Sunday, November 20, 2016

Kei

Go Cubs Go…

The World Series is over and none too soon. It felt like home arrest, trapped in front of the TV. I could barely watch the vicissitudes. Talk about stress.

Though I did not frequent my local cemetery the night they won, I envision it aglow with the risen souls of Cub fans. I imagine my father was one of them. He was a sweet man who was most demonstrative while watching the Cubs. Every foible or strength brought a yelp from the backroom.

When the going got tough and breathless journalists asked one player or another why they lost and what was their plan to change the momentum, they said it's a game we love to play, especially with each other, and we are going to enjoy ourselves and see what happens. What could be more “Zen-ish” than that!

The 2016 Cubs certainly demand kei/respect. Their love for each other was palpable. The exuberance of youth eventually overcame every error. It made me think, have the collective “we” been enjoying ourselves this past year. I think not. Everyday brought another outrage whether it was significant or not.

My way of dealing was to turn it off but unless I sequestered myself to a mountain refuge out of sight of satellites and radio waves it was near impossible. It has also been necessary to isolate myself from many people. There is a sense of mania out there. Just say hello to a neighbor and suddenly the proselytizing began. I kept thinking, isn’t there something else to focus on.

What was it that Karl Marx said about the opium of the masses; he was referring to religion but more about oppression and our reaction to it. So, does oppression let us off the hook or gives us free rein to disrespect whomever we find in our way. I know I am asking many questions but I find myself baffled.

Respect is a lost concept. Hubris has replaced it. Now instead of giving respect, respect is demanded whether earned or not. And if not provided the consequences can be dire.

Fame and money have always been corrupting. But it seems that money is not as strong a motivator as it once was. Fame for nothing in particular is measured in likes and dislikes. A click here or there is the driving force for most of the mischief.

Chado, The Way of Tea, has a few things to say about this. It took me years of practice and study to realize that tea is about respecting and making your guest comfortable. This is done in the oddest ways.

The utensils used in chanoyu (such as the chashaku/tea scoop and natsume/tea container) are placed specifically, so when the guest views them the scene is coherent and settled.

The way the utensils are handled is another. Sen Riyku, the founder of chanoyu, instructed the host to carry heavy objects as if they are light, and light objects as if they are heavy.

And then there is the movement within the chashitsu/tea room. The host always turns towards the guests unless they are carrying the kensui/waste water container. The list goes on.

Kei/Respect is one of the four guiding principles of Chado, the others being Wa/Harmony, Sei/Purity, and Jaku/Tranquility. The reason for chanoyu is to make tea and share it with friends. It is such a simple concept that it is almost impossible to accomplish well. That is the whole point of the guiding principles. If done with the above it is almost impossible not to do it well.

This is as it was for the Cubs to win the World Series after 108 years. They did it with aplomb, all the while respecting their opponent’s ability. So let us follow the Cubs — and Chado’s — example in how to live a life with kei/respect . . . Go Cubs, Go!

November 2016