the book of tea

is an excellent book by Kakuzo Okakura (isbn 0-486-200070-1). As usual I'm going to quote from a few pages:
One of the cardinal concepts of Oriental thought, from even before the time of Confucius, has been the belief that alternating, diametrically opposed forces govern the universe, like day and night.
Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.
The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.
We must know the whole play in order to properly act our parts; the conception of totality must never be lost in that of the individual.
Truth can be reached only through the comprehension of opposites.
It is much to be regretted that so much of the apparent enthusiasm for art in the present day has no foundation in real feeling.
We classify too much and enjoy too little.