About the Half-Dipper

Welcome to The Half-Dipper.

"If you go to Japan and visit Eiheiji monastery, just before you enter you will see a small bridge called Hanshaku-kyo, which means 'half-dipper bridge'. Whenever Dogen-zenji dipped water from the river, he used only half a dipper, returning the rest to the river again, without throwing it away. That is why we call the bridge Hanshaku-kyo, 'half-dipper bridge'. It may be difficult to understand why Dogen returned half of the water he dipped to the river. When we feel the beauty of the river, we intuitively do it in Dogen's way. It is in our nature to do so."

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
Shunryu Suzuki


Half-Dipper Bridge




Greetings, gentle Reader. This site is a transliteration of the tea-related entries in my diaries into an electronic format. Though primarily and unashamedly for my own use, these articles would be wasted without being able to provide a humble distraction for you, constant Reader. Given that these notes are taken from pen-and-ink diaries, you will have to forgive the eccentricities of style and format that accompany them.

Thanks for reading.


Toodlepip,
Hobbes