Tea is too beautiful to be expressed in words; it must be expressed through ceremony.
There are four elements that are key in a tea ceremony: Harmony, Respect, Purity, & Tranquility.
Harmony between our selves and nature, between nature’s seasons and our man-made environment, between us and other people.
Respect for the moment, for each person, for nature & for tea utensils.
Purity of mind, of action, of our perspectives about things around us.
If we are in Harmony with our surroundings, if we Respect the moment and what it brings us, if we can achieve Purity of mind, then we reach a state of being free from agitation of mind and spirit. And this state of mind, my friends, is called Tranquility.

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