Cha Dao in honouring the sacredness of nature

Tea drinking ritual, despite its recent rise in the West, has a longstanding history intertwined with the evolution of Taoism and Buddhism in Asia.

Central to Taoist philosophy is the concept of harmony—harmony between heaven (or the universe), earth, and human; and harmony or the inseparation of yin and yang. Taoists sought to align themselves with the natural rhythms and forces, seeing in nature a mirror of the Tao, the fundamental principle underlying all existence. In the Tao Te Ching, there is a mention of the "uncarved block" as metaphor for perfection in natural way of things.

During the Tang Dynasty in China, along with the popularity of tea in the society is Buddhism as one of the main religions. Drinking tea became deeply ingrained in the daily lives of Buddhist monks. Tea started as being a healthy and effective drink for meditators, then being developed into a holistic lifestyle itself. Mindful tea drinking in the way of monastic ritual forms the beginnings of tea ceremony.

Tea as a spiritual practice provides not only a sanctuary for self reflection but also a means to commune with the natural world. The practice represents the way to attune the mind to the rhythms of nature and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the way to be in the world.

My regular tea meditation practice at home is personal to me. I often drink tea alone, in the morning and in silence. This is my "me" time, yet I never feel alone during my tea meditation. Each tea carries in itself the unseen spirit of the place where it came from and the people that nurtured and cultivated it. In Cha Dao (translated as The Way of Tea), honouring the sacredness of nature is in the practice with tea on add also off the cushion. As The Way of Tea goes beyond just a hot cup of tea, it is presenting a way of living and being in this world.

Refering back to the Tao Te Ching's concept of Pu 樸 or uncarved block, Lao Tzu mentions Pu as a simple and natural way of being in the world. As human, we are all conditioned by past experiences, society expectations or stories that pass on to us by previous generations. Returning to Pu, the uncarved block, the un-chised state of the block of wood is like releasing these patterns and underlying conditions that we have been carring. There was six chapters in Tao Te Ching that uses Pu to remind us of unlearning the patterns and following our natural way of being in the world.

I find the practice with tea is constantly reminding me of this lesson to be able to return to the whole and to the simplicity of nature, and at the same time to break old patterns that doesn't serve me for my higher good. Showing up regularly for meditation and tea meditation practices is a wonderful way for me to accept all changes in life outwardly and inwardly. Connecting with nature in embracing all seasons and connecting with myself in acknowledging all the cycles of my emotions. The yin and the yang, the dark and the light, the up and the down follows each other and is as part of the natural order of life. The sacredness of nature is in its constant changes, in the inseparation of both the yin and the yang, and in the raw and natural way of how everything is.