When I desired to write a blog post on the history of tea, I was found hardly equipped with a ounce of knowledge on the subject. Just legends of yonder years in the Asiatic lands. I'd still yet like to write about this, but for now I'd like to get this thought out.
In Zen (A Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition), the tea-master was ... pretty much a profession. They sought to regulate standards of everyday life by the high standard of refinement which was obtained in the tea-room. This was to reflect a refinement of mind to be maintained. The tea-master would prepare the tea-room spotless throughout every corner, or else he was not a tea-master. You can imagine what refinement the rest would entail.
So I guess we can see the value of having such a 'profession', even in today's culture. Tea is on the rise and still climbing. Its roots go into 34 countries, so its traditions are many. But now, we brew a cup with our electronic kettles, pour it into a tea thermos and take it on the fly, drinking it till its cold. Then we invented a new drink by adding more sugar to it and tossing in ice. My point here is not to dis your milk and sugar, but the heart of this nostalgic beverage I believe has its place because its not the next thing since coca-cola, but because of what it asks to truly enjoy it.
Here it is: Tea encourages self-control. Traditionally, tea requires us to stay seated while the beverage is still hot. This can be indulged alone or with a friend/guest - the stimulating effect tea encourages healthy internal or external dialogue (from the Zen point of view). The philosophy is that it teaches us the art of augmenting our demands through honoring the simple denominator of tea. If tea is to be enjoyed, it requires us to find find our secret source of asceticism which can only be found inside, through reflection. By using tea as an 'excuse' to sit down and shut up, we attempt to lower the standards of personal gratification through material means. This brings us naturally to a state of meditation when one is convinced that tea can provide as a substitute for selfish gratification. We can say, less is more in this case --- but above all, this practice of 'sitting down an shutting up' Zen style can teach us one thing (safely and smoothly) THE ART OF SELF-CONTROL.
This to me is the heart of teaism, and it took me many years to figure this out. A Buddhist knows this - he is the master of his mind that molds and makes reality. Self-control is the axiom of all human traits to be desired. Everything deemed a positive human quality stems from this leaf. And the tea leaf can be a mediator for this. So next time you drink this beverage, practice it with the hands laid heavy and the mind awake, and charging.
I'd like to close with my favorite quote from James Allen which I believe ties up the loose ends.
Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills: —
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass.
