The Way of Tea

Arms move like plum blossoms floating from tree.
Water that boils like fish eyes in the metal pot.
The water trickles it's sweet song with the washing of cups.
The fragrance of tea leaves unfolding their precious scent waiting to be discovered.
The three levels of tasting the subtle essence of tea.
The Awakening of awareness in all that took place.
The sharing of the awareness with those you honor and love.
By Raylene Abbott

Geshia Tea

Sencha teas were brought from China to Japan by Buddhist Monks in the year of 805. The tea process of Sencha was perfected in 1740 by Soen Nagatani, who was a tea merchant.

Seventy five percent of Japan's tea production is Sencha Tea. Shizuoka regions of Japan is where Sencha Tea developed. The Japanese Sencha is much greener in appearance then the Chinese Sencha. It also has a more robust and grassy flavor.

They pick the top parts of the tea plant, using both leaf and buds to create Sencha. It is then slightly steamed and then rolled in cylinders and dried. Sencha like many of your good quality green teas have many health benefits. It helps prevent coronary heart disease because it lowers you cholestrerol. It is full of antioxidnts and reduces free radicals. It naturally hydrates the skin and my personal favorite, it reduces fine line and wrinkles. Some Asian women actually apply green tea to their face as a simple face wash for this reason.

When Sencha Tea is not brewed correctly it can become bitter therefore it is important to understand this teas brewing process. Heat the water to the boiling point. Then cool the water to 160 degrees For 70 degrees C. But there is a third way you can get the correct temperature for a good cup of tea if you do not have a thermometers. Let your water boil and allow the water to cool for 3 minutes. Watch the steam of the water start to curl as it rises from the tea kettle, when this happens, it is ready to make tea. Sencha Tea is not brewed in a clay tea pot. So I suggest to use either glass or porcelain tea pot. One gram of Sencha Tea per one oz. of hot water will be your measurement and steeping your tea for 2 minutes will give you a fine tasting brew. I have found a tea timer a good investment just for this reason. There are also those times, I am a bit of a space case.

All the Great Tea Master never had timers or thermometers when they brewed tea. They observed every aspect of the tea ceremony with a keen eye. They knew from the sound of the water, or the shapes of the bubbles when the tea water was perfect. They watch the rising of the steam and how it was formed, when the tea water had cooled enough for making a good cup of tea. Every aspect of tea ceremony was about becoming Presence to the process and every detail was closely observed. And there were those Great Adepts that actually gained Enlightenment because they became full absorb into the Presence Moment while making tea.

Sencha subtle fragrance and taste have been used to blend with other flavors and even flowers or herbs. Some companies use natural oils to create their flavor blends. But before buying such tea I would observe both the tea leaf and color because at times tea producers cover up poor quality tea by using flavors to mask the tea. Look for unbroken tea leaves and also good color of the tea leaf. Sencha leaves are very green compared to your oolongs or white teas.

Three Gifts from three Sisters.

So today I began my tea pour with Cherry Sencha which was gift from a dear friend here in Paris. But I also brought out a Japanese Tea Bowl that was given to me from a dear sister when I was in Japan. This Tea Bowl was part of her late mother's tea ceremony collection. The bowl has a cherry blossom motif made in traditional raku style. Even though the tea bowl is traditional used in Japan for the matcha tea ceremony, I felt for my purpose today, I would use it to honor the Geisha tea I was pouring. I also brought out another small token that had been gifted to me from anther sister of Japan. It was a cherry blossom made of Mother Pearl. Since it was a little early for cherry blossoms here in Paris I wanted my flower arrangement some how hold the spirit of the cherry blossom for the tea pour. I place the Cherry blossom into a white porcelain lotus cup with a few blades of greenery and Voilia I had my flower arrangement for the tea pour.

China"s symbolism for Cherry Blossoms are seen as the feminine principle of both beauty and love. While in Japan where Cherry Blossom viewing is a national past time, it is considered the transience conditions of life. The cherry blossoms beauty is breath taking but sadly have a short blooming period.

The Tea pour went smoothly all the elements of timing, tea, and movements came together to produce a good cup of Cherry Sencha. Andreas and I passed the large tea bowl back and forth sipping the most fragrant tea with it's light grassy over tones and the most subtle flavor of cherry blossoms.

