Tea...is a religion of the art of life.
Okakura KakuzoRead
Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote celebrates the beauty of simple moments and the joy found in appreciating nature.
In this quote, Okakura Kakuzo invites us to pause and relish the tranquil beauty of nature, represented through the imagery of tea, bamboos, and bubbling fountains. It emphasizes the importance of cherishing ephemeral experiences and indulging in the delightful absurdity of life, encouraging reflection and a slow appreciation for the world around us.
Themes
NatureAppreciationBeautyTranquilityTea
In practice
Example use cases
While giving a speech on mindfulness, it’s a perfect moment to quote Kakuzo to remind the audience to appreciate small things.
More from Okakura Kakuzo
All quotes →Fain would we remain barbarians, if our claim to civilization were to be based on the gruesome glory of war.
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Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order.
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Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest qualities. We have good and bad teas, as we have good and bad paintings - generally the latter.
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For life is an expression, our unconscious actions the constant betrayal of our innermost thought. Perhaps we reveal ourselves too much in small things because we have so little of the great to conceal. The tiny incidents of daily rouitine are as much a commentary of racial ideas as the highest flight of philosophy or poetry.
Okakura KakuzoRead
The ancient sages never put their teachings in a systematic form. They spoke in paradoxes, for they were afraid of uttering half-truths. They began by talking like fools and ended by making their hearers wise.
Okakura KakuzoRead
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