Enjoy tea quietly

each-type-of-return-uses-a-different-type-of-rock-magnetism_.jpg — Each type of tea uses a different type of purple clay teapot. Photo: TT

Stop

A hermit who only receives close friends, for the first time we felt the word “stillness” right in his tea ceremony space. At the intersection of earth and sky, our shoulders were cleared of burdens, we quietly observed the gentle beauty of the art of tea ceremony. Suddenly bursting with joy when realizing that all things are operating according to the laws of creation.

A tea ceremony space without a sign or name. It is not opened for business purposes, simply a stop for travelers who love and understand tea.

“The friendship of a gentleman is as light as water”, must be like that cup of tea, seemingly bland but lasting and deep. There, we temporarily forget the uncertainties of emotions. Gain, loss, failure, success, all instantly dissolve into the refreshing taste of the tea.

The opportunity to taste different types of tea through the skillful hands of tea farmers, from White Tea, Red Tea, to ancient Shan Tuyet... made everyone extremely cherish the present moment.

We inhaled the aroma, sipped, and felt the tea linger on our tongues. Everyone nodded in agreement, realizing that each type of tea had its own unique flavor.

The tea ceremony space has incense smoke, calligraphy, and a purple sandstone teapot… However, it just so happens that the sound of a bronze bell and wooden fish is missing. In life, nothing is perfect. The lack of a bowl of bells next to a cup of hot tea just makes people understand the lack of sufficiency in life.

Slowly contemplate the aftertaste

We just enjoyed our tea, despite the crazy weather. Outside the window, a light rain was flying in the chilly air of the land over 1,000 meters above sea level.

Agarwood incense lingers around the tea ceremony space. Photo: TT

In the room, people sat cross-legged on cushions, surrounded by the warmth radiating from cups of ancient Shan Tuyet tea with a hint of the mountains and forests, shimmering golden like amber.

The first sip has a slightly bitter taste, then a sweet aroma spreads in the throat. It is like the meaningful bitterness in the philosophy of life. How much suffering is there in life? From the characteristics of tea, bitter at first and sweet later, people can understand that suffering is joy, knowing the aftertaste to slowly overcome hardships.

While enjoying tea, we also heard about the origins of each type of tea. Each type of purple clay teapot is used for a different type of tea. How to enjoy the aroma or taste, how to make a good pot of tea, or the culture of tea ceremony... all require contemplation.

The tea lady’s nimble hands, in a sudden flash of light, suddenly understood that each type of tea has its own “enjoyment” rules. A wide-mouthed cup is more suitable for drinking Black Tea. White Crane in the summer seems more astringent, in the winter and spring it has a greener color. When poured into Pu-erh, the bottom of the cup will become as bright as a pair of sharp eyes…

Teaism has long been a kind of “intermediary” culture to understand life and practice the way. People practice teaism through the “six things of teaism” including: tea ceremony, tea rules, tea method, tea technique, tea art, tea mind. The core of teaism is the “mind”. And the way to enlighten the tea mind is to train oneself in the “skill”.

Tea making skills start from small things, like boiling water to make tea. Some types of tea need warm water of 70 degrees, some types of tea if the temperature is too high will burn the tea and lose its sweet aftertaste. Even the amount of water and tea in one brewing with a handleless teapot... also need to be paid attention to.

And so, day after day, month after month, those tasks gradually became an inherent reflex, calm and normal. It is from the seemingly small things that the “ordinariness” of tea ceremony teaches people to accumulate small things to make a big thing, not to despise small things.

Practicing tea ceremony is to cultivate the mind and character, taste the bitterness to understand life, and be calm to watch the changes. Happiness and suffering in life naturally turn into nothingness.

Source