Teiko, a warrior who lived in Japan before the Tokugawa era, studied cha-no-yu - tea etiquette - from Sen-No-Rikyu, the teacher of this aesthetic expression of calm and contentment. Teiko's warrior servant named Kato believed that Teiko's passion for tea etiquette was a criminal disregard for state affairs, so he decided to kill Sen-No-Rikyu.
He pretended that he had some request to the tea master and was invited to drink tea. The master, who was very skilled in his field, guessed the warrior's intention at a glance, so he asked Kato to leave the sword in front of the entrance to the room, explaining that cha-no-yu is the personification of peace.
Kato did not want to listen to him.
“I am a warrior,” he said, “and I always carry my sword with me.” - Cha-no-yu or not cha-no-yu, but my sword is with me.
“Okay, bring in your sword and try some tea,” agreed Sen-No-Rikyu.
The kettle was boiling on the fire. Suddenly Sen-No-Rikyu knocked him over. The boiling water hissed, the room was filled with smoke and ash. The frightened warrior ran out of the room. The tea master apologized:
- It's my fault. Come back and have some tea, and I will clean your sword, remove the ash and bring it to you.
The warrior realized that he could not kill the tea master, so he accepted the offer.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru