The common element shared by Zen and the art of tea is the continuous effort for simplification. The elimination of the unnecessary is achieved by Zen through intuitive understanding of ultimate reality; and by the art of tea, through the lifestyle represented by the ritual of serving tea in a simple room.

In such a Zen atmosphere, tea is a "herb" of true Nature that sinks into the earth's water and creates a remedy for the mind that is bound to the artificial and the ephemeral. Thus, it is possible, through the elimination of the unnecessary and the emptying of the mind, to achieve the tranquility of Zen.

The art of tea is the aesthetic of Zen's coarse simplicity that aims to remove all the artificial wrapping devised by the human mind, leading us to the heart of existence.