Haiku

Walking through a mist

Of Heavenly Cherry Blossoms

Life can be fragile

by Raylene Abbott

Snowflakes on Fragile Flowers

The weather in Paris is not sure if it wants to be a Spring Maiden or a Winter Crone this week. Earlier in the week the trees began to bud and put forth a few flowers but this morning large fluffy snowflakes decided to fall from the Heavens to add to Mother Nature's confusion. We came in from a brisk walk from the local Mono Prix and I decided it was a perfect day for a Tea Pour. I had found the smallest branch of yellow forsythia that had poked out from an old garden fence. Since it was on my side of the sidewalk I felt it was perfectly legal to snap a twig of flowering buds in hopes that warmer days would be coming soon. I peeled off my multi-layers of warm clothes and then place my single twig in a clear glass of water.

I pulled out my snow- white Gaiwan cup with three matching lotus tea cups. Two I would use for tea and the second cup I place several scoops of Long Jing tea (Dragon Well ) or known here in France (Puits du Dragon). I also choose a spring green tea towel, which might of just been wish-full thinking at the time. I arranged all the tea accessories on a orange bamboo mat and I was ready for the pour.

It been a few weeks since I had worked with my Gaiwan cup, whose lid, cup and saucer represents the Harmony between Heaven, Earth and Wo/man. It took me several weeks to master the graceful moves to work with this cup so that my presentation of making tea is both appealing to the eye as it is to the taste-buds.

Tea brings one to the moment. A good tea ceremony should represent a balance of all five elements. The orange bamboo mat,I had chosen for this tea pour gave me the impression of a blazing sun. I also used a tea candle burner that kept my tea water at an even temperature. Both the candle and the orange mat represented the element of FIRE.

The element of WATER was present with the washing of the cups , the trickling sound of water is heard as I pour from cup to cup. Then the sound changes and resonate as you empty the cups into bamboo tea tray. This is the song of a good tea ceremony. The element of pure water is the supreme carrier to receive the tea leaves, that creates the perfect alchemical process of right temperature and perfect steeping time.

The element of AIR is presence when you raise the lid of the Gaiwan and the tea is carried on scented vapors as you bring your nose to the cup . Something so subtle and ancient comes to my mind each time I inhale the fragrance of tea. My everyday world fades into the back-ground and another world takes its place, where beauty is found in the most simple gestures and quiet silence as I contemplate the essence of the moment. Tea Ceremony is the practice of Living in the Moment.

The element of the Green Healing Earth and all the treasure the Earth given to us daily is locked within the tea leaves themselves. The gifts of the Earth are countless and taken so much for granted in this day and age. Even this body that has the ability to taste the tea, is only a temporary gift that is given to us to experience LIFE.

The treasures of the Air, Water, Fire and Earth are full represented in each Tea Ceremony. But the treasure of Space is the empty cup. It is in emptiness when we finally become open and willing to receive in any given moment. That moment can either be the water for washing or the tea to be poured. And on some occasions the tea leaves that cling to the bottom of the cup making auspicious images.


Tea Haiku

Snowflakes falling on fragile flowers
Tea Water Boiling
Warms both heart and soul.

Raylene Abbott

Kuan Yin

Standing under her cherry tree open our hearts so compassion my be.
Kuan Yin Kuan Yin Kuan Yin

Full Moon Light oh shine on me, Starry night let my soul fly free.
Kuan Yin Kuan Yin Kuan Yin

Cherry Blossoms float in the air setting me free of all my cares.
Kuan Yin Kuan Yin Kuan Yin

Deepen my compassion so I can see. Open my hearts to other's needs.
Kuan Yin Kuan Yin Kuan Yin

Bamboo growing is a hollow reed Silent knowing brings forth good deeds.
Kuan Yin Kuan Yin Kuan Yin

In your sweetness I shall grow through your compassion I shall know.
Kuan Yin Kuan Yin Kuan Yin
Standing under her cherry tree.

