The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea.

JAPANESE CULTURAL ACTIVITY 
by Mailida

The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a  Japanese cultural activity and traditional art that incorporates aesthetic concepts, Zen philosophical, and involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called chanoyu (茶の湯) or sadō, chadō (茶道). The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called otemae (お手前; お点前).
Tea ceremony embodies much of Assagioli’s vision of the human psyche in particular, his fundamental connection of love with will. ancient Zen practice is a remarkable technique perfectly suited to the development and synthesis of these two distinct human qualities. Essential ingredient to any ceremony was kokoro, a “full and sincere heart”. Not only extended towards one’s guest, kokoro is meant to expand and include everything in the room, from the simplest bamboo whisk to the most precious tea cup. 
Without love animating the ritual, it becomes reduced to a wooden display of knowledge and technique. 
Similarly, without the will needed to perform the ritual, love and affection cannot be fully manifested in the present world nor symbolically evoked by the cup of tea. 
Tea Ceremony as Ritual Allows for the Transcendent, tea ceremony creates a space for such a transcendent call to emerge as its individual symbolic elements come together to synthesize into a unified expression of a higher order. For example, in tea ceremony the Five Elements (wood, fire, water, metal, and earth) transcend their differences to synthesize into a cup of green tea, a symbol for the entire universe. 
The charcoal wood builds a fire which boils the water in a metal kettle which, in turn, is poured over the tea and whisked in a earthen bowl.
During the ritual, the Five Elements are brought into the correct proportion and harmony, and together they transform themselves into a higher reality. In essence, through the tea master’s willful acts and kokoro, a time and space in our everyday reality is created that allows the transpersonal to emerge.

Referensi:

http://pages.ubbcluj.ro/codrinsteorobelea/japanese-tea-ceremony/

http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upacara_minum_teh_(Jepang)