The tea master, Okakura Kakuzo,explains what happens
The ceremony is a way of worshipping the beautiful and the simple. All one's efforts are concentrared on trying to achieve perfection through the imperfect gestures of daily life. Its beauty consists in the respect with which it is performed. If a mere cup if tea can bring us closer to God, we should watch out for all the other dozens of opportunities that each ordinary day offers us.