Tea is no longer limited to the level of daily material needs, but has increasingly developed and sublimated into an elegant cultural skill - the tea ceremony. What is the spiritual connotation of the tea ceremony? Below is the spiritual connotation of the tea ceremony that I have compiled for you. I hope it will be useful to you.
The spiritual connotation of the tea ceremony
The so-called tea ceremony is an art of living that cultivates, understands and strives for the ultimate enlightenment through drinking tea. It is a way of drinking tea to keep fit and cultivate oneself. of unity. Without tea, there is no way to talk about the Tao. If the skin does not exist, how can the hair be attached? That is true; but without the Tao, using tea is like a frog swallowing a cow and drinking it, and there is no interest. Therefore, the two complement each other and are indispensable.
There are four main aspects of the tea ceremony: Japanese tea art, tea ceremony, tea environment, and Taoism. The so-called tea art refers to a set of skills including using various utensils, selecting water, making fire, waiting for soup, and making tea; the so-called tea ceremony refers to the etiquette and rules in tea activities; the so-called tea environment refers to the place and environment of tea activities; and the so-called tea ceremony refers to the place and environment of tea activities. Cultivation of Taoism is to cultivate one's emotions, cultivate one's nature and understand Tao through tea ceremony activities, in order to ultimately achieve the most beautiful artistic conception of spiritual sublimation.
?Tao? originated from Taoism. Its concept is erratic and unclear. It can be understood but difficult to define. Later, Confucianism, Buddhism, etc. were derived. Due to different concepts and different creeds, the methods of each family are not consistent. With the development of modern academic research, the ancient concept of Tao has gained new life, and eventually became a synonym for the highest category of Chinese philosophy. It can be interpreted as "law of the universe", "ultimate truth", and "the essence of all things". ?, ?Origin of the world?, ?Laws of motion? and many other concepts. The characteristic of traditional Chinese culture is that "Confucianism and Taoism complement each other", and since the Tang and Song Dynasties, it has tended to "unify the three religions". Literati and scholar-bureaucrats often studied Buddhism and Taoism at the same time, while most Taoists and monks also studied Confucian classics. Zen Buddhism, the most influential and widely spread school in Chinese Buddhism, was formed by transforming and absorbing many ideas of Confucius, Mencius, and Zhuangzi. New Confucianism in the Song and Ming dynasties incorporated both Taoism and Buddhism, and there are so-called "Zhu Zidao and Lu Zizhen" theories. Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Quanzhen sect of Taoism in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, tried his best to advocate the unity of the three religions. There was a saying that Buddhism and Taoism have always been one family. There is no difference between the two general descriptions.
What is the Tao practiced in the tea ceremony? Is it the Tao of Confucianism, Taoism, Taoism, or the Tao of Zen and Buddhism? Each one will have different preferences depending on the taste of the drinker. Generally speaking, it should be a comprehensive integration of the Tao of various schools, which can be summarized into four levels: health preservation, happiness, cultivation of nature, and enlightenment. Enlightenment is the ideal goal of cultivating Taoism, the ultimate pursuit of tea ceremony, and the highest realm of life. It can be interpreted as the Confucian idea of ??"exerting the subtle and the vast", and it can also be understood as the Taoist idea of ??"doing nothing and doing everything", and it can also Understand the Buddhist principle of "being spotless and free from all worries". Steps of making tea in the tea ceremony
Basic indoor furnishings: The tea master is generally located in the north of the room, with several embroidered piers randomly placed on the opposite side as seats for the host and guests. The seating arrangement in the Chinese tea ceremony is very casual and eclectic, mainly to feel the natural atmosphere (in the Japanese tea ceremony, the guests sit in rows on the left and right sides of the room, and they all sit upright. The seating arrangement is very important. When tasting tea, Passing the cup around to each person for a sip, it is a bit like the feeling of a court meeting in the pre-Qin Dynasty, with a solemn atmosphere.) The tea master uses a long square table with a screen behind it and a seat in the middle. There is a tea wash and water on the left side of the table, and decorations on the right side of the table. A vase with flowers. The tea master sat serving tea, and the maid held a table beside him.
