Zen Comics: Wisdom Through Manga
Harmony and Hygiene: An Environment for Improvement
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The phrase 和敬清寂 (wakei seijaku) lines up characters for “harmony,” “respect,” “cleanliness,” and “tranquility.” It expresses the essential nature of the tea ceremony. Participants seek to bring their spirits into harmony while showing mutual respect. By maintaining cleanliness and tranquility both mentally and in the tea room itself, they can attain a state of clarity.
The expression is of long standing in the tea ceremony and is also used in Zen with a meaning applying to the wider world. Mutual respect is needed for people with differing views to live in harmony and only arises from a pure and calm state of mind.
The first kanji 和 also appears in 和え物 (aemono), a type of cooked salad, such as spinach dressed with sesame paste, typical in Buddhist cuisine. Here, the distinct flavors of ingredients combine harmoniously into a new taste. Similarly, in human society consideration for individuality creates social accord.
Because of its apparent simplicity, wakei seijaku may be taken lightly. Yet, in our world of fierce competition, it is a phrase to remember.
Cast of Characters
Noriko, a junior high school student
Her senpai, an older student
After classes at Noriko’s school.
“Your class was really noisy yesterday.”
“Yeah, Kyary visited us for her TV program.”
“Kyary came? That’s amazing! She’s really famous. How was it?”
“We did a huge cleanup before she arrived.”
“Everyone complained at first that they didn’t want to do it.”
“But once we got started it was kind of fun.”
“The classroom was spotless!”
“And?”
“Kyary came, but she just said a few words and then left. She didn’t even notice how clean the room was.”
“You must have been bummed after putting in all that effort.”
“A bit . . . but we all felt refreshed somehow, and that helped us study better.”
“That’s cool. Maybe a big star will visit my class one day.”
“Do you want me to drop by?”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
The End
(Originally published in Japanese on October 3, 2017. Manga by Mokutan Angelo.)