Zen and the Way of Tea

 Zen and the Way of Tea (part 1 continued).

The Confluence of Two Great Rivers.
The Coming together of "Zen Buddhism" and "the way of tea" is not unlike the confluence of two great rivers, each with many tributaries, periods of turbulence and stillness.... always flowing, never standing still.

The discovery of tea as a medicine, before it was used as a beverage, is a story lost in the mists of China's turbulent past. The species of plant whose leaves and leaf buds are used in the production of tea, is of the genus Camellia sinensis, var. sinensis and is native to East, South and South East Asia, from Yunnan Province in southwestern China along northern borders of Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar to Assam in Northern India. The remoteness and difficulty of access to this rugged mountainous area led to the existence of small populations of ethnic minorities, each had their own unique cultural identity and indigenous methods of tea production and tea drinking customs.

Throughout prehistory, the quest to find edible plants led prehistoric man to try the leaves of “C. sinensis” out of curiosity. The recognition of useful, edible plants and the effect they had on bodily function was necessary so as to avoid eating something poisonous and to capitalise on those plants that gave nourishment and relieved illness. Much of this work was experimental undertaken by Shamans who's observations laid the foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine, (TCM). Tea was an integral resource of the Shamans pharmacopoeia and different herbs, bark, fungi and animal parts were also added to the medicinal concoction. Early acupuncturists began mapping the energy channels or meridians, advances in Qigong exercises to balance, strengthen and maintain energy flow, along with massage and meditation techniques are the bedrock of TCM.

Little remains archaeologically and no written documents exist of the dynasties preceding the Shang dynasty, (1766-1050BCE). The dawning of the Shang dynasty saw a major transition in Chinese history, the rise of organised political entities, the evolution, manufacture and casting of bronze, the production of decorated porcelain, finely worked gold, jade, stone and Ivory artefacts. A written language with over 1000 pictographs that are directly ancestral to modern written Chinese. And a sophisticated ancestor worshiping rituals and elaborate burials led by Shamans.

In 1045BCE the state of Zhou rose to over throw the king of Shang, replacing a tyrannical king with a feudal dynasty. Land was divided into hereditary fiefs, rights are granted to a ‘vassal’ by an ‘overlord’ in return for allegiance, loyalty and service. Land, rights to hunt, fish and trade were granted from which taxes could be raised, with money came power and a need for an army to protect ones assets. With power comes bureaucracy and with bureaucracy, corruption. The Zhou dynasty stepped away from the Shang system of ancestor worship, (Shangdi), to that of a heavenly, (Tian), worship and legitimised their rule by invoking a “Mandate from Heaven”, the King was thereby the “Son of Heaven” and governed by divine right. 

The Zhou dynasty saw the emergence of intensive farming, civil engineering and the construction of bridges, dams, canals, water and sewage systems. A complex social hierarchy and emergence of Chinese poetry, as many as 300 poems are found in the 'Book of Songs', celebrating the exploits of early Zhou rulers, of ancestors, the distrust of tax collectors and women in politics, love songs and the work of the common man depicting every aspect of farming and collecting mulberry leaves for silk worms. (In 2007 a tomb dated to the Eastern Zhou period was discovered in Jiangxi province  that contained intricately woven and dyed silk textiles).

Two prominent philosophies are established during the Zhou dynasty, that of Confucius (551-479BCE), founder of Confucianism which emphasised personal and governmental morality, social correctness, justice and sincerity, and that of Lao Zi (b.604BCE), founder of Taoist philosophy and author of the Tao Te Ching.  Lao Zi is regarded as a deity by some, one of the “Three Pure Ones”, (the manifestation of “Taishang Laojun” – The Grand Pure One). By others, he is regarded as a mythical figure. Both the "Analects of Confucius" and Lao Zi's "Tao Te Ching" remain in print and have a substantial influence on Chinese culture in the 21st century.

The consumption of tea in the Zhou dynasty changes as the influence of Confucianism and Taoism grows, to monks, priests and scholars tea became an elixir and a tonic that would rejuvenate and help them stay awake during long periods of meditation. As the social structure changes so the use of tea changes, people start to boil tea leaves into a concentrated liquid rather than adding of other herbs as part of a medicinal concoction. 

The Zhou dynasty lasted for close to 800 years, but by 770BCE the feudal system had collapsed.  The royal relatives and generals that had been given control over fiefdoms in an effort to maintain the authority of the king of Zhou annexed or claimed the smaller less powerful states and some states eventually claiming independence.  Inter-state power struggles, civil war,  the capital of Zhou moved from the West to the East giving rise to the Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou periods that eventually gave rise to the Spring and Autumn period (771-476BCE). As the disintegration of Zhou dynasty continues the remaining seven states vied for power during a period knows as the Warring States Period from 476BCE until the  state of Qin became the most powerful state and the Qin dynasty came to power in 221BCE.

Coming soon: "The Rise of Buddhism".

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

On the benefits of Mindfulness

"We are all connected. When you touch one thing, you are touching everything. Whatever we do has an effect on others. Therefore, we must learn to live mindfully to touch the peace inside each of us.

Peace in the world starts with peace in oneself. If everyone lives mindfully, everyone will be healthier, feel more fulfilled in his or her daily lives and there will be more peace. This collective mindfulness can bring positive change to our families, organisations, communities, nations and future generations."

