i think Minimalism is Baroque, what you are talking about i call it
simplicity...

kind regards,
bonifacio barrio hijosa
http://worldoftea.iespana.es/

On Jan 30, 5:49*pm, Space Cowboy wrote:
At least the Japanese chadao requires Japanese matcha. *I think at a
minimum a WuYi chadao should require a WuYi tea. *I understand gongfu
is anybodys idea of making tea with little pots and cups. *If not then
English tea is the ultimate gongfu. *I dont mind arbitrary rules so
long as it is presented upfront so people cant hide behind technique
as a substitute for insight. *Over the holidays I witnessed TEAVANA
selling more gongfu sets than tea. *The blogs are full of my tea setup
occupies more counter space than yours. *I think something is lost in
formality for its own sake. *I occasionally go to a Japanese dojo that
serves food. *It is part of student training for health and humility.
You have to request a pot of tea. *The pot is considered a conspicuous
object that detracts from zazen. *A bowl and chopsticks is the formal
service. *Over the years Ive reduced my conspicuous tea consumption to
a Pavina with infused leaves. *Heating water as in a kettle is part of
nature. *All my other tea objects are hidden. *Minimalism is beauty,
formalism is clutter. *In Japanese zen as soon as I say, it is not so.

Jim

PS A zen practioner of the Japanese tea ceremony once told me it is
the undoing of the doing. *He said most schools teach it as the doing
of the undoing which leads nowhere like a Koan.