Prepare utensils: a tea seat (preferably with a grid on the surface for a water leakage device); a tea pot (for boiling water); a tea stove (for making tea, preferably with a small windshield next to it); A tea washer (for washing tea cups); a tea can (for holding tea leaves); a tea can (for pounding tea leaves), a tea spoon (for holding tea leaves), a tea colander (for holding tea soup), and a tea pound (for crushing tea leaves) ), tea bamboo (the clamp used to hold tea cups) are placed in a bottle; a small incense burner, a set of scent cups, a set of tea cups, and a teapot are placed on the tea seat.
Requirements for host and guest: Be quiet, polite and orderly, attend in formal attire, do not speak or whisper, and host should be courteous to guests.
Requirements for tea masters: their movements should be orderly, unhurried, solemn, and elegant (pay attention to) politeness.
The staff usually consists of one tea master and two accompanying waiters. The waiter stands on the left and right sides of the screen, holding the case diagonally. When there is no case, he should stand with his hands together (put his hands together, put them in front of the abdomen and cover them in his sleeves). The tea master and the waiter should salute. Put your hands together and bow.
Ritual:
Hosting guests and admiring the environment (tea environment)? Before the tea ceremony, the host and guests gather together, and the host and guests salute and greet each other in turn. Generally, the guest salutes and the host responds. The host entertains the guests, talks with them, and invites the guests to visit the teahouse. The host shows the guests his own decoration and asks the guests to comment on it as a topic of conversation.
First tea tasting? Before the tea ceremony begins, the host and guest sit down and no longer speak. The tea master leads his maids in, go to the table, and bow in a row. The host and guest stand up to respond, and then they all sit down. . The tea party officially begins.
Clean hands and burn incense? The maid brings the basin in first, the tea master cleans his hands (symbolically) and then walks to the guests one by one, first the guest and then the host. The host and guest also need to clean their hands. Ancient people believed that the tea ceremony was a sincere and solemn affair, and at the same time it was necessary to keep clean. Purifying hands is undoubtedly equivalent to purifying the heart.) Then the tea master lit the incense burner, placed it on his own table, and asked the maid to place it on the low table between the guests. The fragrance of calmness is essential in tea culture. In addition to adding artistic conception, it is also helpful to adjust the atmosphere, add a peaceful atmosphere, and is more conducive to the spiritual connection and communication between the people present.
Display the tea sets? Then the tea master puts the tea sets on the table, and the maid holds the case and distributes the tea sets (mainly tea cups) to the guests for them to watch and comment.
Washing tea
Is the rock spring boiling for the first time? The first step is to boil the water. For the tea ceremony, just use the boiling water to brew the tea leaves. (The rule of sencha in the Tang and Song Dynasties is to boil tea cakes directly into tea soup, so the first step is to pound the tea - boil the tea - mix the tea), use a tea spoon to take the tea leaves into the tea can, and use a tea pound to mash the tea leaves , pound slowly, carefully and elegantly; then put the tea leaves into the tea stove, pour in boiling water to make tea; after cooking, use tea mixer to lightly adjust the tea soup, scoop it up and put it back again, the preparation method is very skillful).
After the tea is boiled (the tea soup is cooked), use a tea drain to fill the boiled water and gently rinse it on the teapot (called a warm pot); then turn on the tea stove and fill it with a tea drain. Pour the tea soup into the teapot, pour as much water as possible, and then gently sweep it with the lid, so that the tea soup flows down the body of the teapot (for brewing); then cover the lid, and pour the tea soup into the body of the teapot (so that the inside and outside of the teapot All have the fragrance of tea). (Before using the teapot to make tea, directly use a tea strainer to pour the brewed tea soup onto the tea cup. This is also called three pours. The first step is to lightly drizzle the cup body with boiling water, the second step is to pour the tea soup, and the third step is repeated. The tea soup is poured all over, and the method of pouring is skillful, either rushing or dripping, tight or slow) Later, teapots were developed, and different tea utensil materials were more conducive to preserving the taste when making tea, such as purple clay. There is also a teapot with a top cover. The hole is used to allow the fragrance of the tea to spread out, and at the same time it is conducive to evaporation and the taste is good. Ming tea art likes to use exposed holes to disperse the air, which is called "Ming Fragrance Pot".
