by Katagiri Sadamasa during his researches gives the shimo-no-ku [下の句] as:  saredo fūzoku iyashiki wo sare [されど風俗卑しきを去れ], which means “but leave any vulgarisms behind.”  This brings it closer to the presently accepted form of the poem.

    Ultimately, all three versions of the poem produce the same basic meaning -- that we should behave decisively during our temae, while eschewing indecision; and make every effort to get rid of anything that is vulgar or unmannered.

_________________________

¹Yowami [弱み] means weak.  Here it would refer to indecision, hesitating before performing an action (because you are not confident that what you are thinking of doing, or your memory of what should be done, will be correct).

²Tsuyoku [强く] means things like deeply, profoundly, strongly, powerfully, and manly*.

    However, in the present context, it would be better to understand the word to mean decisively -- since it should be the opposite of yowami (weak, in the sense of indecisive, or hesitant). __________ *At the time these poems were written, women did not study chanoyu in a public manner.  If they had interest, they learned at home, from their father, brother, or some other male member of the family or clan.

³Iyashisa [卑しさ] means vulgar, crass, coarse, rough, lacking in refinement -- in other words, performing the way someone who has not had any training might be expected to act.

    It could also be understood to imply that one’s actions are disjointed, disconnected, lacking in a natural flow from one to the next.

⁴Such as using the hishaku to point, or to underscore something in one’s argument.

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The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 4.

〽 Haji wo sute hito ni mono toi narau-beshi           kore zo jōzu no motoi nari-keru

     [恥じを捨て人に物問い習うべし、           是ぞ上手の基なりける].

    “Cast off [all feelings of] shame when asking [other] people about things, since this is [exactly] how [you] should learn.  This¹!  This will be the foundation of [your subsequent] proficiency.”

    Humility is the mother of learning.  Until the student is prepared to admit his own ignorance, it will be impossible for the advice of those who are more experienced to have any real or lasting effect.

    Here the original version of the poem (as seen in both the Matsu-ya manuscript as well as in Rikyū‘s 1580 copy) differs in an important way.  This version reads:

〽 ware wo sute hito ni mono toi narau-koso,            nochi ha jōzu no motoi nari-keri

    [我を捨て人に物問習うこそ、            後は上手の基なりけり].

“Cast away your ego when you ask others about something, since that is the way that you should learn.  Later on, [you will find that] this is the foundation of your skill.”

    The meaning is similar, but the original version includes an important difference as well.  Here, it is not only the feeling of shame that we are told should be cast off, but the ego itself (since this is where thoughts that challenge the things one is told originate).    The repudiation of the ego is always the first, and most necessary, step in one’s quest for enlightenment.

_________________________

¹In other words, the putting aside all feelings of shyness or hesitancy when one needs to ask about something -- either because you feel that you will be disturbing the other person, or because you are afraid that you will make the other person look down on you for your ignorance.

==============================================

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The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 3.

〽 Hito-temae tateru uchi ni ha yoshi-ashi wo           u-mu no kokoro no wakachi wo mo shiru

     [一手前立る內には善し惡しを           有無の心の分かちをも知る].

    “During the course of a single temae, with respect to right or wrong¹, when [it is appropriate] to be sensitive to whether either has occurred should also be a consideration².”

    In other words, there are times when introspection is valuable and important, and times when doing so will be detrimental.  During practice sessions, it is valuable to recognize both your mistakes and the things that have been done well.  But when serving tea to your guests, allowing your mind to become distracted with thoughts of right or wrong can easily result in making further mistakes from which you cannot recover³.

    When making tea during a gathering, your approach should be like water:   when confronted by an obstacle, water does not hesitate or become flustered; rather it simply continues to flow on, eventually passing the obstacle as if following the originally-agreed-upon course.  Do not praise yourself for a well-executed mood, or chide yourself over a lapse or mistake; just continue with the process of preparing and serving each bowl of tea -- act wholly in the moment, and do not allow thoughts of what is past cause you to loose your focus or become confused.

    The yellow highlighting indicates that Suzuki’s Jōō version, and the Sekishū version⁴ of this poem differ from what we find in the Kyūshū manuscript -- in this case, the two phrases of the shimo-no-ku [下の句] have been reversed, and several of the particles changed, which give the meaning “while performing a single temae, with respect to ‘right’ and ‘wrong,’ you should understand when you may focus your mind on distinguishing [between the two], and when you should not do so.”  The overall meaning, however, is basically the same:  there are times when introspection is appropriate, and times when we should just go with the flow -- and it is important to recognize which is which⁵.

_________________________

¹Yoshi [善し], “right,” means that an action was performed correctly or admirably well; ashi [惡し]; “wrong,” means that you made a mistake.

²The circumspection that this requires means being attentive to the totality of the circumstances, including the possible consequences of distracting yourself by reflecting critically on something that is already in the past.  

³An example would be something like opening the mizusashi to add cold water to the kama during the furo-koicha temae.

    If, at the beginning of the furo season, you forget, and fail to open it, pausing your temae to rectify the omission can cause you to become flustered, with the result that your focus goes elsewhere, and as a result the koicha might not be as delicious as it might have been.

    But also, if you did remember to open the mizusashi, then praising yourself mentally for this accomplishment might also distract you from your concentration on what you are doing, and so resulting bowl of koicha might be somehow...lacking.

    During practice sessions, a concern with doing things correctly is important -- indeed, it is the only way you will become proficient.  But when serving tea to your guests, your focus should be on making a delicious bowl of tea, so you should not let thoughts of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ to distract you from your goal.

⁴Katagiri Sadamasa originally was given a copy of one of popularly circulating versions of the Hundred Poems when he was beginning his study of chaonyu

    Later, during the last ten years of his life, he began to reject the contemporary machi-shū views championed by the Sen family*, and research Jōō’s teachings, and it was at that time that he came across one of Jōō’s old manuscript copies of the poems.  As a result, two completely independent collections of the Chanoyu hyaku shu were handed down within his school. ___________ *This was part of the generational shift away from the teachings of Sōtan and his sons, in the direction of restoring the chanoyu that had been practiced by their ancestors, which eventually resulted the creation of what we now call daimyō-cha.  It is important to recognize, however, that their goal was not to create a new kind of chanoyu, but to reject the practices of the machi-shū (who were actually following the teachings of Imai Sōkyū and Furuta Sōshitsu) and restore the tea of Jōō and Rikyū.  But the problems that they faced were twofold:  first, virtually everyone active during the mid-to-late seventeenth century had learned to practice the chanoyu of Sōtan in their formative years; and, secondly, none of the daimyō (since only the daimyō could challenge the bakufu’s position on how chanoyu should be practiced) had access to the whole canon of Jōō’s and Rikyū’s teachings (rather, each could know only the teachings preserved in the documents held in their own archives -- which were carefully guarded from the gaze of anyone not connected with that family -- so their knowledge was already limited, and expressed by plugging it into Sōtan’s temae).  Thus, rather than accomplishing a restoration of Rikyū’s tea, the result was that the daimyō each branched off on his own tangent -- so not only did they never converge but, on the contrary, moved farther and farther away not only from each other, and the Sen family, but from Rikyū and Jōō’s teachings as well.

