What is The Book of Tea?
{{italic title}} {{nihongo|'''''The Book of Tea'''''|茶の本|Cha no Hon}} is a long [[essay]] about the role that [[tea]] plays in [[Japan]]ese [[lifestyle]] and [[culture]]. It was written by [[Okakura Kakuzō]], and was published in 1906.<ref> 'Ambassador of Tea Culture to the West' (biography of Okakura), Andrew Forbes and David Henley, ''The Illustrated Book of Tea'' (Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books, 2012).</ref> The book is written for a [[Western civilization|Western]] audience. It was originally written in English. Okakura had been taught at a young age to speak English and was good at communicating his thoughts to Westerners. In his book, he discusses [[Zen]] and [[Taoism]], but also the [[Secularism|secular]] (non-religious) aspects of tea and Japanese life. The book emphasizes how Teaism (the [[art]] of tea) taught the Japanese many things. Most importantly it taught them [[wikt:simplicity|simplicity]]. Kakuzō says that this simplicity, inspired by tea, affected [[arts]] and [[architecture]]. ==Teaism== When tea is more than a drink and the tea ceremony is understood and practiced to foster harmony in humanity, promote harmony with nature, discipline the mind, quiet the heart, and attain the purity of enlightenment, the art of tea becomes teaism. And it can be used to describe tea ceremony as the interests in tea culture and studies and pursued over time with self-cultivation. Teaism is mostly a simplistic mode of aesthetics, but there are subtle insights into [[ethics]], and even [[metaphysics]]. Teaism is related to teamind. A sense of focus and concentration while under the influence of great tasting tea. Teaist is a person who performs or enjoys the art of tea and teaism. In Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cultures, they all have well-developed teaism. ===History=== Teaism is a synthesis of [[Taoism]], [[Zen]]nism, and tea. It is likely that it alludes more to the Taoist influences on Zen, and subsequently the Chado, or the [[Japanese tea ceremony]], as he makes the statement, 'A subtle philosophy lay b