Buddha Flowering Tea

My son and his wife came to visit me in Paris last weekend. They know I love tea, so they brought me to a Tea Shop located here in the city, called Marriage Freres. This tea shop has been in Paris since 1854. I really enjoyed smelling the different types of tea available. I liked the blooming teas so my son and his wife made a gift to me of one of the blooming teas called (The flower of the Buddha).

Today I had my tea pour with (The Flower of the Buddha). I kept my presentation simple with two lapis cups with a golden dragon on each cup. I used my glass tea pot and tea pitcher so that we could easily veiw this precious tea.

Blooming Teas is a delicate tea art crafted by artisans in China. They bundle dried white tea leaves around aromatic flowers in various designs. When making this tea they may pick up 150-200 tea leaves at a time and tie them together with a cotton thread. They insert flowers in the middle of the leaves and then shape them and gentle tie them into a neat bundle. The tea bundle I was gifted with, look like the head of the Buddha with his little top knot. Once the tea bundle is formed they wrap cloth around the bundle and then put them into drying ovens to cure the tea for five hours. Then the cloth is removed from the tea bundle and the tea is cured for another five hours. Thus you now have a finished product.

I began my tea pour placing my cups and pots on the tea tray preparing them for washing. This procedure of pouring water over the cups is called (The Goddess Strewing Flowers from Heaven). This is symbolic of purifying oneself and preparing to receive the tea. (Tea also being the symbol of

consciousness. I also like to use Evian Water when making tea, since I do not have a well or spring water in my neighborhood. But I feel Evian is from a good quality source and is a gentle water that will not interfere with the taste of the tea.

Everything was made ready, I put the tea bundle in the glass tea pot and poured the water over the tea making sure my tea water was at 180 F which is said to the best for a Blooming Tea. Now the fun begins as the delicate tea leaves unfurled themselves back to reveal a beautiful yellow chrysanthemum blossom adorned with a chain of eight pearl like buds that floated above the radiant sunny central blossom. This all happened in a matter of 3 minutes. The beauty about this tea is that you can get up to four to five steeping from one single tea bundle. You can steep the tea up to five minutes. The taste was very pleasant light, fragrant and aromatic.

The yellow chrysanthemum has symbolic significance in Asia. It was used for Buddhist offerings but also signifies a life of ease, attraction for good luck, abundance and optimism. The emperors of Japan sat on chrysanthemum throne. The flower's strong yellow yang energy brought sunshine into my day.

We sipped our tea and enjoyed watching the floating flowers in the cup and my mind began to look deeper into the meaning of this tea ceremony. The tea bundle was in the shape of the Buddha Head, but as the tea began to open it revealed the light of the Buddhas Mind the symbol of the Chrysanthemum Blossom. The eight pearl like flowers made me reflect on the Eight Noble Truths of the Buddha.

1. Right View Wisdom

2. Right Intention

3. Right Speech Ethical Conduct

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort Mental Development

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

I say this was a good cup of tea.

Fragrance Cup

Today's tea pour I used my Yixing (yee shing) tea pot made with a clay called Zixha Hu, also known as Purple Sand. This healing clay is rich in iron, quartz crystal, kaolin, hermatite and other trace minerals. When one makes tea in such a pot, it infuses the healing properties of the clay into the brew. Since the clay is so porous you only use one type of tea in such a pot.

So today I used Tie Kuan Yin tea, also known as Iron Goddess of Mercy. This oolong tea orginated in Anxi Fujan Province in China during the rule of Emperor Qialong during Qing Dynasty. The Wei Family were Tea Masters at the time (1735-1796) but they were also devoted Buddhists. They believed the inspiration of this oolong tea was a gift from the Bodhisattva Kuan Yin.

Oolong tea is a healing brew full polyphenolice compounds that helps control obesity. It has effects on controling free radicals and is said to help with diabetes, dark spots, wrinkles, and tooth decay. It helps with the harmful effects of smoking, stimulates the nerve centers, helps reduce heart disease and aids in digestion. "Tea began as medicine and grew into a beverage," said Katkuzo Okakura, a japanese Tea Master.

You can only imagine the health benefits drinking Iron Goddess of Mercy Tea in a tea pot made from Purple Sand.