    Katagiri Sadamasa, on account of his high position and personal power, managed to ferret out some of Jōō’s old writings, to be sure, but he put them into practice through the medium of Sōtan’s temae, meaning that he was never able to realize anything that looked like chanoyu as it had been in the years before Rikyū’s seppuku.  (Sekishū also seems to have become conflicted with regard to how Rikyū’s tea may have differed from that of Jōō, which resulted in an increased focus on Jōō’s middle period -- even though that approach meant that he could never understand, or come to terms with, the evolutionary burst that occurred in the months between Rikyū’s return from the continent at the end of 1554, and Jōō’s own death toward the end of the following year.)

⁵Generally speaking, deviations indicated by highlighting the poem with yellow are ones that will have little or no impact on the English meaning of the poem.

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The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 2.

〽 Narai-tsutsu mite-koso narae, narawazu ni           yoshi-ashi iu ha oroka nari-keri

     [習いつつ見てこそ習え、習わずに           善し惡し言うは愚かなりけり].

    “While [one is] learning, learn by observation;  but as for things [you] have not studied, to declare [something] is right or wrong -- isn't that foolish?”

    Both in Jōō’s and Rikyū’s day, and even now, the only way someone can learn how to do things is by observing other people doing it (and then, or course, interpreting what was seen through one’s own body). 

    In the sixteenth century, this was easier, since the beginner never began by learning how to do things.  He -- as has been mentioned before -- started by participating in his tea group’s gatherings, as a middle guest (meaning that his principle obligation was to sit quietly and take in everything that was going on around him).  Thus, he not only saw how things were done, but observed them in context -- and context is as important as the mechanics of an action.

    But nowadays, it is often the case that the beginner finds himself in a room with other beginners, and if none of them has ever had tea lessons, then nobody will have any idea what to do¹.  And since teachers are warned never to perform a temae in front of their students, the learning process is drawn out and riddled with missteps, precisely because it is very likely that nobody has ever seen the temae performed properly.

    Chanoyu is best learned by careful and unopinionated observation, followed by careful reflection on what one has seen.  Though it is also important that the observing be done of someone who knows what they are doing.

    As for the second idea -- that one should not express an opinion regarding something about which one knows nothing -- this should be so obvious that we might wonder why Jōō bothered mentioning it here.  But in the real world, very few people can actually approach something with a true beginner’s mind.  We usually form an immediate opinion about everything we encounter, and this probably cannot be avoided.  Yet the point of this poem is that it is the height of foolishness to throw those ideas (born of inexperience) out into the public arena.  If you have an opinion, keep it to yourself if you are not qualified to hold forth on the matter -- and, so long as you remain unqualified, try to keep an open mind, and allow your idea to be challenged, and changed, by what you see other people doing.

    These ideas do not apply only to the study of chanoyu.

    Once again, both the position, and the wording of this poem are the same in all of the collections.  This confirms the importance of approaching chanoyu with the beginner’s mind.

_________________________

¹There are two ways of looking at this, however.  If nobody has ever studied, then everyone will be a blank slate.  But if one or two of the students have studied previously -- if only, perhaps, with their mother -- then it is possible that they will have learned to do things in a slightly different way from what is prescribed by their iemoto (this is more a problem with the modern approach than it was before chanoyu was extensively codified in the early 20th century), and such inopprobrious ways of doing things can easily infect the other students -- especially if the students are more or less sitting in a row, with the teacher facing them (because it is easier to mimic someone who is sitting beside oneself, rather than try to mentally reverse a series of actions being performed by someone who is facing you).

    So, while this poem is written for, and directed toward, the beginner, these considerations should also be reflected upon by the teacher, because a sensitivity to the situation of the student will always enhance the teacher’s ability to teach.

==============================================

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[chanoyu-to-wa]

A Notice to the Readers, Regarding the Most Recent Several Posts (4/16).

Dear Followers and Readers,

Last Sunday, one of the people who follows this blog wrote to me asking if I had an index for the posts in the Rikyū Chanoyu Sho [利休茶湯書].

The Rikyū Chanoyu Sho was, of course, the set of six books, published in 1680, that inspired Tachibana Jitsuzan to investigate the matter of Nambō Sōkei's wooden chest that was preserved in the Shū-un-an of the Nanshū-ji in Sakai. Apparently the editors of the Rikyū Chanoyu Sho had picked out only those documents that appeared to be exclusively in Rikyū's own handwriting (which is quite easily recognized), starting with his Nambō-ate no densho [南坊宛の傳書], while leaving everything in Nambō Sōkei's (and others') handwriting behind in the chest. The Rikyū Chanoyu Sho, then, may be considered not only the stylistic forerunner, but a sort of primer to the Nampō Roku itself.

His inquiry, then, decided me to make an index for the Rikyū Chanoyu Sho, and that was just published.

In order to keep the posts of the Chanoyu Hyaku-shu together in a block, I deleted the first post in that series, and uploaded a slightly modified version (since, after considering the matter, it seemed important to clarify the formatting and other details that I will follow in the series, in that introductory post). This, along with the translation of the first of the poems, were just uploaded.

People with a real interest in the Nampō Roku should take the time to read the Rikyū Chanoyu Sho, since this second collection will help their understanding of the other. Indeed, as I have written many times, the translations given in this blog have been heretofore done in a very specific order. The reason why I decided to break this (now that the last collection in the cycle -- the Nampō Roku -- has now been translated), is because the Hundred Poems was the first collection that I translated in this blog, and I was concerned that if I deviated too far from the “established” interpretations of the poems (which have all been adjusted so that the meanings accord with what the modern schools teach), it would put my readers off (and possibly cause some of them to abandon this blog entirely). The new translation will look into the poems more deeply, in an attempt to find their actual and original meaning (as well as decide upon an authentic textual version of each). I hope that by doing so, I will help your understanding, not only of the individual poems, but also of chanoyu more broadly.

❖ Please note that to see live links, you should apparently view the posts on your dashboard. For some reason, the URLs have to be copied and pasted into your browser if you access the posts on http://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/ for some reason (and the reason for that is not entirely clear to me). In order to get the links to be live, I had to upload each URL individually, which was a full day's work.

