Kakejiku Cha Zen Ichi Mi

Hand-painted calligraphy by Kobayashi Taigen, who serves as a monk in Daitokuji temple.

The scroll comes in a paulownia wooden box signed by the master.

The philosophy of "Cha Zen Ichi Mi"
The calligraphy on the scroll says "Cha Zen Ichi Mi". The phrase can be translated as “Tea and Zen share the same essence” or “Tea and Zen are one in spirit.” It is a Zen expression that describes the relationship between tea and Zen Buddhism.
"Cha Zen Ichi Mi" appears in a verse by the Zen master Dairin Sōtō (1480-1568), written on a portrait of the tea master Takeno Jōō (1502–1555). Dairin Sōtō was a Zen monk and poet who served first at Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto and later at Nanshū-ji Temple in Sakai. Takeno Jōō was his student and trained in Zen under Sōtō. Jōō was one of the great founding figures of the Japanese tea ceremony. He helped develop wabi-cha, a style of tea that emphasizes simplicity and understated beauty, and later became the teacher of Sen no Rikyū.

The era in which the tea ceremony developed was one of the most unsettled periods in Japanese history, when wars ravaged the land continuously for more than a century. Tea offered an escape from this gruelling reality. A tea room was a place where even the most powerful warlord had to enter without his sword, where the hustle and bustle of the warring world could not enter, and where people had to slow down and focus solely on the sound of the hearth and the clacking of tea tools. Tea rooms became islands of peace, and tea became a powerful symbol of peace, as well as an appreciation of human connection and the present moment.

"Cha Zen Ichi Mi" embodies that the practice of tea ceremony and the practice of Zen Buddhism share a common underlying spirit: the spirit of tea embodies the spirit of Zen.

In practice, four key ideas help explain the meaning of this phrase:
Mindfulness: Give your full attention to the tea you are preparing and drinking, rather than allowing your mind to wander.
Simplicity: Appreciate what is essential, without being distracted by excess or unnecessary decoration.
Sincerity and respect: Treat the tea, the utensils, the host, and the guests with genuine care.
Being present: Recognize that each gathering is a unique moment that cannot be repeated in exactly the same way.


Hanging scrolls were originally hung in temples, and then in the "tokonoma" - alcove displaying ornaments - of the Japanese tea room. They used to be changed often, depending on the season. Lotus however due to its complex symbolism, can be a beautiful and meaningful decoration throughout the whole year.


About Kobayashi Taigen
Kobayashi Taigen, also known as Taigen Gitō, was born in 1938 in Fengtian, present-day Shenyang, China. After losing both parents at the age of six, he entered the Buddhist priesthood. He graduated from Hanazono University in 1961 and pursued Zen training at Sōkoku-ji, studying under Ōtsu Rekidō. In 1975, he became the head priest of Ōbai-in, a subtemple of Daitoku-ji in Kyoto. He later returned to Hanazono University to study social welfare, graduating in 1991. Ōbai-in is home to Sakumuken, a tea room associated with Takeno Jōō, and a front garden associated with Sen no Rikyū, reflecting the temple’s strong connections to the Japanese tea ceremony and Zen Buddhist tradition.

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