Chinese Kung Fu Tea Ceremony Course

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Category: Zen School Courses of Chinese Buddhism

 Experiencing Zen Practice from Brewing Chinese Kung Fu Tea

About Chinese Tea Ceremony and Zen:

Actually Zen is one of the schools from Mahayana Buddhism which was taken back to Japan by the Master Rong xi in Tian Tai Temple, Chinese called it Ch'an, while they share the similar value of meditation and intuition, and is known by the west, so we use the word here.

The time that Chinese started to cultivate the mind and the spirit through the tea ceremony that was brewing tea, appreciating tea and tasting tea can be dated back to Tang Dynasty or earlier. In "The Seen and Heard of Mr. Feng" of Tang Dynasty”, it is said:” The tea ceremony becomes prevalent that no nobilities and officials want to be missed.” This is the earliest record about tea ceremonies in the extant literature of the world.

The tea parties were so popular social activities that the environment and etiquettes of tasting tea and the process of brewing tea were formulated into customary procedures and the ceremony during Tang and Song Dynasty, that their tea parties formed into court tea parties, temple tea parties and literati tea parties. They realized drinking tea can calm the mind down and clear thoughts, inspire the spirit and dismiss distracting thoughts, which was harmonious with the idea "To Be Tranquil and Moderate" advocated by Confucianism and "Spiritual Insight and Tranquility " required by Buddhism. Along with monks and literati getting accustomed to infusing the sense of Zen into composing tea poetries and proses, painting tea pictures and playing tea ceremonies, having tea was sublimated into the culture, cultivation and spiritual image from just a habit, a hobby and a physiological need.

The famous case "go to have tea" became an allusion to the enlightenment of Zen later. There was an eminent monk "Zen master Cong Shen (A.D. 777—897)" who was simplified as"Zhao Zhou" as he stayed in the Berlin Temple of Zhao State (“state” pronounced as “Zhou”by Chinese, it is Zhao county of Hebei province today.). One day, monks from other temples visited Master Zhao Zhou, he asked one of them: "Have you been here before?" He nodded: "Yes." Zhao Zhou answered: "Go to have tea." Then he asked another the same question, he said: "no", Master Zhao Zhou answered: "Go to have tea." The abbot standing by felt surprised, he asked Zhao Zhou: "Why did you ask them to have tea if been here or not?" Zhao Zhou answered the abbot with: "Go to have tea."

Actually the intention that Zen master Cong Shen responded with "go to have tea" three times was to eliminate their idle thoughts and discrimination. That means "Just follow us to have tea when we have tea, or enjoy the meal when we have the meal" thus it can help them wipe false thoughts and delusive motivations of seeking favor with rich men or people with honor, power or high rank off, this is the first step for Zen Practice. Hence you can learn to experience the sense of Zen through the tea ceremony -brewing tea in apple-pie order, tasting it leisurely, conducting Zen Practice in clear mind absorbed. Perhaps in this way you can comprehend the conception of "Tea and Zen have the same flavor, tea is Zen and Zen is tea".

Zen is the chance which can be anytime, anywhere, anyone and anything as Zen is from life. Let’s put down all the chores and trifles lingered in your mind, to brew a pot of real Chinese Kung Fu tea, to sense the inspiration of Zen throughbrewing tea and tasting tea, to perceive the mystery of life, nature and the universe from this slender, ordinary activity, enjoy the tea with easy grace, share the present time with ease.

Who should Attend:
Who are interested in Chinese Tea Ceremony, curious about the full procedure of real Chinese Kung Fu Tea and Chinese Zen culture, who want to experience Zen Practice through making Kung Fu Tea, who like to do it by himself instead of be served, who often feel depressed upon the high-speed life style and bored of the social environment full with pressure, fickleness and lures, who want to find a tranquil place to stay away from the Vanity Fair. Certainly for learners prefer gustatory, interpersonal and kinesthetic style.

How you Will Benefit

To experience the culture of real Chinese Kung Fu tea, to be inspired to understand Zen, to feel happy like a child as the whole process of brewing tea is like kids playing house.

What you will cover

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