I apologize for having to jump things around, but Tumblr provides no way (that I know of) to insert a post into a spot before those that have already been published. (I also found that it is now no longer possible go to back and edit the posts of the Nambō-ate no densho and other writings of Rikyū, so I will probably have to produce a completely new series of posts, so that I can divide the manuscript into the three distinct densho that Rikyū wrote for Nambō Sōkei). I will talk more about that when the new translation of the Hundred Poems is finished.

And finally, with regard to the publication schedule for the Chanoyu Hyaku-shu, since each of the upcoming posts will likely take a different amount of time to write, I guess the best approach will be to publish each when it is ready -- since if I adhere to the previous schedule of two posts per week, the entire collection will take more than a year to publish. I cannot promise to post one poem every day, but I will try my best (certain of the poems will surely require more explanation, and so may take several days to write). As I said, the translation and commentary for the first poem was just posted, so you will be able to see what I am planning to do there.

Thank you all for your time. Please have a good day.

Sincerely yours,

Daniel M. Burkus daniel_burkus@yahoo.com

Donations: https://paypal.me/chanoyutowa

As I mentioned in the previous update, the financial situation here has been in dire straits for some time now, and things are only getting worse as prices of utilities and other essentials continue to rise. If you find these translations useful and helpful to your understanding of chanoyu, please, please make a contribution (using the above PayPal link). If my finances do not improve soon, it will be impossible to continue living. Things have sadly reached that untenable point. Month after month I do not even have money for the most basic of necessities, let alone a visit to a doctor or dentist (both of which I desperately need). Please help, and do so monthly, if you possibly can.

[chanoyu-to-wa]

The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 1.

〽 Sono michi ni iran to omou kokoro koso,           waga-mi nagara no shishō nari-kere

     [其の道に入らんと思う心こそ、           我が身ながらの師匠なりけれ].

    “If [I] decide [that I will] not¹ embark on the Way, that must depend on [my own] feelings.  Isn’t it that my own body must be [the thing that] guides² [my decision]?”

    The point of the poem is that the novice should never be forced into embarking on the study of chanoyu as a way to cultivate his samadhi³.  Rather, he should come to that decision by himself, after carefully considering his own situation, in light of the dedication and sacrifices that such an approach will entail.

    As with all of the cultural practices that developed from within religious disciplines⁴, when a desire to enter upon the Path arises (together with the concomitant energy which this desire engenders), it will form the foundation of one’s training.  In the early days, the novice began his association with chanoyu by joining a tea group, and attending their regular gatherings -- usually for a period of at least several years -- before taking his first lesson.  This allowed the beginner to become familiar with the details (and the possibilities) of chanoyu, and so make an informed decision regarding just how far he wished to enter into the thing.

    There is absolutely nothing wrong with approaching chanoyu as a social activity, or because one enjoys the mood, or the food or kashi, or because of an interest in the utensils (whether as historical or art objects, or for monetary investment).  But taking things to the next level, where one approaches chanoyu with an almost religious fervor, is something that demands a commitment that few will be able to make, if they are being honest.  So it is better, at the beginning, to consider this issue carefully, to assess whether one is willing -- and (physically and mentally) capable -- of doing so before announcing the commitment to the group.  This is what this poem is telling the beginner, and at the very moment when he is faced with the decision that will certainly impact his future in many, and unknowable, ways.  Nevertheless, as it has been said, “it is at the very moment when the desire to enter the Way first arises that perfect enlightenment is already attained.”

    It is interesting that this is the first poem in every collection of the Hundred Poems, and that all of the collections include the same version of this poem.

_________________________

¹Iran [入らん] means to not enter; to not embark on, or commit oneself to (a certain course of action).

    Virtually all modern renderings change this negative into a positive -- “the heart that wants to enter the Way” or words to that effect.  In Japanese poetry, this is possible if one uses a Heian period poetic conceit, where iran [入らん] is considered to be a contracted form of iramu [入らむ].  However, this approach to the poem seems to be a case of deciding what you want the poem to mean, and then searching for an obscure poetic device that will allow you to argue for that meaning.

    We must remember that these poems are dōka [道歌], poems that were created to provide guidance to the beginner.  And while, since Jōō, as the creator of the cha-kai*, drew many of his early disciples from among his acquaintances at the Shino family’s kō-kai [香會], as well as poetry gatherings hosted in the mansion of Sanjō-nishi no Sanetaka [三條西實隆; 1455 ~ 1537], we must also recall that the earliest manuscript of the Hundred Poems was written for Matsu-ya Hisamasa [松屋久政; 1521 ~ 1598], who was a young man (and, presumably, not highly trained in the subtleties of poetic diction).  As a result, poems that require a considerable amount of mental gymnastics to be understood, as in this case, would seem especially out-of-place.  Therefore, the more straightforward meaning -- that this poem is suggesting the possibility of a disinclination to enter the Way -- is surely what Jōō intended. ___________ *Jōō derived his cha-kai from the Shino family’s kō-kai by adopting the basic form of the kō-kai (which included the service of tea at the end of the gathering while poems composed during the naka-dachi were intoned and critiqued), and simply shifting the emphasis to the service of tea.  (In its earliest version, Jōō still retained an abbreviated appreciation of incense, following Jōō’s sumi-temae; with this followed by a meal, as the Shino had always been doing things, and the naka-dachi:  Jōō’s principal modification was that he included koicha, as well as usucha, during the goza, while discouraging unnecessary conversation.)

²While the word shishō [師匠] is usually translated teacher or master, it also means instruction, teaching, guidance -- and so refers to someone who guides another person.

    Here, however, shishō is referring to your body, which must guide your decision.  If you are physically (or emotionally) incapable of mustering or sustaining the self-discipline necessary to practice chanoyu, then it is better not to waste your own (or your teacher’s) time.

    While this might strike us as extraordinary, we must remember that the approach to chanoyu taken during the sixteenth century was very different from what it is nowadays.  During Jōō’s and Rikyū’s period, the aspiring chajin participated, as a middling guest*, until he was found (by the senior members of the group who acted as the buffer between the lower disciples and the master) to be completely familiar with everything that was done.  Only then, if he wished to go on, was he invited to begin to learn the motions.  As a result, the course of study could be completed in a matter of months once begun† -- rather than the years and decades required by the modern approach.

    It was during those several years of observation that the beginner could decide whether chanoyu was “right” for him, or not -- and so plan his course accordingly. ___________ *That is, as one of the guests who had no real responsibilities during the gathering other than to pay attention, and follow the lead of the other guests.  Thus he was there to observe, without the necessity of having to perform.

†This is due not only to the complications that are inherent in the machi-shū approach to chanoyu, but also are a consequence of many people embarking on their study of tea without ever having seen, let alone participated, in a gathering.  It is this ignorance of the basics, and how they all fit together, that makes chanoyu as difficult to master as it is in the present.

