tsurigama (hanging kettle) tea ceremony, done in March

The four principles of wa-kei-sei-jaku, or harmony, respect, purity and tranquility, act as the "motto" of the study of the tea ceremony. These principles are an adaptation by Sen-no-Rikyu of ideas related to Shintoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.

Wa

Wa (harmony) is at the heart of much of Japanese thought. Societal harmony is prized in most Asian cultures, and is exemplified in the group consciousness which is at the core of Japanese life. In the tea ceremony, the host and guests always strive to work for a harmonious experience, and part of the study of tea is learning the necessary timing and nuances which bring host and guests together.

Kei

Kei (reverential respect) is a primary virtue in Confucian thinking. Kei is demonstrated through following the etiquette of tea. In the tea ceremony, the intimacy between host and guests is shown indirectly: through the way the host chooses implements and makes tea, and the way the guests handle the implements and drink the tea.

Sei

Sei (purity) is a primary virtue in Shintoism, the indigenous religion of Japan. The purity that is desired in tea is internal, but is discovered in external things, such as the hand-washing at the tsukubai, the "purification" by the host of all the implements (done in the view of the guests), and in not putting the "sugar" in the tea, but consuming tea and kashi separately.

Jaku

Jaku (tranquility), to the student of tea, does not simply mean "relaxed" or "peaceful." It refers more to the sense of calm one finds in things being natural, rather than that which is showy or ostentateous. In tea, jaku can be found both in the choice of implements and in the studied yet "natural" movements that together promote harmony, reverence, and purity.