Washing the cup, warming the cup, and smoking the cup? It is the same as cooking the teapot. The teacup also needs to be warmed, washed, and smoked. The delicate teapot used here needs to be soaked for some time. First, take out the handkerchief (most (preferably a silk towel) is placed on the table and folded into a small square, wipe the teacups one by one, then use tea clips to hold the cups and put them into the tea wash in order to wash them with water, then clip the teacups and put them in front of the tea to boil and scald, and finally put the teacups on Smoking incense in front of the incense burner calms the air.
Pour the soup and tea? After the tea is brewed, pour water into the teacups one by one, and return the jade liquid to the teapot. If the teapot is a "mingxiang teapot", you can also pour the water in the teacup back into the teapot. . The fragrance of tea is close to the wall. Pass the fragrance from hand to hand. After returning to the pot, pour tea again. This time, cover the aroma cup on it. Hold it with your left hand and cover it with your right hand. Hold it to your chest and shake it left and right three times. This is the tea. The fragrance of the tea and the fragrance of the tea are mixed together, and then the scent cup is taken off, held in front of the nose with both hands, twisting and sniffing, and then the maid offers the scent cup to the guest, and the guests smell it in turn.
Serving tea? After filling all the teacups with tea, put the scented cup on them, then take a silk handkerchief and cover it with the tea incense and breathe repeatedly, then put the silk handkerchief in your left hand and fold it with your right hand. , place the teacup on the silk handkerchief, and then place the teacup on the table with both hands. (Using the silk handkerchief to pad the teacup is mainly to avoid burning your hands, and some high-quality silk materials are used for heat insulation. As for the movement, it is for good looks, and you must also pay attention to serving. The elegant etiquette of tea time), then the maid holds the table and serves it to the guests one by one, first the guest and then the host. When serving tea, the maid should raise the case to the point of her eyebrows to show respect. The guest should be seated and bow before accepting the case.
Tasting tea? When tasting tea, first combine the fragrance; the tea master indicates that everyone holds the cup with their left hand, their right hand covers the cup, and shakes it three times in front of the chest, which is called the combination of tea and fragrance. Smell the fragrance again; take off the scent cup with your right hand, hold it in front of your nose with your left hand, twist it and smell it, and then drink the tea; pick up the teacup (with silk handkerchief) in your left hand, bring it to your mouth, and place the teacup on the silk handkerchief with your right hand Turn it three times, which is called observing the color of the soup, and then cover the front of the cup while drinking (in fact, this is not only true during the tea ceremony, the ancients would cover the front of the cup with their hands whether drinking or tasting tea to prevent the unsightly appearance when drinking) and then lay down. (The most important thing to pay attention to is the movements when tasting tea. It is also the only place in the whole tea art that requires proper etiquette and rules. Previously, I didn’t pay attention to movements. At most, it was just making tea. Therefore, when tasting tea, the left hand Movements such as the right hand are for attention) Lift three times for one drink.
Since you can only taste tea in three sips at most, you cannot drink it in big sips. You can only sip it carefully. The first taste is bitter, the second taste is sweet, and the third taste is savory.
Taste the way? After sipping three sips of tea, you put the tea cup on your table. Everyone was silent for a while, not only reminiscing about the tea they just drank, but also feeling all this in silence.
After all the courtesy, thank you for the tea? Finally, the guest and host stood up, the tea master and the maid lined up in a row to salute, and the host and guest returned the gift and thanked the tea together. After the tea master leaves, the host and guest stay to enjoy the fragrance and tea, or listen to the music, talk loudly, or think quietly, quietly comprehend the tea scene, and feel the tranquil and far-reaching atmosphere. After the guests leave, the host greets each other at the door Besides, the tea tasting party can be considered a complete success.