Enter the realm of tea with Lu Tong

This is one of my favourite tea poems written during the Tang Dynasty by Lu Tong. In these few short lines, he carefully described his physical encounters with tea drinking and his mental movement in and out of different realms.

Lu Tong's Seven Bowls of Tea

The first bowl moistens my lips and throat

The second bowl overcomes my loneliness

The third bowl searches my barren entrails, but to find therein some five thousand scrolls

The fourth bowl breaks me out into a slight perspiration, and all of life's unhappiness evaporates through my pores

The fifth bowl purifies my flesh and bones

The sixth bowl calls me to the gods

The seventh bowl could not be drunk, only feel the breath of the cool wind in my sleeves

Where is Mount Penglai? For I, Yu Chuan Zi would like to ride on this cool breeze that will take me home.

One drink, different meanings

I came across this short piece of text today as I was going through a catalogue from Germany:

"Tea, one of the world's oldest beverages, has many different meanings for people. In China and Japan, drinking tea provides inner cleansing - in England, drinking tea is an expression of a certain quality of life, as well as an indispensable part of everyday life. .."

Immediately, I thought, "inner cleansing", bull's eye! An aptly put expression that described my initial perception towards tea. I started drinking Japanese green tea on a regular basis some ten years ago. Affordable, great for quenching my thirst and certainly kept me awake during lectures in school as a more beneficial alternative to coffee, Sencha always gives me a sensation of physical inner cleansing each time I took a sip from my cup. I feel healthier, stronger, and better.

Today, tea isn't just a health beverage for me. The cleansing process that comes to mind has transcended the limits of the body and entered my mind, soul and most importantly my heart. My perception of tea has certainly evolved over time.What began as a simple thought of "tea for health" has come a long way.