On 'Go and Drink Tea'

kissa ko — Go and Drink Tea.

On the origin

From the recorded sayings of Zhaozhou Congshen (Joshu, 778-897), the Record of Zhaozhou; the same exchange appears in the Compendium of Five Lamps, fascicle four. To the monk who had come before, to the monk who had not, and to the steward who asked why, Zhaozhou said only: go and drink tea.

On the reading

To the one who has been here before, and to the one who has not — the same three words. No ranking, no special instruction; only the cup in front of you. Whatever was sought is not elsewhere. It is in the drinking of the tea.

On the garment

The seal for this phrase was hand-carved in Tokyo by the artist Satake Hōsen. The front carries this phrase’s seal; the back and inside label carry the Hōsen seal (寳千), printed in vermilion.

The garment is Bella + Canvas 3001 (short sleeve) or Gildan 2400 (long sleeve). A vessel for the word, not the subject itself.

― hosen, tokyo