³The utter foolishness of forcing anyone to study can be seen in what happened to chanoyu during the early 20th century, when hoards of young women were made to study in order to obtain a menjō (certificate) that would, in theory, help them marry above their status.  The result was that, since they had little or no actual interest in chanoyu, every detail had to be laid out and specified (down to which utensils could be used, and in what combination), so that creativity and self-expression were no longer a consideration.  This mindless and disinterested attention to detail is, of course, the antithesis of what chanoyu was all about, and would more likely hinder, rather than enhance, the practitioner’s quest for samadhi.

⁴As has been mentioned before in this blog, chanoyu evolved from within the practices associated with the Ikkō ichi-nen shū [一向一念宗], an Amidist sect that appears to trace its roots back to the Bulgug-sa [佛國寺] in Kyeongju [경주, 慶州], Korea.

    Not only chanoyu, but all of the “zen-inspired” arts -- including incense appreciation*, flower arrangement, nō [能] and bonbai [梵唄] (Buddhist chant, in Korean beompae [범패] -- where it was often coupled with chanoyu and za-zen as part of the threefold approach to the cultivation of samadhi that was favored by the Amidist sects), and so forth.  We must remember that, in pre-modern times, there was no real idea that one approach (such as za-zen) was the exclusive purview of a certain sect of Buddhism.  Rather, monks freely borrowed from the techniques favored by this or that school of Buddhism, since the ultimate goal was always the cultivation of samadhi. ___________ *Not the “guessing games” competitions, in which the object was to demonstrate one’s olfactory prowess (like most of the “authentic” Japanese versions of these activities -- like the earlier tō-cha [鬪茶] gatherings -- were a form of gambling, and so antithetical to the idea of Buddhist training).  This competitive form of incense was exclusively Japanese, and had existed since the Heian period.  Unfortunately, even the Shino school became corrupted in this way once the headship passed into the hands of their Japanese disciples, from 1571, following the death of the last of the original Korean line.

==============================================

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The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首]:  Brief Introductory Remarks.

    The earliest (if not the original) manuscript of the collection of dōka [道歌]¹ popularly known as the Rikyū hyaku-shu [利休百首] was written by Jōō during his middle period, and presented to Matsu-ya Hisamasa [松屋久政; 1521 ~ 1598]², a contemporary of Rikyū’s, and one of Jōō’s important disciples.  Jōō’s version of the Hundred Poems contained 93 verses.  This version was cataloged in the Matsu-ya family archives under the name Jōō hyaku-shu [紹鷗百首] (though that name was added by the archivist).

    The earliest (surviving) manuscript copy of the poems in Rikyū’s hand is dated Tenshō 8 [天正八年] (1580), and this version likewise appears to have contained the same basic series of 93 poems -- though, in this case, approximately 15 of the poems differed from what was found in the Matsu-ya manuscript (with the deviations ranging from the substitution of a single word, or kanji-compound, up to major changes in the shimo-no-ku [下の句]³ which, in turn, could potentially alter the entire meaning of the poem).  Other versions of the collection that date from this early period have even fewer verses⁴.

    After Rikyū entered Hideyoshi’s household, he seems to have produced copies of the Hundred Poems (under the name Chanoyu hyaku-shu [茶湯百首]) for a number of Hideyoshi’s courtiers, who were also his disciples; and the various versions that have come down to the present mostly trace their origins back to that time.

    That none of these early versions have one hundred poems should not be considered an issue.  In pre-modern East Asian cultures, number words, particularly of the larger denominations, were not necessarily intended to be understood literally.  Thus, hyaku [百], which can be translated literally as one-hundred, frequently was used to simply indicate a large number -- in other words, too many to count at a glance.  Thus, a count of 93 verses should not make us wonder if the manuscripts in question are complete, that some of the verses have been lost.  Rather, this number may have inspired the chajin of the Edo period to add a number of spurious poems (verses of doubtful origin -- or poems that, while possibly composed by Rikyū, were not originally intended to be part of this particular compendium) to the collection, in order to bring the total up to a round hundred.  That said, it is also important to keep in mind that, rather than being memorialized in written form, the original intention was that the poems were supposed to be committed to memory; and if, at a later date, a written version was required for some reason (this seems to have become an issue for Rikyū, especially after he entered Hideyoshi’s household, since the high offices held by many of his disciples meant that neither he, nor they, had the leisure to meet regularly, necessitating a correspondence course approach -- which is how the majority of Rikyū’s densho came into being), that manuscript was usually produced from memory.  This may account for the variability (whether intentional or not) that is found between many of the early versions of the collection.  The contents became standardized only in the Edo period, when written forms were increasingly preferred, since they would help to prevent this kind of textual variability.

    During the Edo period, several of the daimyō whose families owned one of these collections began to make the texts available to those of their retainers who had a special interest in chanoyu, and that is how the document shown below (which was based on the copy of the Hundred Poems that was written for Hosokawa Sansai by Rikyū -- which, during the Edo period, had finally been christened the Rikyū hyaku-shu) came into being.

    Sansai’s version was apparently also the source of the older of the two collections preserved by the Sen family.

    This version of the Chanoyu hyaku-shu has been circulating privately among the chajin of northern Kyūshū since the time of Hosokawa Sansai (who was the daimyō of the Kokura-han [小倉藩]).  As suggested above, this collection of the poems is very similar to one of the versions that is found in the Sen family archives, since both appear to derive from the same source -- the collection transmitted to Hosokawa Sansai by Rikyū.  This version has never been published.   This translation will use the above document -- which I will refer to as the Kyūshū manuscript -- as its teihon [底本], and the order of the poems will follow what is found therein.  In addition to the Kyūshū manuscript, Matsu-ya manuscript, and Rikyū’s Tenshō 8 version, I will include three other collections⁵ -- two that are in the possession of the Sen families, and another that was discovered by Katagiri Sadamasa [片桐貞昌; 1605 ~ 1673], and handed down in the Sekishū school⁶.  Most of these are catalogs of the poems without any additional commentary.  By far the best commentary, from the perspective of modern chanoyu practice, is that written by Iguchi Kaisen [井口海仙; 1900 ~ 1982] sensei, who was the younger brother of Tantansai [淡々齋; 1893 ~ 1964], the fourteenth generation o-iemoto of Urasenke.

    The translations that will be given in this series will follow the following format (a specimen of which is shown above):

◦ The heading gives the number of the poem, indicating its place in the Kyūshū manuscript (①).

◦ At the top of each post, the poem will be given in both Romaji and Japanese, based principally on the Kyūshū manuscript version of the poem⁷ (②).

◦ This will be followed by an English translation of the poem (③).

◦ Then, an explanation that is intended to clarify any ambiguities in the text of the poem (④).

◦ And, finally, I will include a chart that shows the texts of the different versions of that poem (this will be color-coded to indicate the degree of fidelity to, or deviation from, the version found in the Kyūshū manuscript)⁸ (⑤).

