Article by Dan Smith
Leave your ego at the door, Wu De reminds us. Take your shoes off outside and leave your ego with them. You will be much more comfortable at the tea table without them. But do you know how? It’s easier said than done, and maybe this guide can help you practice.
The great majority of Asian people leave their shoes at the door as a custom. Practically, spiritually, and metaphorically speaking, this act leaves the excess dirt outside. Some in the West do as well, but most don’t. If you’ve yet to adopt this custom, I implore you to adopt it and see how it changes your life. You will feel a newfound respect for your home and frequently be reminded to shed the ‘dirt’.
The mind is silly and a ‘small self’ ego often clouds vision. It seeks opposition to distinguish its small self. When drinking tea someone made for you, have you ever found yourself thinking: “This tea is dirty and full of chemicals” or “Should have used a particular piece of teaware or material instead of that” or “Ah! My host is making tea like this; their skill isn’t as great as mine.” Well, yes, it’s natural for the human mind to discriminate and distinguish, but try to keep it in check. These thoughts may be somewhat valid: we do want to drink clean teas and be good to Mother Earth; we do want to improve our tea ware and skills. But do we really want to be encumbered by these thoughts? Or worse, vocalize criticism while being served tea? The Japanese tea master Takeno Joo said, “Criticizing others’ tea says more about your own tea than theirs.” Just enjoy the tea.
In this tradition, one way that we describe our path is that we are learning how to serve tea, not to make tea, to discuss trivia, or to ‘get into’ it. We can also extend this focus on serving tea to being served tea as well as how to drink tea. In our effort to do our best in serving teas to others, we know that the tea session is an extraordinary opportunity. See yourself, see this tradition and the higher self in the person serving tea to you as well. The tea session is special for them too. Be a good guest and leave your ego at the door. Receive the tea; never reject it with your thoughts or words. Your words will probably very obviously influence your host, and I think your thoughts will too.
Even if you don’t vocalize any of these sorts of thoughts, they will get in the way of the tea session and disrupt the potential for a harmonious interaction between host and guest. If, in fact, the tea is full of pesticides, slow down and think of another way to drink less or cut the time short. There is a time to talk about responsible teas and beneficial teaware or brewing methods and you can use your own judgment. Maybe wait for the server to initiate these topics. If their mind is straying far from the moment and the tea, you might gently try to bring it back, the same as you’d try to bring your own back when you are brewing tea. “This tea is wonderful. Thank you, now I can breathe,” for example.
Don’t bring your own tea! Admittedly this took me a long time to learn (despite warnings from my teacher) and I’ve learned from some mistakes. What are you really trying to do by bringing your own tea anyhow? Innocently yet naively share a special tea you’ve discovered or rather just blatantly show off? You may think the former, after all you’re both tea lovers, but there’s a real danger of the latter being felt. This is their time to shine, to have pride in their tea, and practice their hospitality by sharing it with you. Lastly, but not least, don’t bring your own tea to a tea shop to share with the proprietor, either. Some of our own Global Tea Hut members who are also tea vendors may be more enlightened and there might be times when it can work, but generally speaking, tea shop people have their egos very tightly wrapped up in their tea and see any teas coming in from the outside as a threat and a chance for opposition, even competition. Oh yes, I learned this the hard way… Never again.
Wu De also reminds us “Never turn down an invitation to tea.” If you really can’t make it, or maybe the timing doesn’t work out due to responsibilities, then reschedule. By accepting and saying yes you’re also affirming life and your respect for tea. Remember that every tea session and every meeting is unique and precious. It’s a chance to ‘show up’ and be present.
一茶一會
yi cha yi hui (Chinese) ichi go ichi (Japanese)
This post was originally published on Global Tea Hut, and is posted here with permission.
Please don’t believe that what is suggested here has anything to do with Chinese tea culture. Chinese tea drinking is about friends and socializing, not some meditative practice. It’s about making noise, it’s about spilling water and tea, socializing and enjoying each other’s company. It is not about rules or ceremony, the tea is not hard to make, no masters required, and not a single Chinese tea person would ever be arrogant enough to call themselves a tea master. These Taiwanese tea cults are warping tea drinking. Get together with some friends, share some tea and talk, joke, laugh. You can prepare your tea masterfully by getting any kind of vessel that will hold water, putting some tea leaves in it, and pouring some hot water over it.
I understand where you’re coming from Austin. This is another level of a tea ritual which isn’t followed by many. I often find however that there is some wisdom inside different traditions. When it comes to tea, I agree that it’s the social interaction that brings joy and connection.
