Short Zen Proverb – “Shōfū” (松風)

“Shōfū” (松風) – “The Wind Through the Pines”

The term “Shōfū” refers to the wind that sweeps through the pine branches, or more specifically, to the sound of that wind as it stirs the pine needles. While in ordinary Japanese it is read “matsukaze”, in Zen writings and calligraphy it is often pronounced “shōfū”.

In Zen expression, we find phrases such as 松風颯々声 “Shōfū sassatsu no koe” (the murmuring voice of the pine wind) and 閑坐聴松風 “Kanza shite shōfū o kiku” (sitting quietly, listening to the wind in the pines). These expressions suggest a state in which one sets aside all worldly thoughts and desires, simply listening with a tranquil heart to the sound of the pine wind. From such stillness, a natural awareness arises – a quiet awakening to what is often overlooked amid daily busyness. In this way, “shōfū” symbolizes the teaching that the voice of nature itself is none other than the voice of the Dharma.

The word “Shōfū” also holds a deep connection with the **Way of Tea (茶道)**. In the tearoom, the gentle “shun-shun” sound of water boiling in the iron kettle is poetically likened to the wind blowing through pines – hence, it is called “shōfū” or “shōrai”. Since the time of Sen no Rikyū, tea practitioners have described the stages of boiling water using terms such as the following (with minor variations among schools and lineages):
1. Kyūon (蚯音) – the faint, quiet murmur heard deep within the kettle.
2. Kaigan (蟹眼) – small bubbles begin to rise like crab’s eyes.
3. Gyomoku (魚目) – larger, rounded bubbles rise slowly, like fish eyes.
4. Renju (連珠) – bubbles form a string, rising together like beads.
5. Shōfū (松風) or Shōrai (松籟) – the water sings softly, resonant and alive, like the wind among pines.

For preparing matcha, the gentle simmer of the “shōfū” stage – neither too vigorous nor too dull – is considered ideal. The “pine wind” of the kettle embodies a balance between vitality and calm. Tea masters often say that one should judge this moment with three senses: the **ear** (for sound), the **eye** (for the movement of bubbles and the surface of the water), and the **hand** (for the touch and weight of the ladle).