◦ This all will then be followed by a collection of footnotes (⑥).

    The translation will be grouped into five parts (poems 1 ~ 25, poems 26 ~ 50, poems 51 ~ 75, poems 76 ~ 100, and an appendix containing all of the poems not found in the Kyūshū manuscript).  As I have mentioned before, each poem will be discussed in a separate post.

_________________________

¹A dōka [道歌] is a tanka [短歌] (a “short poem” -- in other words, a waka [和歌], a poem of 31 syllables arranged in five lines of 5-7-5 and 7-7 syllables) that conveys moral or didactic teachings in an easy-to-understand manner.  Poems of this sort were usually composed as an easily memorized way to further the beginner’s spiritual development.  Originally, while specifically a Buddhist literary device, poems of this sort were also composed and passed down in the traditions of the various arts that were offshoots of the Amidist Ikkō ichi-nen-shū [一向一念宗] -- the sect of Buddhism from which chanoyu itself emerged.

²Matsuya Hisamasa [松屋久政; 1521 ~ 1598] was a scion, and eventually the head, of the Matsu-ya house, which was a firm dealing in lacquerware, based in Nara.

    While the family (which dated back at least to the second half of the fifteenth century) originally were lacquer artisans (who seem to have specialized in maki-e [蒔繪] work -- the above large natsume that Jōō gave to Rikyū was made for Jōō by the Matsu-ya house), by the sixteenth century they were acting primarily as dealers, commissioning and then selling pieces that were actually produced by members of a network of affiliated artisans in Nara (much as is the case with the modern ten families of craftsmen who are supported by the Sen families today).

³Japanese waka are generally conceived as two units (ku [句]).  The first (upper), known as the kami-no-ku [上の句]*, consists of three lines of 5-7-5 syllables.  The second (lower), named the shimo-no-ku [下の句]†, contains two lines of 7 syllables each. ___________ *It is also known as age-ku [上句].

†Also referred to as the shimo [下句].

⁴The collection translated by Michael Birch, for example, contained only 88 verses, according to the now-defunct “Teahyakka” site.

⁵The sources have been summarized in the following chart:

  This is the order in which these sources will be listed in the translations.  The collections will be referred to therein under the names of their respective editors.

⁶The Sekishū school actually preserves two collections of the Hundred Poems of Chanoyu -- one based on one of Rikyū’s versions, and the other, which was discovered by Katagiri Sadamasa himself, that is closer to Jōō’s Matsu-ya manuscript (though it is unclear whether the document in the Matsu-ya family archives, or another Jōō manuscript, was the source of this version).

   Both of these versions will be mentioned in the translation.

⁷In the Japanese quotations of the poems I will include kanji in preference to phonetic renderings, for clarity.

⁸Each poem will be accompanied by a chart that summarizes its provenance, an example of which is shown below.

    This chart lists the five sources described above (footnote 5) in the left-hand column.  The second column gives the number of the poem in each of the sources.  And the right column quotes the poem as it appears in that source.

    With respect to the latter, the colors are used to indicate the relationship between each of the poems and the version that is found in the Kyūshū manuscript:

___________ *There is no particular hierarchy implied by or associated with the use of different colors to highlight the different versions of the poems.  All variants that are similar to each other are shaded with the same color, while variants that differ more markedly are shaded by a different color.

   Furthermore, occasionally variants which differ significantly from the others, but whose teachings are equally valid, are considered as separate entries in this study, and, as such, have been relegated to the Appendix (which also contains poems that are present in other collections, but are not represented in the Kyūshū manuscript).

†Sometimes these deviant versions were the result of copyists’ errors; but on occasion they represent a real misunderstanding of the poem’s intent -- a misunderstanding of the old teachings that Jōō had sought to convey to his disciples, but which changed significantly over the course of the Edo period as the teachings of the machi-shū followers of Imai Sōkyū became more and more distanced from the tradition of Jōō and Rikyū in which the poems were born.

==============================================

◎ If these translations are valuable to you, please consider donating to support this work.  Donations from the readers are the only source of income for the translator.  Please use the following link:

https://PayPal.Me/chanoyutowa

[chanoyu-to-wa]

A Complete List of the Posts in the Chanoyu-to-wa Translation of the Rikyū Chanoyu Sho [利休茶湯書].

     The Rikyū Chanoyu Sho [利休茶湯書], published in 1680, was the first compendium dedicated to Nambō Sōkei’s Shū-un-an documents.  It appears that the editors picked out those documents that were most obviously written by Rikyū, for inclusion in their collection.  As such, this series of documents -- the set of six books contains an edited version of the Nambō-ate no densho [南坊宛の傳書] (Rikyū’s earliest surviving -- and probably earliest -- densho) as its centerpiece.  As a result, the contents of the Rikyū Chanoyu Sho are complementary to the authentic portions of the Nampō Roku, and provide the reader with a good intellectual foundation through which the Nampō Roku can be approached in the most satisfactory way, so it can be considered an introduction and primer to Tachibana Jitsuzan’s work.

◎ Rikyū Chanoyu Sho, Book One.

    The first three books present a somewhat modified version of Rikyū’s Nambō-ate no densho, which he wrote for Nambō Sōkei in the early autumn of 1573.  This was the second time that Sōkei had approached Rikyū with questions related to the practice of chanoyu (the first occasion was during the previous year, when Sōkei sent Rikyū Jōō’s series of kiri-kami [切紙] relating to the evolution of the daisu -- which collection is preserved as Book Five of the Nampō Roku -- with a request for his comments), and Rikyū replied in detail.

1) Introduction.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/154197896588/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho%C2%B9-book-1%C2%B2-part-1

2) Seven Arrangements for the Ko-ita [小板].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/154498839703/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-1-part-2-seven

3) Seven Arrangements for the Daime-kiri Irori [臺目切り圍爐裏].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/154919861328/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-1-part-3-seven

4) Seven Arrangements for the Mukō-irori [向う圍爐裏].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/155062707128/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-1-part-4-the

5) Seven Arrangements for the Sumi-kiri Irori [角切の圍爐裏].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/155085828333/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-1-part-5-the-sumi-kiri

◎ Rikyū Chanoyu Sho, Book Two.

1) Seven Arrangements for the Service of Tea in the Shoin [書院立].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/155423006113/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-2-part-1-tea-served-in

2) Seven Arrangements for the Fukuro-dana [袋棚].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/156036390508/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-2-part-2-seven

3) Seven Arrangements for the Irori Nagaita [圍爐裏長板].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/156369280407/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-2-part-3-seven

◎ Rikyū Chanoyu Sho, Book Three.