There are four principles that create a good tea ceremony says Sen Rikyu ( Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquility). I would also like to add the principle of Beauty, since for me it is about creating an atmosphere that is pleasing to the eye.

Today I took a walk in the Parc du Saint Cloud and enjoyed the first feeling of the weather beginning to warm up again here in Paris. The violet leaves were poking out from the grass in the park - one of spring's early bloomers. But I could not help eyeing the virgin bower clematis. This vine grew along the fence of the park, like a great crawling dragon made up of fluffy seed heads that seem to last inspite of winter's weather. Clematis Bach Flower is used to help drifting minds return to the present moment, the perfect flower for a tea ceremony. I added some red berries to the mix and made my way back home to the warm apartment.

I began to prepare for the tea ceremony, making a miniature flower arrangement with an old Kuan Yin statue that has seen many seasons. All the Silver plating had chipped away over the years. She was simple and her weathered imperfection gave her the flavor of wabi sabi. She was placed in the center of a old clay plate that was a gift from a womans altar when I was visiting Japan. I arranged the clematis and the red berries around Kuan Yin. Everything was set for tea and I began the pour.

Today I worked with mastering the use of the Taiwaese Fragrant Cup, (Pinyin). A fragrant cup is actually two cups that fit together. One is used for drinking the tea and the other cup is used just to smell the subtle fragrance of the tea. The tea is first poured into the fragrant cup and then transfered into the drinking cup. The two cups fit together and artfully turned over, with a gentle turning and lifting the fragrant cup the tea transfers into the drinking cup. Then one takes the Fragrant cup, rolls it between the palms of the hands and smells the lingering aroma of the tea left in the cup. It is like allowing the essence of the tea to enter your nose before you take the tea in through your mouth.

Gong fu actually means to practice and learning the art of using a fragrant cup gracefully actually takes repeating the moves like well rehearsed dance steps. The more I worked with the two cups, I realized it was the dance of male and female energies. They came together in Union to contain tea. Tea has been used as a symbol of Consciousness. There is a transfer of tea between the cups and one takes the time to smell the essence of the tea. It was the fragrance of the tea had a greater symbolic meaning .

Later I researched the meaning of the Pinyin cup and it was said that it was symbolic of the Dragon and the Phoenix and their auspicious Union. These two mythical creatures are used in China to symbolize marriage partners. It is said using the Fragrance Cups in Gong Fu Tea Cermony brings the blessings of abundance, well being and happiness. The turning over of the Fragrance Cups was called "the carp turning over," another auspicious symbol in China, the double carp bringing double happiness. May Auspicious Events and Double Happiness be given to Everyone in this New Year.

Honoring the Past

"Tea began as Medicine

and grew into a beverage"

Master Katkuzo Okaku

It has been many weeks since I have gotten out and yesterday we took the Metro to Chinatown here in Paris - one of my favorite places to go shopping. I was on a quest to buy some fine teas, Gaiwan Cup and my early Christmas present, a Gong-fu tea tray.

I purchased a white Gaiwan cup since I was wanting a simple and tranquil look. A Gaiwan Tea Cup reflects beautiful symbolism that is connected to Taoist and Buddhist influence. The Taoists strive for a harmony between heaven and earth, man and woman. The Gaiwan Cup Set is made up of three pieces: The plate which is the symbol of Earth. The cup that is the symbol of humanity and the lid which is the symbol of Heaven.

The Buddhists developed Gong-fu tea as a spiritual discipline in the monasteries. The Gaiwan Cup's tea lid was the symbol of the dharma wheel. Some tea masters would turn the lid three times as part of the tea ceremony, symbolic of turning the dharma wheel. Even the emptiness of the cup was a teaching. The space within the empty cup was symbolic of how a student should prepare to receive the teacher: being open and empty. So the tea (symbol of consciousness) could be poured into the empty cup (student). Tea ceremonies have four principles: harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.

One of my favorite parts of this little journey was the teahouse called "L'empire De The" here in Paris. I enjoyed smelling the three different grades of Dragon Well. The least expensive cost about 5.50 euros for a small bag. Then next grade up cost 9 euros for the same size of a bag. And the Highest Grade of tea cost 35 euros for the same amount. But once I smelled each grade of tea I then understood what you were paying for. I took the middle way and went for the 9 euro tea for my day's purchase.

