The Architect of Stillness In the vibrant, merchant-rich atmosphere of Sakai during the sixteenth century, a profound transformation was quietly unfolding. Sen no Rikyū, known simply as Rikyū, emerged not merely as a practitioner of tea but as the architect of a spiritual revolution. Born in 1522, his life coincided with one of Japan's most turbulent eras, yet within the intimate confines of the tea room, he sought to cultivate a still…