Meaningless Meaning, Purposeful Purposelessness

Kakuyo Sensei starts this talk with a quote from his mentor Gyomay Kubose Sensei,

 

“ A reporter from a local newspaper came to our house to interview my wife about the Japanese tea ceremony. This report continually asked, “What is the meaning? What for? Why do you do that? What is the purposes for that?” This kind of question was directed at everything in the making tea – at every gesture, every implement. Without thinking or deliberating, my wife finally replied, “No meaning. Meaningless meaning. It is purposeless purpose.”

– Gyomay Kubose Sensei

 

Kakuyo Sensei reflects on the meaningless meaning and purposeless purpose and how it makes more sense then we might think.