Is It a Ritual or a Smoke?

The Japanese make a big ceremony out of making a cup of tea that tastes like absolute bitter crap. Yoga masters make a big deal out of breathing before they do their yoga while breathing smog from the world's worst gasoline combustion pollution. I've watched guys come in and daintily set up their pipe prep station, looking like a Geisha loading their pipes with some elaborate ritual.

I guess the idea is to make use of some sort of Here and Now, Carpe Diem, Zen, one hand clapping bullsh!t. Me? loading and lighting my pipe is so involuntary that I never really remember ever doing it. I merely think, "I want a pipe," and five seconds later it is in my mouth smoldering perfectly.
I guess that makes me Zen agnostic, as I refuse to give the bastards of time and space one measly second of my time, when I could just be smoking while getting the real work done.
In a perfect world, I would be cooking all foods from scratch, jogging every morning, stretching, walking the dog, call all of my children to let them know I love them, and preparing my pipes like a satanist setting up to cast some spell. Screw all of that. I get it done. I can load my pipe and light it one handed while driving, sipping my coffee, and listening to the news on the radio in line at the drive thru. I can check my email at the redlight, and send a reminder to my daughter to drop off the dog at the groomer on her way to work.
I have nothing against the guys who want to slice and fold their tobaccos like some Shinto Origami master in a temple somewhere. Some of these guys are retired or mentally challenged. I bet it relieves some of the stresses of a long day as a WalMart greeter. But, some of us just want to enjoy the smoke while getting it done... of course I am being mildly sarcastic. Mildly. ::

Cosmic, I bet you could write a best seller with a little effort. Great with words and always brings a good laugh.
For me, being a beginner, I concentrate more on the process only because I'm still figuring out how to get to the automatic part. But I don't want my pipe smoking to become a mindless practice of just getting a shot of nicotine like it is with cigarettes. I enjoy the process but, even more, enjoy the act of smoking the pipe, smelling the aroma, tasting the flavors. It is a bit more contemplative, but I'm also usually doing something too. Since I work at home on a computer, I can do that.

Ritual and a ritualistic frame of mind have their place. Too many trappings and too much rationalizing and philosophizing make it seem futile. Still, we do live a lot in the past and future, so arriving in the present on a regular basis, and being aware of our senses and simple actions can be good. Including pipe smoking, a cup of coffee or tea, and similar doings.

I don't smoke all day long everyday and never smoke when preoccupied or in a rush. In fact, I rarely smoke during daylight hours because my life is complete and total chaos with 3 young kids and 2 businesses to run. I tend to wait until the dust from the days mayhem has settled and everybody else is in bed to quietly enjoy a relaxing distraction free moment with my pipe. Pipe smoking is my time to wind down, sit back, and chill out, so I enjoy and take full advantage of every stage of the process. The selection of the tobacco, selection of the pipe, and the tin note all get my full attention. The lighting of the bowl is one of my favorite parts because I always savor the fist few puffs of flavor and really love the view I get of the glowing match hovering over the bowl cupped in my hand against the backdrop of dark night in the forest. It's an image that I would love to have printed or painted and hung on the wall somewhere in the house. The smoking of the bowl gets all of my attention because it's the only thing I'm doing and the only time of day when there are no needy kids, employees, or tasks to worry about. So for me, yes, it's a ritual, and one that I always look forward to and cherish deeply.

It's the smoke.

Just smoking.

I pack my pipe, light it and smoke. I am usually on my computer or reading a book while I smoke. Not a big ritual guy.

If anything, the part I find more ritualistic is cleaning the pipe after smoking. But it's no more ritualistic than the soldier or hunter taking apart his gun, cleaning it, then putting it together again and placing it back on the rack, ready for the next day.

I'm still learning the proper amount to pack, so I need to still set up a mini station, but I'm getting there as I learn different tobaccos, cuts and what works in the pipes I want to use for a given day/purpose.

While I don't mind the lighting, tamping, smoking. I abhor the prep of flake and cake tobacco. With flake I avoid by simply folding and stuffing. But cake takes more time and I tend to break it up long before I need it. I can easily move on to other thing or talk myself out of it if I don't do some prep in advance.

I must get this my lighting and packing done faster, especially when in the car nonetheless, I think this comes with practice and time.

When I started, I watched all the videos, read a thousand forum posts, and took my time with every single aspect.

Now I find myself just doing it, without a method, without obssesing if anything is less than perfect.

Sometimes its just a smoke, usually when I'm scooping some burley into a cob. However, when I smoke a bowl of English or Virginia, I usually smoke it in my living room out of a briar, and I do have a bit of a ritual to prepare for the smoke. I will say that it's not some finicky Zen ritual or what have you.
I have a little wooden "pipe tray" which has a box of matches, a pipe stand, a coaster for a drink, and an ashtray. I pack the pipe and set it in the stand, empty the ash tray, get out a few matches, and pour myself a drink - usually a glass of coffee or tea, and sometimes bourbon, beer, or just water. Then, I light up, and it's all just second nature from there while I smoke, read a book, browse the internet, watch TV, or talk with Mrs. Lawdawg and/or friends paying a visit.

There is something to the idea of getting home from a hectic day of thinking you are in charge, when you really aren't, knowing that you are going to get an hour, or some such, where you are, in fact, in charge and can do whatever it is you want to do.

the glowing match hovering over the bowl cupped in my hand against the backdrop of dark night in the forest.

Click to expand...

Wonderful evocative prose.
For me, it's as ritualized as sharpening my knives on Japanese water stones. It's a contemplative, and satisfying process, and quite calming and centering.
CW

"The Japanese make a big ceremony out of making a cup of tea that tastes like absolute bitter crap. Yoga masters make a big deal out of breathing before they do their yoga while breathing smog from the world's worst gasoline combustion pollution. I've watched guys come in and daintily set up their pipe prep station, looking like a Geisha loading their pipes with some elaborate ritual.

I guess the idea is to make use of some sort of Here and Now, Carpe Diem, Zen, one hand clapping bullsh!t. Me? loading and lighting my pipe is so involuntary that I never really remember ever doing it. I merely think, "I want a pipe," and five seconds later it is in my mouth smoldering perfectly.
I guess that makes me Zen agnostic, as I refuse to give the bastards of time and space one measly second of my time, when I could just be smoking while getting the real work done.
"In a perfect world, I would be cooking all foods from scratch, jogging every morning, stretching, walking the dog, call all of my children to let them know I love them, and preparing my pipes like a satanist setting up to cast some spell. Screw all of that. I get it done. I can load my pipe and light it one handed while driving, sipping my coffee, and listening to the news on the radio in line at the drive thru. I can check my email at the redlight, and send a reminder to my daughter to drop off the dog at the groomer on her way to work.
I have nothing against the guys who want to slice and fold their tobaccos like some Shinto Origami master in a temple somewhere. Some of these guys are retired or mentally challenged. I bet it relieves some of the stresses of a long day as a WalMart greeter. But, some of us just want to enjoy the smoke while getting it done... of course I am being mildly sarcastic. Mildly. ::"
Now that made me almost spit my alcoholic non tasting vodka all over my laptop!

Well stated. Really laughed out loud.

Sometimes it's a ritual and sometimes just a smoke. For it to be a ritual, I need the necessary time to spare, the right pipe and tobacco and the right surroundings. It's easy for this ritual to become just a smoke, just remove one of those conditions.