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.