This provoking new study of the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu) examines the ideological foundation of its place in history and the broader context of Japanese cultural values where it has emerged as a so called 'quintessential' component of the culture. It was in fact, Sen Soshitsu Xl, grandmaster of Urasenke, today the most globally prominent tea school, who argued in 1872 that tea should be viewed as the expression of the moral universe of the nation. A practising teamaster himself, the author argues, however, that tea was many other things: it was privilege, politics, power and the...

Do you wonder about the way your life appears? Are you looking for some way to dramatically change your life? Have you tried many methods only to find that over time you eventually revert to old patterns? "The Architecture of Freedom" may provide the necessary insights to create permanent change. Exploring modern physics, personal experience, and spirituality, this book outlines a radically different way of understanding our lives, our universe and our being. While this book is not a quick read or proposing an easy fix, once understood, the ideas in this book will forever change your life....