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The transition toward a simpler lifestyle, fraught as it is with difficulty, is a path only for those with a resolution to travel its length knowing that it is a path without end, yet a path with heart. Glossary Chado—The way of tea. Chaniwa—The tea garden. Chanoyu—The tea ceremony. Chashitsu—The tearoom. Chaya—The tea house. Furyu monji—Literally “can’t stand on words or letters.” A Zen phrase meaning that one should not put any store in words or language as they are unable to transmit the wisdom of satori. Kami—The Shinto idea of gods or powers that manifest themselves in the world we perceive that can affect and guide the lives of men. There can be kami in a rock, in a hanging scroll, in a tree, in ancestors, or in the lives of great men. Koan—Literally “public cases,” they were riddles set by the Rinzai sect of Zen as a way to direct one’s concentration during meditation. An example of a koan is “What is the sound of one hand clapping.” By focusing on some- thing that has no logical solution, the acolyte is forced to broaden his mental horizons until they are ready to break the boundaries of perception and attain satori. Mono no aware—Literally “an intense feeling of things.” An ancient term that enshrines the Buddhist idea of ephemerality. Used in art criticism to convey a sense of beautiful sadness or gentle melancholy. Its links with the beauty of impermanence make it a very close relative of the term wabi sabi. Muga—Literally “no self,” denoting the state reached when self-effacement is attained. Mujo—Literally “not forever.” A constant theme in Japanese literature; reiterating the ever-present Japanese sensitivity to the transience and mutability of life. Mu—Literally “nothingness.” A central theme in Japanese philosophy that does not refer to a state of nonexistence but rather to the absolute transcending of all ideas of existence and nonexistence that is paired to the state of enlightenment. Mushin—Literally “no heart.” A term used to describe the innocent state of a child and used by the Buddhists to denote a freedom from desire and also the state of total absorption in a task where the reasoning mind ceases to function. It is another way of expressing the self effacement of muga and is a necessary stepping stone on the way to satori. Satori—Literally “understanding.” Refers to the all important realization of our latent enlightened nature. In Zen teaching, the satori experience is always an instantaneous event that relies on an intuitive grasp of reality rather than a verbalized interpretation. Seppuku—Literally “cut stomach” and is the preferred pronunciation for harakiri (written the same way). It refers to ritual suicide that was done as an act of protest or at the command of a lord. Shibui—Literally “bitter” or “astringent.” A widely used term that has been used since medieval times to denote things of refined and simple taste. It has very close links with wabi and sabi, but its range of use is far more extensive and has now become a popular word to describe things or even behavior as cool.