1) Seven Arrangements for the Kyū-dai [休臺].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/156685180480/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-3-part-1-seven

2) Seven Arrangements for the Daisu [臺子], Part 1.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/156989699098/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-3-part-2-seven

3) Seven Arrangements for the Daisu, Part 2.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/157116362247/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-3-part-3-seven

4) Seven Arrangements for the Daisu when Used with the Irori.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/157583247848/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-3-part-4-the

5) The Way to Display the Nagaita in Places Like the Small Room; and the Use of the Dauko [だうこ].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/157882916038/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-3-part-5-the-way-to

6) The Use of the Furo in the Sukiya [すきや], Part 1.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/158163570251/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-3-part-6-the-way-to

7) The Use of the Furo in the Sukiya, Part 2.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/158449174794/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-3-part-7-the-way-to

◎ Rikyū Chanoyu Sho, Book Four.

    The fourth book discusses the various utensils that may be used in the sukiya.

1) The  Importance of an Understanding of the Way of Poetry for the Practitioner of Chanoyu.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/160789142148/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-1-concerning

2) Concerning the Utensils that are Displayed [in the Sukiya] – the Decorative Cords that are Tied on the Cha-tsubo.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/161336351838/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-2-concerning

2a) Appendix 1:   How to Tie the Kuchi-shime no O Around the Kuchi-ōi; and how to Tie the Cha-tsubo into its Ami.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/161558225574/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-2-appendix-1

2b) Appendix 2:   How to Tie the Chichi-o and Naga-o onto the Cha-tsubo.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/161812072223/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-2-appendix-2

3) Concerning the Utensils that are Displayed [in the Sukiya] – the Tsurube no Mizusashi, the Te-fukube [Sumi-tori], and the Te-oke Mizusashi.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/161903818534/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-4-concerning

4) Concerning the Utensils that are Displayed [in the Sukiya] – the Sui-teki no Chaire, the Bon-seki, and the Taji.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/162098310014/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-4-concerning

5) Measurements of the Utensils that are Used in the Sukiya (1).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/162370544798/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-5-measurements

6) Measurements of the Utensils that are Used in the Sukiya (2).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/162640280903/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-6-measurements

7) Measurements of the Utensils that are Used in the Sukiya (3).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/162913692410/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-7-measurements

8) Measurements of the Utensils that are Used in the Sukiya (4).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/163032108688/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-8-measurements

9) Measurements of the Utensils that are Used in the Sukiya (5).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/163033010998/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-9-measurements

9a) Appendix:  Rikyū’s Take-zutsu no Densho [竹筒傳書] (1).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/163033017833/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-9-appendix

9b) Appendix:  Rikyū’s Take-zutsu no Densho [竹筒傳書] (2).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/163437467693/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-9-appendix

9c) Appendix:  Rikyū’s Take-zutsu no Densho [竹筒傳書] (3).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/163650758147/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-9-appendix

10) Measurements of the Utensils that are Used in the Sukiya (6).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/164010209113/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-10-measurements

11) Measurements of the Utensils that are Used in the Sukiya (7).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/164110526521/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-11-measurements

12) Measurements of the Utensils that are Used in the Sukiya (8).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/164266547620/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-4-part-12-measurements

◎ Rikyū Chanoyu Sho, Book Five..

    The contents of Book Five are characterized as “transcripts of Rikyū’s secret teachings” (Rikyū kiki-gaki hiden [利休聞書秘傳]), some of which come from the final section of the Nambō-ate no densho, while the others (while they can be confirmed by Rikyū’s other writings) cannot be ascribed to a particular source.  Each post contains a number of entries on a number of diverse topics (making post-specific titles an impossibility).

Part 1

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/164534482719/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-1-transcripts

Part 2

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/164647793349/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-2-transcripts

Part 3

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/164733160028/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-3-transcripts

Part 4

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/164908076913/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-4-transcripts

Part 5

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/165056862729/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-5-transcripts

Part 6

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/165162893106/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-6-transcripts

Part 7

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/165291945648/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-7-transcripts

Part 8

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/165412635009/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-8-transcripts

Part 9

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/165558749501/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-9-transcripts

Part 10

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/165663821483/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-10-transcripts

Part 11

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/165807884617/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-11-transcripts

Part 12

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/165889590968/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-12-transcripts

Part 13

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/165918140794/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-13-transcripts

Part 14

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/166138991068/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-14-transcripts

Part 15

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/166139375933/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-15-transcripts

Part 16

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/166404684626/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-16-transcripts

Part 17

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/166650029671/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-17-transcripts

Part 18

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/166792207124/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-18-transcripts

Part 19

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/166890285227/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-19-transcripts

Part 20

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/166890846744/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-5-part-20-transcripts

◎ Rikyū Chanoyu Sho, Book Six.

    Book Six, like Book Two of the Nampō Roku, is a (somewhat edited) copy of one of Rikyū’s official kai-ki [會記] (that is, the details of gatherings that he hosted on Hideyoshi’s behalf, usually for people who were waiting to attend on Hideyoshi -- to keep them pleasantly occupied during that wait for an audience with the lord).

    In this case, the kai-ki begins after Rikyū and Hideyoshi had returned to Kyōto, following the successful completion of the siege of Odawara (in the late summer of 1590), until a month or so before his seppuku (on the 28th day of the Second Month -- which was actually the Third Lunar Month, because Tenshō 19 [天正十九年] had two First Months -- of 1591).

    As a consequence of the editorial revisions and omissions, the remaining 35 gatherings from the Rikyū Hyakkai Ki [利休百會記] will be discussed in an appendix.

1) (1590) Eighth Month, 17th Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/167280011809/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-1-riky%C5%ABs

2) Eighth Month, 18th Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/167440484463/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-2-1590-eighth

3) Eighth Month, 18th Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/167440496828/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-3-riky%C5%ABs

4) Ninth Month, 13th Day; Morning.  The Kuchi-kiri Chakai.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/167440639703/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-4-riky%C5%ABs

5) Ninth Month, 14th Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/167529641975/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-5-riky%C5%ABs

6) Ninth Month, 21st Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/167635501921/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-6-riky%C5%ABs

7) Ninth Month, 21st Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/167779272291/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-7-riky%C5%ABs

8) Ninth Month, 21st Day; Evening.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/167845713030/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-8-riky%C5%ABs

9) Ninth Month, 20th Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168021437874/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-9-riky%C5%ABs

10a) Ninth Month, 20th Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168089371381/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-10-riky%C5%ABs

10b) From the Sōtan Nikki [宗湛日記], (1590) Ninth Month, 20th Day; Midday (Part 1).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168123647647/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-11-riky%C5%ABs

10c) From the Sōtan Nikki [宗湛日記], (1590) Ninth Month, 20th Day; Midday (Part 2).

