The Book of Tea

A modern classic that invites readers to discover a unique ritual that has come to symbolize wisdom, beauty, and the elegant simplicity of Asian culture--now in the Shambhala Pocket Library series.

This modern classic invites readers to discover a unique tradition that has come to symbolize wisdom, beauty, and the elegant simplicity of Asian culture. Kakuzo Okakura’s beloved text celebrates the Way of Tea from its ancient origins in Chinese Taoism to its culmination in the Zen discipline known as the Japanese tea ceremony—an enchanting practice bringing together such diverse arts as architecture, pottery, and flower arranging to create an experience that delights the senses, calms the mind, and refreshes the spirit. This edition includes an introduction by Sam Hamill that offers historical insight into the significance of the tea ceremony within Zen Buddhism.

Kakuzo Okakura (1863—1919)–scholar, well-known art critic, and curator of the Chinese and Japanese art collection at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts–devoted his life to the preservation and reawakening of traditional Japanese culture