China's Tea Culture (Part 2)
 
Dao of Tea Culture
 
There was a man called Lu Yu (733 – 804 AD) in the Tang Dynasty, who, after many years of observation and research, wrote a book entitled Cha Jing (The Classic of Tea). This book summarized a set of methods, from growing tea and picking tea to making tea and tea tasting. This book also described the deep cultural connotation of the art of tea, giving shape to the earliest Dao of tea. People in later generations called Lu Yu the "Sage of Tea."
 
The tea culture reflects characteristics of eastern traditional culture – it is a combination of "tea" and the "Dao."
 
China's ancient sage Lao Zi said, "The Dao can be called the Dao, but it is not the ordinary Dao." He also said, "The Dao is extensive and is everywhere right beside you." Then what is "Dao?" It is said in China's Confucian classic The Doctrine of the Mean, "The mandate of heaven is called nature; to follow nature is called the Dao."
 
In fact, the essence of the "Dao" is to tell us that the existence of all matter in the universe, including the rotation of the cosmos, the procreation of mankind, the change of dynasties, and the birth, aging, sickness and death of human beings all follow the "Dao," and they all follow a certain pattern. Creation-stasis-degeneration-destruction is the law of the universe. Consequently, what one can do is to "return to his original, true self" and return to his prenatal nature because one's prenatal nature was pure and kind, and it was linked to the universe. By doing so, people can achieve the realm of heaven and man are one and the Dao following nature. This is what the ancient people called the "Dao" of cultivation.
 
Therefore, the "Dao" reflects the principles and the law of the universe and life, and the Chinese people do not talk about the "Dao" lightly, as they believe it is something very deep and profound. It is not something that can be defined clearly. People in modern China are often cut off from the "Dao" by the term "superstition," unlike in Japan, where there is the Dao of tea, the Dao of flowers, the Dao of incense, the Dao of the sword. In wresting and martial arts, there are also judo (the way of gentleness) and Taekwondo. In fact, in ancient China, there was "Dao" in all trades and professions, and people were also interested in pursuing immorality and the Dao. Therefore, ancient Chinese also had the Dao in tea tasting.
 
Tea culture is a kind of "intermediary" culture, where tea functioned as a carrier to pass on and carry on the spirit of Chinese traditional culture. Liu Zhenliang in the Tang Dynasty clearly stated in the ten virtues of tea drinking, "Tea can carry on the Dao, and tea can refine one's will." Then what is the Dao of tea?
 
On the surface, there are tea etiquette, tea practices, tea methods, tea techniques, tea arts, and tea essence, which are often referred to as the six matters about tea. Learning about the Dao of tea is to enlighten to the spirit of the Dao of tea through these six matters. People appear to learn the techniques, while in fact the focus is not on "techniques" but on the "spirit." However, to learn about the spirit, one has to start with the techniques. One needs to understand this principle to talk about the Dao of tea.





中华茶文化 (中)
 
（三）茶道文化
 
唐朝有一个叫陆羽的人通过对茶进行多年的观察和研究，撰写了《茶经》一书，此书总结出一套科学的种茶、采茶、煮茶、品茶的方法，并赋予茶艺一种深刻的文化内涵，形成了最初的茶道。后人称陆羽为“茶圣”。
 
茶道文化体现了东方传统文化精神的特点，是“茶”与“道”的结合。
 
中国古代圣贤老子曾经说：“道可道，非常道。”道不是一般的道。又说：“大道泛兮，其可左右。”可见“道”又无处不在。那么什么是“道”呢？中国儒家著名经典《中庸》里讲：“天命之谓性；率性之谓道。”
 
其实“道”的真谛是告诉我们宇宙中的万事万物的生存，包括天体的运转，人类的繁衍，朝代的更替，人的生老病死，都是依“道”而行的，都是有一定的规律的，物质的成、住、坏、灭，那都是宇宙的规律。所以人能做到的就是“返本归真”，返回到自己先天的本性上去，因为人先天的本性是纯真的，是善良的，是与宇宙沟通的，这样才能达到天人合一，道法自然的境界，这就是古人常说的修行之“道”。
 
所以“道”体现出了宇宙、人生的法则与规律，因此，中国人不轻易言道，认为那是很高深的东西，是不能明明白白拿出来谈的，而近代的中国人却都被“迷信”二字挡在了“道”之外。不像日本茶有茶道，花有花道，香有香道，剑有剑道，练摔跤搏击也有柔道、跆拳道。其实在中国的古代，各行各业都有“道”的存在，人们也有寻仙慕道的志趣，因此古人品茶也有茶道。
 
茶道文化是一种“中介”文化，以茶为载体，来传承中华传统文化的精神。唐代刘贞亮在饮茶十德中也明确提出：“以茶可行道，以茶可雅志。”那么，什么是茶道呢？
 
表面上说就是由茶礼、茶规、茶法、茶技、茶艺、茶心这六事构成，称作茶道六事。茶道修习就是通过茶道六事来证悟茶道精神。茶道修习的表面是“技”，但他的重点不是“技”，而是“心”。但要修习茶心，又必须从修习茶技开始，所以明白这个道理，才可以谈茶论道。