The first time I witnessed a traditional Japanese tea ceremony I was floored. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. Each movement, each turn of the hand or the cup, everything is carefully orchestrated. Obviously not what I’d want to do when hanging out with friends and relaxing but magnificent non the less.
Yes, Michele, I would agree with you if it was a tradition, rather than a mish mosh of of what ever special beliefs and practices put together by some guru from America. Cults are as serious in Taiwan as they are here, and follow the same patterns that define every cult. Tea tradition in Taiwan is as confused as Taiwan culture in general, having been a colony of Japan until the 2nd World War, and then to come under the brutal dictatorship of Chiang Kai-shek until 1975 after bring his army to Taiwan when Mao took over. The culture of Taiwan is an amalgamation of post colonial influences,with a heavy dose of American culture mixed in.
I personally know people that have been damaged by tea cults in Taiwan so feel obligated to say something. On the other side just the pure Orientalism in this group is offensive, and is not representative of Chinese culture, Japanese culture, Buddhism, or Daoism. It is Wu De (Aaron Fisher) ism. As a therapist I’m sure you understand harm that cults do to impressionable searchers. When it begins to pollute tea culture it is a problem. In China many tea scholars have spoken to about this, especially because of the role that Taiwanese play in inflating the puer bubble.
Here is one such cult written about by a survivor recently…http://leavingtaipeicult.blogspot.com/
That is so disturbing Austin. Thanks for calling it to our attention. I had no idea that this was an American – I had heard about Tea Hut and felt their spiritually was something worth sharing with our readers.
I had been invited to a tea meditation last year in Portland which I attended. It was an elegant and simple ceremony with tea and silence. Nothing cultish at all. Again, I knew nothing about cults in Taiwan and am always grateful to be informed about such things. This certainly demands further investigation. Again, thank you for speaking up.
Hi, I’m the author of this article but I didn’t post it here. I wrote it about 3 years ago, and still feel about the same way. Austin, I don’t really see that you’ve responded to the article I wrote. In your claim that it has nothing to do with Chinese tea culture, I disagree. The fact that I based it on my experiences with tea circles proves that it does. I also didn’t mention anything about rules for tea drinking or that it is a meditative practice. You’ve taken the articles appearance as an opportunity to grandstand against the Global Tea Hut, Tea Sage Hut, and Wu De. I think you’ve got some misunderstandings about his teaching or what the Global Tea Hut is all about. Perhaps you’ve talked to some people who didn’t appreciate or enjoy their stay there or meeting with Wu De. That’s possible. But most people are really moved and refreshed from their experience. People come and go all the time and there’s no pressure to ‘join’, donate, or follow rules for tea drinking. There’s basic rules and a schedule, like any meditation center, but there’s no rules for tea drinking. There’s a way of appreciating tea, and there’s practices like drinking tea in silence at times, but not always. What’s wrong with giving that a try while you’re there though? That is in fact another way of socializing with friends. If you like the practice, take it with you. Of course Wu De’s relationship with tea and his way of appreciating it is reflected in the way he teaches about its merits, ways of enjoying it, and ways of serving it. How can you consider that dangerous or damaging to tea culture? I can think of a lot of other things that fit the charge. Two of Wu De’s main points with are harmony and connection. Those connect to countless aspects of life and enjoying tea. If people get together and enjoy tea without ever touching on, vocalising, or feeling those: that’s not a problem. So how could taking notice of them be a problem either? And obviously there are countless ways of experiencing harmony and connection. What Chinese or Taiwanese person would assert that tea has nothing to do with meditation, solace, or reflection, as well as sharing and community. There’s no claim to be better, more proper, or more authentic than any Taiwanese, Chinese, or Japanese tea practices either.
At my home, we always remove our shoes. It was done to keep the dirt out as you mention. I’m thinking now that we can expand that notion to keeping the emotional mess out as well. Coming home is like coming to a sanctuary. I want to feel peaceful as I enter my home, leaving the troubles of the day and the world behind.
I think in the U.S., the issue of bringing tea to a friends house is seen in a different light. My friends know I’m a “tea person” and typically look forward to treats I may bring along. There is no competition as they only have tea bag teas and they are not at all in competition with me. They enjoy any teaching about teas that I can provide. They are very appreciative in fact. When going to the home of friends who don’t drink tea, I typically bring a Smith Tea in a tea bag and they feel relieved that I’m taken care of while they go about making special coffee for the other guests. Everyone is happy. Do I hope one day they’ll ask to try my tea……of course. I have learned however that you can’t force that lesson. If I am patient, eventually they’ll be at my house where I’ll brew up something special and they’ll become engaged in the process of making tea. Often they’ve never seen this before. That can often spark their interest in trying tea and then…….the world of tea opens up to them.