Shichijishiki

Exercises to train the spirit and skills required for chanoyu. The seven exercises are kagetsu (the roles of host and guests are decided by drawing flower and moon cards), saza (each individual performs a different task), mawarizumi (each person arranges charcoal in turn), chakabuki (distinguishing between different kinds of tea), mawaribana (each person arranges flowers in turn), ichinisan (the guests evaluate the host's temae) and kazucha (the guest who will drink the tea the host has made is decided by lot). The 'shichiji' are based on the 'shichiji zuishin' (seven things a priest should have on his person), that is found in the Hekiganroku (Blue Cliff Record', a collection of koans) by Engo Kokugon of the early Sung Dynasty, which was highly valued by the Rinzai sect of Buddhists.

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