The Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony refers to the six tools necessary for the tea ceremony, also known as the "Six Treasures" and the "Six Divine Weapons of the Tea Ceremony", which include the tea ladle, the tea spoon, the tea brush, the tea grinder, the teapot and the tea tray. There are several theories about the origin of these six tools:

1. Created by the monk Temkong

According to legend, the Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony were originally created by the Zen Buddhist monk Temkong. Monk Temkō believed that the philosophy of the tea ceremony was similar to that of Zen Buddhism, and that the process of the tea ceremony, like meditation, could help people achieve inner peace and concentration. Therefore, he used the tea ceremony as a medium and created the Six Gentlemen to help practice the tea ceremony.

2. Selected by Lin_Ling himself

During the Ming Dynasty, the tea ceremony developed into a cultural phenomenon that was also closely linked to religion and philosophy. The master of the tea ceremony at that time, Lin_Ling, attached great importance to the selection of the Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony. He believed that the Six Gentlemen needed to be selected from high quality materials and that each tool needed to be of high quality. Lin_Ling himself personally selected each tool in the Six Gentlemen, thus ensuring that every tea ceremony enthusiast would have access to the best tools available.

3. Developed by the Samurai

The tea ceremony was highly regarded in Japan by the warrior class of the East, and the use of the Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony was popularized by the samurai as well. It is said that these samurai seldom made tea themselves, but they greatly appreciated the essence of the tea ceremony culture. They regarded the Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony as their treasures and cherished them greatly. This love of the tea ceremony played an important role in the transmission and development of the tea ceremony in Japan.