Spiritual-tea

In the beginning, god created the heaven and the earth.

And god said Let there be light and there was light. It was separate from darkness.

Much later, Lu Yu said, let there be tea and there was tea in the Tang kingdom. You shall brew tea with clean and boiling water.

People prepared tea with pure and boiled water. They drank the brew and liked it.

People saw that drinking tea was good. Tea satisfies your taste buds. It clears the mind and relaxes the soul.

Tea in the morning awakens you.

Tea with a meal helps digestion.

Tea with a friend replaces wine.

Tea at night scares bad spirits away.

Spring tea is full of freshness and flowery scents.

Summer tea captures sweet, delicate warmth.

Autumn tea is raw and rough.

Winter tea is mellow and harmonious.

Silver for green tea,

Porcelain for red tea,

Pottery for puerh,

Yixing Zisha for Oolong

These rules are meant to be broken by the free and adventurous.

Awaken the water with fire until it breathes shrimp eyes bubbles.

Control the flow of boiling water that leaves the kettle.

Aim for the leaves. Touch them all. Fast if they are rolled or compressed. Slowly otherwise. With a circular, infinite flow that ends like you end a passionate kiss.

Tea celebrates life and beauty.

Share tea with friends and family.

Express yourself when you make tea.

Each day brings a closer to our grave,

Even the darkest tea can be filled with light.

Live in the moment with tea.

Make the best of the accessories you have.

Choose the tea according to your mood.

Add a plant, whatever inspires you.

Create a harmonious and practical display.

Tea has a second life after the leaf is transformed.

Store your tea with care and patience.

You may be rewarded with liquid gold,

And a taste of paradise.

Trust in the wisdom of ancient tea masters.

Cherish the teapots, cups, kettles, bowls, cha tuo and plates from the past.

You are not their owner, just their custodian.

But do use them to resurrect their spirit.

Let us not love tea with words and speech alone, but with action and truth.

Seek not the most expensive, but the truthful tea. Tea with character.

Seek not the story, but the pure, divine aromas of the brew.

Seek not perfection in tea if you are not giving your best effort. 

Tea is about how much love, experience and skill you give.

Hear the call of the boiling kettle.

Smell the sweet woody fragrances from the jar.

Answer the call. Make tea. 

Be happy.

Note: I brewed my 1950s puerh in these pictures. I hope this post does it justice.