Chinese poetry about tea

Author: Cai Zhenchu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Tea and Zen—The union of tea and Zen is the need of Buddhist monks for meditation, chanting, reciting scriptures, and cultivation. Wine can make one drunk, while tea can awaken one, preventing monks from dozing off. Therefore, monasteries first adopted tea as a beverage, and the custom of drinking tea flourished in monasteries. Wu Yuancheng's poem "Late Spring Tea Gathering at Zisheng Temple" says: "Empty rooms are often shut during the day, and the mind's source knows emptiness. After a rain in the Zen court, in the lotus world of myriad flowers. The season's fragrance lingers in the evening, as mortals and deities meet here. Unaware of the principle of skillful means, how can one escape the cage?"
Empty room: An empty room, referring to Zisheng Temple.
Mind's source: The mind is the source of all phenomena.
Emptiness: Understanding the principle of emptiness.
Zen court: Zen Buddhist temple.
Lotus world: The lotus world, where Buddhists are considered lotuses, and the land of Buddha is called the lotus world. This refers to Zisheng Temple.
Season's fragrance: Refers to the spring scenery. The season's fragrance in the evening means late spring.
Mortals and deities: Humans and deities.
This gathering: Refers to the tea gathering.
Skillful means: Buddhist term, meaning expedient means, or using different methods of teaching for different people. The "Skillful Means" chapter of the "Vimalakirti Sutra" says: "With the power of skillful means, one explains and clarifies for all living beings." This is called "skillful means." The "Commentary on the Lotus Sutra" (Volume 3) states: "Skillful means are methods; expedient means are applications. Methods have shapes and roundness, applications have differences and meetings; the three expedient means are like a square, and the one truth is like a circle. If wisdom is guided by the square, one uses partial methods to meet living beings; if wisdom is guided by the circle, one uses complete methods to meet living beings."
Cage: A cage for birds and animals. This metaphorically refers to the mundane world that restricts human freedom (the official world). This poem uses the thoughts of Buddhist Zen to describe the late spring tea gathering at Zisheng Temple by the abbot Zeng Fei. The poet does not use the word "tea," yet every word is like Zen, every sentence contains Zen, depicting scenery and emotions, integrating tea and Zen, revealing his desire to reject the official world and embrace the mountains and forests.
Imperial Tea Banquets
Imperial tea tasting was a product of the Tang Dynasty's tribute tea system and marked the entry of tea into the upper class of Chinese society. The earliest imperial tea banquet in the Tang Dynasty is mentioned in Bao Junhui's poem "Tea Banquet at Dongting." Bao Junhui, styled Wenji, was the daughter of Bao Zhengjun. She was a consort of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, skilled in poetry, and ranked among the five female scholars of the court, the Five Suoguo (Su Ruohua, Su Ruozhao, Su Ruolun, Su Ruoxian, and Su Ruogou). During the Zhenyuan era, they were all summoned to the palace, and the emperor composed rhyming poems in response to their verses. Her tea poems include: "At dawn, I step out of the curtains in leisure, to the east pavilion, where the tea banquet opens to the four directions. Far in the distance, the city and mountains blend, while beneath me, the strings and water flow. The bamboo shadows reflect the pond with new green, and the fragrant chrysanthemums near the eaves are about to bloom red. Sitting here for a long time, I am filled with endless joy, and I even cherish the cool breeze from the round fan."
This poem describes the joy of the Dongting Tea Banquet, fully reflecting the grandeur of the court's tea banquets and being the first poem in Chinese tea history to depict a Tang Dynasty imperial tea banquet.
Tea as the "Spiritual Sprout"
"Spiritual sprout" is a metaphor for tea leaves, a creation of the great Tang Dynasty poet Liu Zongyuan. His poem "In Response to Xunshang's Gift of Fresh Tea Plucked from Bamboo" says: "Fragrant clusters are shaded by bamboo, and the cold dews in clear frost. Here comes the snow-capped mountain guest, in the morning to pluck the spiritual sprout. Steam rises over the stone stream, and in the distance, it overflows the red cliffs. Round and square, they display unique colors, like jade without flaws. Calling the child to light the golden cauldron, the fragrance lingers far and wide. Cleansing the mind to reveal true light, returning to the source to dispel darkness and illusion. Like nectar rice, it scatters the Buddhist affairs of. Oh, these companions of Pengyang and Yingzhou, are they not the noble ones who value the immortal wine?"
Nectar rice: A Buddhist term referring to the food of the Buddha.
Buddhist affairs: Referring to the prayers and merit-making activities held in Buddhist temples.
: Piyao, a legendary saint in Indian Buddhism.
Companions of Pengyang and Yingzhou: Referring to immortals living in Pengyang and Yingzhou.
Immortal wine: The wine of the immortals.
Liu Zongyuan wrote very few tea poems, and this one is...