[Reminder] Tea Ceremony, Ōbaku Ingen Lecture Series, and Online Art Exhibition
April 27, 2022
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[Reminder] Tea Ceremony, Ōbaku Ingen Lecture Series, and Online Art Exhibition
The year 2022 marks the 350th death anniversary of Zen Master Yinyuan Longqi (隱元隆琦 1592-1673, Ingen Ryūki in Japanese). The anniversary of an eminent master’s death is an important occasion for commemoration in much of the Buddhist world. We are pleased to announce that the Center for Buddhist Studies, College of Humanities at the University of Arizona is organizing a series of commemorative events which will run for one year beginning May 3, 2022. These events will present and explore the extraordinary life of Zen Master Yinyuan and the great achievements of the Huangbo 黃檗 tradition (known as the Ōbaku school in Japan) of Zen Buddhism that he pioneered in China and Japan. These events highlight the intersection between religion, art, and culture in China and Japan and will be presented in both online and offline formats. Activities will include an online exhibition of works of art related to the Ōbaku tradition, academic lectures, musical performances, and tea-related events.
May 3 (Tuesday), 2022
In-person/hybrid event
*Participants in the in-person event are expected to be free of Covid symptoms and masks and social distancing are recommended.
Time: 4:00-5:30 pm (Arizona Time)
Location: Rubel Room, Poetry Center, College of Humanities,
Address: 1508 E Helen St, Tucson, AZ 85719
The Japanese Tea Ceremony, also known as chado or chanoyu, is a traditional way to appreciate tea. With the host preparing and presenting the matcha tea to the guest, it is also considered an art for this ceremonial and cultural activity. The tea culture started from ancient China and the Buddhist monk brought this art back to Japan in the 9th century. Since then, Zen Buddhism has deeply influenced the development of the Japanese Tea Ceremony.
The Tea Ceremony is one of the three classical Japanese arts of refinement. Its central philosophy has been articulated by the Tea master, Sen Rikyu (千利休), in the late 16th century in the four principles: “harmony (和, wa), respect (敬, kei), purity (清, sei), and tranquility (寂, jaku).”
Sakura Tea Circle Members: Arlene Watkins (MC), Bianca Wang and ChengTao Yang (Misuya), Lia Chen (Host), Maki Snow (Guest).
Performance (Temae): Urasenke school, Furo Usucha Temae 裏千家、風炉薄茶点前
In 1654 Zen Master Yinyuan traveled from China to Japan. Just seven years later he established the monastery Manpukuji and founded a new tradition called Ōbaku. In this talk, Jiang Wu tells the story of the tremendous obstacles faced by Yinyuan, drawing parallels between his experiences and the broader political and cultural context in which he lived. Yinyuan claimed to have inherited the “Authentic Transmission of the Linji Sect.” After arriving in Japan, he was able to persuade the Shogun to build a new Ming-style monastery (Manpukuji) for the establishment of his Ōbaku school. His arrival in Japan coincided with a series of historical developments including the Ming-Qing dynastic transition in China, the consolidation of early Tokugawa power in Japan, the growth of Nagasaki trade, and rising Japanese interests in Chinese learning and artistic pursuits. While Yinyuan‘s travel is known in scholarly circles, the significance of his journey within East Asian history has not been fully explored. This talk provides a unique opportunity to re-examine the extraordinary life of Yinyuan during a period of political and social transformation in East Asia.