Thich Nhat Hanh

Zen and The Way of Tea

Zen and the way of Tea Part 1.   

It is generally considered that Buddhism was introduced to Japan from China in the late 6^th century during the course of trade between the two countries and so it is entirely conceivable that tea, as a form of herbal medicine, travelled with merchants and traveling monks. Whilst the Japanese monk Gyoki is reputed to have planted tea bushes in 49 Buddhist temple gardens sometime between 648 and 749, it is the Buddhist monks Saichō (767–822) and Kōbō-Daishi (774–835), who traveled to China during the early Heian period (c.804) to study the Mahāvairocana Sutra and returned with seeds from tea bushes and new cultivation and manufacturing methods, and  Myōan Eisai (1141-1215) who  in 1191, is credited with introducing Zen, (Chinese: Chan), Buddhism to Japan. 

Tea in Japan was both rare, expensive, and only enjoyed by high priests and the aristocracy. The preferred method for making tea in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), was the preparation of powdered tea, made from stone ground dried tea leaves; the beverage was prepared by whipping the tea powder (matcha), and hot water together in a bowl. Eisai experimented with different ways to brew tea, finally adopting the Chinese whisked tea and the preparation and consumption of powdered tea was formed into a ritual by Zen Buddhists in Japan. 

Attempts by the Mongols to invade Japan in 1274 and again in 1281 were thwarted by typhoons that completely destroyed the fleet of ships carrying the invading army. The Kamikaze or “divine wind” that destroyed Kublai Khans invading Mongol army not only saved Japan from invasion, but contributed to saving her culture and the tea ceremony. Whilst the consumption of powdered tea gradually subsided in China after the Mongol invasion and the rise of the Yuan dynasty, the consumption of powdered tea in Japan continued.

Over time the tea ceremony known as Chanou (“hot water for tea”), or Chado, (“the way of tea”), developed in an atmosphere of extreme cultural refinement with the ruling classes of fourteenth and fifteenth century Japan.

Further development of the tea ceremony in the sixteenth century saw a new sense of beauty develop with emphasis on the "beauty of the imperfect", the concept of  the impermanent and incomplete became known as “Wabi Sabi”. Whilst there is no direct English translation of wabi sabi, ‘Wabi’ invokes quietness and tranquility, and ‘Sabi,’ the appreciation of the beauty in that which is old, faded and rustic. Wabi sabi then describes a quiet, natural world where beauty is simple, modest and imperfect. Complementary to wabi sabi, is the concept of “Yugen”, the power to evoke profound grace and subtlety, a suggestion or hint of “something” rather than the “actual”. 

A new visual and tactile culture of Tea ceremony led by Murata Shuko (1422-1502) and then Sen no Rikyu (1522-91), changed the emphasis from the appreciation of all that is rare and valuable in the settings of the social elite, and the realisation that each coming together of guest and host creates a unique set of variables that can only happen at that one moment in time. "Ichi-go, Ichi-e", "One time - One meeting", became the spiritual basis of the Tea Gathering.

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

The Health Benefits of Tai Chi

The Health Benefits of Tai Chi

There are many benefits to health when we include exercise as part of a daily routine, lowering the risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and some types of cancer. Tai Chi differs from other types of exercise in that it is a low impact exercise. Working through the form in slow motion ensures the movements are never forced, the joints are neither over extended or bent and connective tissue is not stretched. You breathe deeply, focus your mind on the movement creating a relaxed, meditative sensation that creates stillness and inner peace that reduces blood pressure, lowers heart rate, tension and anxiety. Tai Chi is said to have the aerobic capacity to leave you breathless, but no more than a brisk walk, and it address key components of exercise by increasing muscle strength, improving flexibility and balance, as well as increasing blood flow. 

In a 2006 study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, Stanford University researchers reported benefits of tai chi in 39 women and men, average age 66, with below-average fitness and at least one cardiovascular risk factor. After taking 36 tai chi classes in 12 weeks, they showed improvement in both lower and upper-body strength. (Altern Ther Health Med. 2006 Mar-Apr;12(2):50-8).

In a Japanese study using the same strength measures, 113 older adults were assigned to different 12-week exercise programs, including Tai Chi, brisk walking, and resistance training. People who did Tai Chi improved more than 30% in lower-body strength and 25% in arm strength, almost as much as those who participated in resistance training, and more than those assigned to brisk walking.

“Although you aren’t working with weights or resistance bands, the unsupported arm in Tai Chi exercises strengthens the upper body,” “Tai chi strengthens both the lower and upper extremities and also the core muscles of the back and abdomen.” (Dr. Gloria Yeh, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School).

Tai Chi improves balance and according to some studies, reduces falls, by increasing "Proprioception" — the ability to sense the position of one’s body in space which is known to decline with age. Tai Chi helps train this sense, which is a function of the sensory neurons in the inner ear and stretch receptors in the muscles and ligaments. Tai Chi also improves muscle strength and flexibility, which makes it easier to recover from a stumble. And a study in 2006 from Stanford University found that Tai Chi significantly boosted upper- and lower-body flexibility and strength with women.

Finding Stillness