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168124223803/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-10c-from-the

11) Ninth Month, 22nd Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168266133178/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-11-riky%C5%ABs

12) Ninth Month, 22nd Day, Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168347626568/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-12-riky%C5%ABs

13) Ninth Month, 23rd Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168368358200/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-13-riky%C5%ABs

14) Tenth Month, 26th Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168513085881/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-14-riky%C5%ABs

15) Tenth Month, 27th Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168616950742/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-15-riky%C5%ABs

16) Tenth Month, 27th Day, Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168617522628/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-16-riky%C5%ABs

17) Tenth Month, 28th Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168762674574/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-17-riky%C5%ABs

18) Tenth Month, the Last Day of the Month; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168867233134/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-18-riky%C5%ABs

19) Eleventh Month, Second Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/168867822576/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-19-riky%C5%ABs

20) Eleventh Month, Second Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169010811075/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-20-riky%C5%ABs

21) Eleventh Month, Third Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169123797765/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-21-riky%C5%ABs

22) Eleventh Month, Fourth Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169124420648/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-22-riky%C5%ABs

23) Eleventh Month, Fifth Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169278212364/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-23-riky%C5%ABs

24) Eleventh Month, Sixth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169396711696/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-24-riky%C5%ABs

25) Eleventh Month, Seventh Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169397376676/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-25-riky%C5%ABs

26) Eleventh Month, Ninth Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169477261535/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-26-riky%C5%ABs

27) Eleventh Month, Tenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169553641365/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-27-riky%C5%ABs

27a) Rikyū’s Evolving Use of the “Kokei Oshō Bokuseki” [古溪和尚墨跡], “Shun-fū Ichi-jin” [春風一陣].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169649923938/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-27a-riky%C5%ABs

28) Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169667670275/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-28-riky%C5%ABs

29) Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169668316428/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-29-riky%C5%ABs

30) Eleventh Month, Twelfth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169750718213/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-30-riky%C5%ABs

31) Eleventh Month, Twelfth Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169823327226/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-31-riky%C5%ABs

32) Eleventh Month, Fourteenth Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169933946503/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-32-riky%C5%ABs

33) Eleventh Month, Fifteenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/169934566395/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-33-riky%C5%ABs

34) Eleventh Month, Fifteenth Day; Night.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170012156855/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-34-riky%C5%ABs

35) Eleventh Month, Sixteenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170088130659/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-35-riky%C5%ABs

36) Eleventh Month, Ninteenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170199779440/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-36-riky%C5%ABs

37) Eleventh Month, Twentieth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170200412908/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-37-riky%C5%ABs

38 and 39) Eleventh Month, Twenty-first Day; Morning; and an Atomi at Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170278539278/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-parts-38-and-39

40) Eleventh Month, Twenty-second Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170354937436/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-40-riky%C5%ABs

41) Eleventh Month, Twenty-fourth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170468139624/41-riky%C5%ABs-hyaku-kai-ki-1590-eleventh-month

42) Eleventh Month, the Last Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170468759768/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-42-riky%C5%ABs

43) Eleventh Month, the Last Day of the Month; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170547734509/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-43-riky%C5%ABs

44) Eleventh Month, the Last Day of the Month; Night.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170623499079/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-43-riky%C5%ABs

45) Twelfth Month, the First Day of the Month; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170731819267/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-45-riky%C5%ABs

46) Twelfth Month, Fourth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170809099466/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-46-riky%C5%ABs

47) Twelfth Month, Seventh Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170989280008/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-47-riky%C5%ABs

48) Twelfth Month, Seventh Day; Night.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/170989880628/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-47-riky%C5%ABs

49) Twelfth Month, Ninth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171065057100/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-48-riky%C5%ABs

50) Twelfth Month, Tenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171139009083/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-50-riky%C5%ABs

51) Twelfth Month, Eleventh Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171246143878/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-51-riky%C5%ABs

52) Twelfth Month, Thirteenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171246578856/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-52-riky%C5%ABs

53) Twelfth Month, Eighteenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171247013176/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-53-riky%C5%ABs

54) Twelfth Month, Nineteenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171320781243/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-54-riky%C5%ABs

55) Twelfth Month, Twentieth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171390427974/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-55-riky%C5%ABs

56) Twelfth Month, Twenty-first Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171494848137/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-56-riky%C5%ABs

57) Twelfth Month, Twenty-third Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171495434812/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-57-riky%C5%ABs

58) Twelfth Month, Twenty-fourth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171576416838/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-58-riky%C5%ABs

59) Twelfth Month, Twenty-sixth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171635581072/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-59-riky%C5%ABs

60) Twelfth Month, Twenty-seventh Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171736100410/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-60-riky%C5%ABs

61) (1591) First Month, Eighth Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171736668039/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-61-riky%C5%ABs

62) First Month, Ninth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171807144834/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-62-riky%C5%ABs

63) First Month, Tenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171875447130/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-63-riky%C5%ABs

64) First Month, Thirteenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171974722421/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-64-riky%C5%ABs

65) First Month, Fifteenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/171975281674/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-65-riky%C5%ABs

66) First Month, Fifteenth Day; Fu-ji [不時].

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172044649333/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-66-riky%C5%ABs

67) First Month, Fifteenth Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172113086042/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-67-riky%C5%ABs

68) First Month, Sixteenth Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172214129616/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-68-riky%C5%ABs

69) First Month, Seventeenth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172285757340/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-69-riky%C5%ABs

70) First Month, Twenty-second Day; Evening.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172355014395/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-70-riky%C5%ABs

71) First Month, Twenty-fifth Day; Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172458371405/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-71-riky%C5%ABs

72) First Month, Twenty-fifth Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172458945516/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-72-riky%C5%ABs

73) First Month, Twenty-sixth Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172531089603/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-73-riky%C5%ABs

74) First Month, Twenty-seventh Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172600763661/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-74-riky%C5%ABs

75) First Month, Twenty-seventh Day; Evening.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172700600106/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-75-riky%C5%ABs

76) Intercalated First Month, Fifth Day; Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172701169418/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-76-riky%C5%ABs

77) The Publisher’s Concluding Remarks.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172770455915/riky%C5%AB-chanoyu-sho-book-6-part-77-thex

◎ Appendix:  the Missing Gatherings from the Rikyū Hyakkai Ki.

    The gatherings that were included in Book Six of the Rikyū Chanoyu Sho have been excluded from this list.  Here we will look at the remaining 35 chakai that are found in the Sadō Ko-ten Zenshū [茶道古典全集] version of the Rikyū Hyakkai Ki (which is based on the version of the Hyakkai Ki that is preserved by the Sen family).

    The gatherings recorded in the Rikyū Hyakkai Ki extend from the 17th day of the Eighth Month of Tenshō 18 [天正十八年] (1590), to the 24th day of the Intercalated First Month of Tenshō 19 [天正十九年] (1591) -- which was the second month of the year, and equates to March 18, 1591.  Rikyū, of course, died on the 28th day of the following month (which was April 21, 1591, in the Gregorian calendar).

