SPECIAL INSCRIPTION "WAKEI"
1 銘 This reading is "Mei." 2 和敬 This reading is "Wakei."
The characters wa kei sei jaku as written by Dr. Genshitsu Sen, fifteenth-generation Grand Master of the Urasenke Tradition of Chanoyu. (Reproduction prohibited.)
Kanji 和敬 清寂 Kana わけいせいじゃく wakeiseijaku harmony, respect, purity and tranquility, the four most important elements of the tea ceremony
The Philosophy of Chado
The underlying philosophy of Tea evolved from Zen Buddhism. Zen is the Japanese counterpart of the Chinese word chan, which is a translation of the Sanskrit word dhyana, meaning the meditation that leads to deep spiritual insight. Both Tea and Zen emphasize a way of training body and mind in awareness that has potential to become a rigorous spiritual discipline. Urasenke founder, Sen Rikyu (1522-1591) summarized the principles of the discipline of Tea into four concepts: wa, kei, sei, and jaku.