Tea, Originated from Nature

2 min read

The Chinese tea ceremony emphasized that tea was originated from nature, this was not unwarranted comment. Instead, it had many respective evidences. In terms of materials, tea is considered as the “rare trees and miraculous sprouts”bestowed by the nature, whose plantation, collection and preparation all should conform to therules of the nature; in terms of behaviors, tea-drinking should find its beauty in naturalness and simplicity, so any action was natural and rose from disposition, without any affectedness. In terms of spirit, under the deep influence of Chinese Taoism, the tea drinkers should set free their disposition thoroughly and make theimood tranquil and contented. Then they can enjoy the drinking process and reach the “anatta”realm.

Tea originated from nature and imitated nature. So, according to the requirementof”naturalness”, tea ceremony was just to discover the essence of tea to “agree with nature”. As a tea man, if he wants to appreciate the natural realm of tea ceremony, he must cater to”the principle of naturalness”with the attitude and spirit of naturalness, making the simple and unadorned human nature agree with the nature of tea.

These are all aroused from Daoism and developed by tea men to be their principles. The ultimate purpose was the “combination of Heaven and Man”,a philosophy advocated by Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. This tea ceremony ideology could best represent the simple, unadorned and thrifty essence of tea itself; it is the most primal and the most essential thoughts of traditional Chinese tea culture.