1) The Rikyū Hyakkai Ki:  Introduction.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172936762056/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-1

2) (1590) Gatherings Held in the Eighth Month.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172937173396/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-2-1590

3) Ninth Month, Thirteenth Day, Morning; and Atomi.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/172937588795/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-3-1590

4) Ninth Month, Thirteenth Day, Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173073388324/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-4-1590

5) Ninth Month, Thirteenth Day, Evening.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173169519234/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-5-1590

6) Ninth Month, Fourteenth Day, Morning; to the Twenty-first Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173169929120/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-6-1590

7) Ninth Month, Twenty-first Day, Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173170338663/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-7-1590

8) Ninth Month, Twenty-first Day, Evening; to the Twenty-second Day, Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173302617664/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-8-1590

9) Ninth Month, Twenty-second Day, Afternoon.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173302885874/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-9-1590

10) Ninth Month, Twenty-second Day, Evening.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173394980941/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-10-1590

11) Ninth Month, Twenty-third Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173395242247/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-11-1590

12) Gatherings Held in the Tenth Month.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173395502128/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-12-1590

13) Eleventh Month, Second Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173395755292/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-13-1590

14) Eleventh Month, Second Day, Midday; and Atomi.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173396011678/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-14-1590

15) Eleventh Month, Third Day, Morning; to the Eleventh Day, Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173524220271/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-15-1590

16) Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Evening.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173524486651/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-16-1590

17) Eleventh Month, Twelfth Day, Morning; to the Last Day, Fu-ji.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173524767311/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-17-1590

18) Twelfth Month, First Day, Morning; to the Tenth Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173616814802/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-18-1591

19) Twelfth Month,  Eleventh Day, Morning; and Atomi.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173617057068/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-19-1591

20) Twelfth Month,  Eighteenth Day, Morning; to the Twenty-fourth Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173617319905/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-20-1591

21) Twelfth Month, Twenty-fourth Day, Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173745307314/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-21-1591

22) Twelfth Month, Twenty-sixth Day, Morning; and Twenty-seventh Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173745573905/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-22-1591

23) (1591) Gatherings Held in the First Month.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173838816492/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-23-1591

24) Intercalated First Month, Second Day, Evening.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173839078254/appendix-rikyu-hyakkai-ki-missing-gatherings

25) Intercalated First Month, Third Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173839374299/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-25-1591

26) Intercalated First Month, Third Day, Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/173968206309/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-26-1591

27) Intercalated First Month, Fourth Day, Night.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/174034910368/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-27-1591

28) Intercalated First Month, Fifth Day, Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/174034914543/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-28-1591

29) Intercalated First Month, Tenth Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/174034929373/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-29-1591

30) Intercalated First Month, Eleventh Day, Morning.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/174189016198/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-30-1591

31) Intercalated First Month, Eleventh Day, Evening.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/174281667748/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-31-1591

32) Intercalated First Month, Thirteenth Day, Evening.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/174281920870/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-32-1591

33) Intercalated First Month, Fifteenth Day, Evening.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/174413563611/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-33-1591

34) Intercalated First Month, Sixteenth Day, Midday.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/174509328984/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-34-1591

35) Intercalated First Month, Twenty-fourth Day, Morning; and Atomi.

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/174509580239/appendix-the-riky%C5%AB-hyakkai-ki-part-35-1591

[chanoyu-to-wa]

A New Update (4/14).

Dear Followers and Readers,

Even though the introductory essay was relatively brief, it was very difficult for me to write it. This was primarily because, as a consequence of the total lack of feedback that I have received from you, I really had no idea precisely how to phrase the introduction.

And this leads me to another issue. As you may know -- if you pay attention to the international news -- Korea held a parliamentary election last Tuesday, with the result being that there was an overwhelming rejection of the ruling party. This was occasioned by the hideous rate of inflation that has been overwhelming the nation since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic: it is not that society has failed to recover, but that things have continued to get worse with each passing month despite the recovery of the business and financial sectors. The cost of utilities, and of necessities -- even things like bus fare -- has been going up almost every time I blink my eyes. This, coupled with the fact that donations from the readers have been decreasing month by month, has finally brought things to the point where simply surviving is increasingly unsustainable. Because of the drop in contributions, I was forced to write to Elmar yesterday, since there was no possibility that the little bit of money remaining in my bank account would last until the 23 or 24th of the month (which is when the transfer is usually paid into my account), despite the fact that I have not had any extraordinary expenses, and have spent money on nothing but food (and the cheapest items that are available at that).

All of this has played into the difficulty of maintaining my focus. While I am copying a series of translations that I wrote a decade and more ago, it is not just a matter of copying and pasting (actually, since the word-processor documents and back-up .txt files are on the MyBook hard drive that was damaged by a failing processor shutting down unexpectedly, the texts exist only as a series of .jpg scans; so even if I was not intending to make any changes, I would still have to retype the whole thing -- and, actually, I am planning to make many editorial changes, in light of all of the other translations that I have produced since then). When a lack of food, or worry over whether I will be able to buy food tomorrow, or next week, become overwhelming, it is impossible to avoid their impact on my productivity. In recent months the number of people following this blog has increased, yet contributions continue to fall. Yet I have heard complaints because I have made requests like this. The argument seems to be that, since the blog is published on a free site, then it should remain free. Yet every YouTube account that I follow, and many of the Tumblrs that come across my dashboard, have started being linked to Patreon accounts. So if simply reading a Wikipedia article, while providing an assortment of mostly irrelevant visuals is judged worthy of support, why is objection taken when I ask for support in order to create completely original and authentic material for your consumption? If every one of the new followers would donate $5 per month, I would have no problems, and be able to pay for necessities. If every one of the followers (and all of those who access the blog regularly yet have decided not to "follow" for whatever reason), including those people who have been doing so for 10 or 12 years, did the same, I could actually live comfortably. At present I cannot even go to the doctor or dentist (and I should do both), even though I have to pay $160/month for medical insurance, because there is a $100 deductible for each visit (meaning I would have to pay the first $100 for each visit in order for the the insurance to kick in, and I just do not have a spare $100, or $50, or $30 that I could use for that).

Of course, Elmar said he will transfer the money currently in the PayPal account to me next Monday; but then, what will happen on the 22nd of the month, when money will have to be transferred so that I can pay my utility bills and rent (and have enough left for food for the following month)? It is truly depressing when people who just read Wikipedia articles on YouTube announce how much money they get each month, while I, who usually spend a minimum of 10 or 12 hours working on this blog every day, have to beg for pennies so I have enough to eat. I have tried to keep this blog "free" because I am aware that many people who are attracted to chanoyu are far from wealthy. But if I constantly run out of money for food each month, how can I possibly continue?

Thank you all for your time. Please have a good week.

Sincerely yours,

Daniel M. Burkus daniel_burkus@yahoo.com

Donations: https://paypal.me/chanoyutowa