The origin of Dragon Well tea began in the village Hangzhou City in Zhejiang Province about 1000 years ago.

The very best Dragon Well, (35 euro per bag) is picked in April and is called Chi Chiang which means flag and spear.

Dragon Well got its name from an event that took place in the Ming Dynasty. The temple of Long Hong Shan had needed of a new well. One needs excellent water for making tea. So a crew of workmen started digging the well and they pulled out a large rock that was in the shape of a dragon's head. So the tea was named for the Spirit of the Dragon who was found in the well.

Today I poured dragon well tea, therefore continuing my learning working the Gaiwan cup. I found the larger Gaiwan cup took a bit of adjusting too. But the secret is making sure you have all three fingers as a solid foundation for the saucer of the cup to firmly balance on as you make movements in mid-air. I also worked with the new tea tray (Cha-pan). This tray is made of bamboo and catches the water in a box built below the tray as you wash your cups. They have a beautiful name for cup washing: Washing flowing clouds, wiping moon clear) When one sits down for tea, your mind needs to arrive in the moment and clear the clouds of the mind of all worries, empty oneself of all thoughts and be open to receive.

And the Dragon Well tea was excellent!

Note: Honoring my Ancestors

My Grandfather and Grandmother lived in China for several years in the early 1920s. My Grandfather, Harry Wayne Abbott ( Hai Ah-bota his name in Cantonese) was a Colonel Commander in the Republic of China Army under Sun-Yat-Sen. My Grandfather was the Commander of the Avation Bureau who helped construct China's first airplane. The airplane was named after Sun-Yat-Sen's wife Sun Soong Chingling Rosemond. They just called the plane Rosemond.

Both my Uncles were born in China: Dan San Abbott and my late Uncle Pat, who spoke and wrote fluent Cantonese. I never knew my grandfather: he died before I was born. But my Uncle Pat and his Chinese wife Nell opened the doors of Asian Art, food, and the joys of San Francisco's China Town to me from a very early age. I sometimes imagine when I drink tea that most likely my grandparents enjoyed the same pleasure when they were making history in the Orient.

Seb-no Rikyu

The following are some of the verses of Sen-No-Rikyu:

Japan's Greatest Tea Master

Though I sweep and sweep,

Everywhere my garden path,

Though invisible

On the slim pine needles still

Specks of dirt may yet be found.

When below the eaves

The moon's flood of silver light

Chequers all the room,

There's no need to be abashed

If our heart is pure and clear.

When you hear the splash

Of the water drops that fall

Into the stone bowl

You will feel that all the dust

Of your mind is washed away.

In my little hut,

Whether people come or not

It is all the same.

In my heart there is no stir

Of attraction or disgust.

What have I to give?

To my guests for their repast

If I don't rely

On the monkeys of the vale

For the fruits they bring to me.

There is no fixed rule

As to when the window should

Closed or open be.

It depends on how the moon

Or the snow their shadows cast.

Flowers of hill or dale.

Put them in a simple vase

Full or brimming o'er.

But when you're arranging them

You must slip your heart in too.

Every morn and eve

When I sweep the Dewy Path

All is calm and still.

Though it seems a guest is there

No one comes to lift the latch.

Many though there be,

Who with words or even hands

Know the Way of Tea.

Few there are or none at all,

Who can serve it from the heart.

If I look upon,

The still mirror of my heart

What there do I see?

Is it the same mind it was

Yesterday, or it is changed?

Though invisible

There's a thing that should be swept

With our busy broom.

'Tis the dirt that ever clings

To the impure human heart.

Though you wipe your hands

And brush off the dust and dirt

From the tea vessels.

What's the use of all this fuss

If the heart is still impure?

Since the Dewy Path

Is a way that lies outside

This most impure world.

Shall we not on entering it

Cleanse our hearts from earthly mire?

When we leave behind

The Three Worlds' Abodes of Fire,

Storm and Passion tossed,

Entering the Dewy Path

Through the pines a pure breeze blows.

Just a little space

Cut off by surrounding screens

From the larger hall.

But within we are apart

From the common Fleeting World.

