FURUTA ORIBE AND THE INCENSE
古田織部とお香
Furuta Oribe-no-Sho Shigenari was fond of Cha-no-yu from his youth, and became one of the seven most distinguished pupils of Rikyu who were known as the Seven Sages of Tea.
古田織部正重然は若くから茶の湯に親しみ、茶の七賢者である利休七哲に数えられています。
He is the author of a work known as the Hundred Precepts of Teaism.
茶の湯百格言集の著者としても知られています。
• Furuta Oribe : his name is given as Shigekatsu, Shigeyoshi and Shigenari.
As the Chief Tea Master of his time ha was called ‘the Osho (Upadhyaya) of his age.'
And Tea Masters continued to be called Osho, though not priests.
古田織部 古田家の名は重勝、重義、重然と続いている。茶匠時代は天下大和尚と呼ばれていたが、宗教家では無い。
He entered the service of Hideyoshi and acquired the title of Otribe no-Sho.
彼は秀吉の配下に入り織部正を拝命します。
At the battle of Sekigahara he was at first on the side of Ishida Kazushige, but left him and went over to Tokugawa Ieyasu, and after things had settled down he received a stipend of ten thousand koku.
関ヶ原の戦いでは、始め、石田三成に付きましたが離脱、徳川家康へ寝返り戦勝後一万石を拝領しています。
He was famous for his fastidious taste.
彼は口うるさい性格として有名でした。
He once went to a Cha-no-yu party at the mansion of Yamasaki Sokan .
山崎宗カンの茶の湯へ招かれた時の話です。
He stopped on till late in the evening chatting confidentially, and then became sleepy and turned over and dozed on the mats.
夜半まで話し込んでしまい眠くなってしまった彼は、畳の上にごろっと横になり眠りこけてしまいました。
“Here,” said Yamasaki, “let someone bring a wadded garment and put it over him to keep him warm.”
山崎氏は風邪を引いてはと気使い、暖かいかい巻きを彼の上にかけました。
And a servant brought one on a large tray and gently slipped it over him, and as he did so a heavy scent of rare incense filled the whole room.
そして、召使いが大きめの盆に香りの強いお香をもって来ました。すると、部屋中にそのにおいが充満しました。
“Ah,” exclaimed Oribe, ”aroused by the perfume, Sokan's taste is not of the best.
その臭いに「おう！」っと織部は叫び、「宗カン殿の感性は良ろしくない！」と言いました。
Fine incense like this should be used sparingly, for the rare the incense the more rarely should it be used, and no adept at the Incense Ceremony would burn it thus lavishly.”
「この様な良いお香は控え目にすべきで、貴重であればより貴重に、その意味が解らない者は達人とは言えないな！」っと言いはなったそうです。