This is the first of a series of photo blog posts around my [Jigme Datse Rasku's] practice of a matcha tea ceremony.

This is a matcha chasen, which is a bamboo whisk which is used in the “brewing” of matcha, and which the making of is a contemplative art in itself. This is an 80 strand version, which is one of the coarsest versions available. This is one of the most important tools in the tea ceremony practice as it is one item which is very difficult to replace with items that are commonly available in the “west”.

[To view other posts in this series by Kootenay Shambhala member Jigme Datse Rasku, click on the matcha tag.]