In the Dewy Path

And the Tea-room's calm retreat

Host and guests have met.

Not an inharmonious note

Should disturb their quiet zest.

On a Chinese stand

Vessels all of various shapes

Made of gourds are seen

'Tis a feast that we receive

Both from China and Japan.

Just a simple shelf

Hanging from the corner wall

By a plain bamboo.

All we need in such a world

Are these artless simple things.

Take a "Go' bamboo

Split it up and from the joints

You can fabricate

All the things that you will need

For the use of Cha-no-yu.

When you take a sip

From the bowl of powder Tea

There within it lies

Clear reflected in its depths

Blue of sky and grey of sea.

What a lot of things

Just as though by slight of hand

Can be done with you.

Everything you can include

In your maw O double shelf.

I am never tired

Of this simple straw-thatched hut.

Wrought of plain round wood

Does its middle pillar stand

Just exactly to my mind.

Gung Fu Tea

The Chinese Gung Fu Tea Ceremony

The first drink sleekly moistened my lips and throat;

The second banished all my loneliness;

The third expelled the dullness from my mind,

Inducing inspirations born from all the books I’ve read;

The fourth broke me out in a light perspiration,

Disbursing a lifetime’s troubles through my pores.

The fifth drink bathed every atom of my being.

The sixth lifted me higher to kinship with Immortals.

The seventh is the utmost I can drink -

A light breeze jets out from under my arms and

Master Jade Spring is who rides upon this breeze

To some place where Immortals come down to earth,

Guarded by their divinity, of course, from wind and rain.

- Lu Tong, (Master Jade Spring)

Bai Mu Dan

Today's tea tasting adventure was with Bai Mu Dan, a white organic tea from China.

Bai Mu Dan has a few different names. It is also called Pai Mu Tan in China which means White Peony. But the name that I like is White Hairy Monkey Tea.

This type of tea is only picked between March 15 and April 10th. It is grown in the Fuijan Province in China. The downy silvery buds inspired its name, White Hairy Monkey. This tea is said to benefit and strengthen the immune system. It helps prevent cold and flu and fights free radicals both internally and externally, so maybe a few splashes on the face wouldn't hurt.

I was sitting here, tasting my tea and reflecting on the White Hairy Monkey and I allowed this image to inspire me. Our minds are like a hairy Monkey, jumping from bush to bush, just as our thoughts race ahead towards the future or dwell in the past. Training the hairy monkey of our minds is no easy task and takes constant vigilance to bring the mind into the present to be here now. Many times we dwell in the past, we are thinking about past events. What I should have done, could have done or would have done type of thinking. The mind also loves to run into the future, building castles in the sand or falling into fear because one does not know what the future will bring. Training your own hairy monkey to be in the present moment take conscious awareness in every second of your thought process. One has to pull back the mind to the moment.

The tea tradition in Japan was closely related with the Samurai tradition. The Samurai went to battle and

saw and experienced the horrors of war. When they came home, they would visit the garden of the Tea Master, this was a part of their therapy. A good Tea Master created a artistic atmosphere of beauty that involved all the senses. The ceremony was very ritualistic and there were even moments of Awakening (Kensho) that could self arise from a tea ceremony. The Samurai for a moment could realign themselves with the way of sensitivity, beauty and being in the Present Moment.

Bai Mu Dan or Hairy White Monkey Tea one should use one or two teaspoons tea per cup. The white teas are lower in caffeine then your oolongs, black or green tea. One should use water that is 60-70 c.

Infuse the tea 3 minutes or up to 6 minutes for a stronger brew. It makes a very good lunch or afternoon tea.

Fluid Tea Fluid Movements

The Way of tea is performed with fluid movements to allow your body to flow like tea. The body is like the tea pot of a tea master. But the spirit of awareness is the tea. The body needs to learn how to allow fluid movements of chi to unfold in all its movements like the grace of a of morning sunrise where all of nature is orchestrated to bring you to that moment of the sun rising. This is how tea should be poured.

This Way of Tea I also I am calling The Way of Dew. Morning dew penetrates everything in the natural world. It arises between the cracks of morning and night. This is the way of tea. You want to gently penetrate the consciousiness of people in this same manner, like the sun rises. The Way of Dew evaporates in the morning sun. This is how you should approach tea: be willing to evaporate ego in the heart of silence as you serve to each guest.

