Short story "Wakei Seijaku"

Short story "Wakei Seijaku"

Setting: Jakkoan, a teahouse renovated from an abandoned temple in the mountains of Kitayama, Kyoto
Characters:

• Mio: A young ceramic artist from WABISUKE. She searches for the soul that resides in her pottery.
• Tamaki: The owner of the tea room. A former maiko and now a tea master.
• The sound of the wind: A silent narrator who plays in the background of the story.

story

At the end of spring, Mio visits Jakkoan. She used to make pottery, but recently she has been troubled by the fact that "the heart is not in the form." Tamaki prepares tea for her.

There is nothing in the tea room. No hanging scrolls, flowers, or decorations. All that remains is silence and the tea utensils that Mio brought with her.

Tamaki says:

"Wa is harmonizing differences. Kei is respecting others. Sei is clearing the mind. Jaku is accepting change."

As Mio listens to his words, she stares at the pottery. The marks she made by scraping, the unevenness of the firing, the fluctuations in the glaze—these are all things she had previously considered to be "failures."

The moment she takes a sip of the tea, Mio realizes that the teacup is not perfect. However, Tamaki's hands, the temperature of the tea, and the stillness of the space transform it into "beauty."

Conclusion

On that day, Mio gives the vessel a name: "Wakei Seijaku."
It was the first vessel in which she "forgave herself."

A few years later, the vessels are used at WABISUKE tea ceremonies.
A young visitor said:

"This vessel is somehow calming."

Mio smiles.
The vessel does not speak, yet everything resides within it.