This is the Way of Dew. This can be shown without words but through the Divine Performance of Tea Ceremony.

The Way of Sound

Atunement to Sound

One should listen and align with the sound of the tea water coming to a boil. Listen to the hissing water in the pot. The water becoming vapourous and porous as it meets the element of air. One's ego should also become willing to be vaporous in the Silence of the Heart of each moment, drawing one's energy back into oneself. Resting in the heart without reaction but in the still point of witnessing.

The gentle sound of washing the cups becomes the tea master's song to the chorus of guests that sit before him/her….sometimes those guest are invisible. The gentle clicking of cups, china touching china is a ping of delight to a tea master's ears. The washing of our own inner cup is necessary, with our interactions with others. Then, when our lives touch each other, it is in the way of peace and harmony.

The Way of Bitterness

If one allows the leaves of the tea to steep too long or use water that is too hot, the tea becomes bitter. So too it is with consciousness. If one dwells on unpleasant circumstances too long, life also becomes bitter. To consciously penetrate the circumstances of life is necessary, but to dwell too long on those circumstances only leaves one with a bitter cup.

Awakening Through Tea. 2

Contemplation through Tea

Acceptance

Bite out of Oak Leaf.

Golden Dragon Cup broken.

Acceptance of Loss.

Tea Ceremony November 19, 2009

Moon in Capricorn

I walked over to my shelf today to pick up my tea tray and I noticed a red oak leaf had blown in on to the floor. It was a beautiful leaf, but it looked like someone had taken a big bite from its edge. I thought I can't use this for the ceremony, it is less than perfect. So I settled for two chrysanthemums and a few petals. I went over my tea notes while the water was boiling and then I began the dance of making and pouring tea. I had chosen a Perfumed Sancha Tea for today, called Songe Exotique.

All went well, my moments were smooth, the water made trickling music as I washed the cups. Every moment was flowing. I finished the ceremony and then it was time to wash the cups in the sink. The last cup slipped from my hand and my little golden dragon cup was pitifully broken in two in the kitchen sink.

I looked back at the red oak leaf and began to reflect what was I being taught in this moment. The last fews weeks I have been very sick. I had not been this sick since the 1980s. I stopped my yoga, my eating dropped down to half. And even when I wanted to move ahead, my body held me back to only do the simplest tasks. Today I realize I was really struggling inside myself from the loss of strength and power which I usually demanded from my physical body. The red oak leaf was the symbol of strength and the golden dragon cup represented power. Today I accepted my condition without anymore struggle. So what should one do with such conditions? Create art.

Little Dragon Haiku

Little Dragon sits on red leaf,

Waiting to pour tea once again.

Haiku and Tea

Awakening Through Tea Series.

November 16

New Moon in Scorpio

This tea is called ""Beautiful Stillness". It is an oolong tea. Oolong means black dragon in Chinese. So as I was practicing tea ceremony today, one little leaf of the tea fell upon the reed mat. I looked very close at the leaf and saw the little dragon, the spirit of oolong tea. I picked up the leaf carefully with my bamboo tweezers and placed it upon the Red Autumn leaf. Thus a poem was born from such a simple act. If you look closely at the tea leaf you will see the little dragon with an open mouth.

This tea is grown in the high mountains in Taiwan. It was a gift sent to Andreas and I from Alok Hsu Kwang-han. Alok is a Master Calligrapher and he is here on Facebook. You might enjoy his wall where he displays his Zen Calligraphy. I always enjoy his paintings and the poems that have inspired Alok's art work.

But this tea has another little story. It was organically grown by a lady named

Lonica. You might enjoy seeing her website, the growing grounds of Beautiful Stillness Tea. Here is her webpage with very beautiful pictures. http://www.osho-lonica.tw/

Large font

So, Beautiful Stillness has traveled from Lonica high in the mountains of Taiwan, to Alok who now is living in the Red Deserts of Sedona , to my tea cup here in my little apartment in Paris, and now to you. May we all partake together in this cup of "Beautiful Stillness . I just love Facebook.