the book of tea(茶书)-第3章
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of their fervent adoration of the 〃froth of the liquid jade。〃 Then emperors
used to bestow some rare preparation of the leaves on their high ministers
as a reward for eminent services。 Yet the method of drinking tea at this
stage was primitive in the extreme。 The leaves were steamed； crushed in
a mortar； made into a cake； and boiled together with rice； ginger； salt；
orange peel； spices； milk； and sometimes with onions！ The custom obtains
at the present day among the Thibetans and various Mongolian tribes； who
make a curious syrup of these ingredients。 The use of lemon slices by
the Russians； who learned to take tea from the Chinese caravansaries；
points to the survival of the ancient method。
It needed the genius of the Tang dynasty to emancipate Tea from its
crude state and lead to its final idealization。 With Luwuh in the middle
of the eighth century we have our first apostle of tea。 He was born in an
age when Buddhism； Taoism； and Confucianism were seeking mutual
synthesis。 The pantheistic symbolism of the time was urging one to mirror
the Universal in the Particular。 Luwuh； a poet； saw in the Tea…service the
same harmony and order which reigned through all things。 In his
celebrated work； the 〃Chaking〃 （The Holy Scripture of Tea） he formulated
the Code of Tea。 He has since been worshipped as the tutelary god of the
Chinese tea merchants。
The 〃Chaking〃 consists of three volumes and ten chapters。 In the first
chapter Luwuh treats of the nature of the tea…plant； in the second of the
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implements for gathering the leaves； in the third of the selection of the
leaves。 According to him the best quality of the leaves must have
〃creases like the leathern boot of Tartar horsemen； curl like the dewlap of
a mighty bullock； unfold like a mist rising out of a ravine； gleam like a
lake touched by a zephyr； and be wet and soft like fine earth newly swept
by rain。〃
The fourth chapter is devoted to the enumeration and description of the
twenty…four members of the tea…equipage； beginning with the tripod
brazier and ending with the bamboo cabinet for containing all these
utensils。 Here we notice Luwuh's predilection for Taoist symbolism。
Also it is interesting to observe in this connection the influence of tea on
Chinese ceramics。 The Celestial porcelain； as is well known； had its
origin in an attempt to reproduce the exquisite shade of jade； resulting； in
the Tang dynasty； in the blue glaze of the south； and the white glaze of the
north。 Luwuh considered the blue as the ideal colour for the tea…cup； as it
lent additional greenness to the beverage； whereas the white made it look
pinkish and distasteful。 It was because he used cake…tea。 Later on；
when the tea masters of Sung took to the powdered tea； they preferred
heavy bowls of blue…black and dark brown。 The Mings； with their
steeped tea； rejoiced in light ware of white porcelain。
In the fifth chapter Luwuh describes the method of making tea。 He
eliminates all ingredients except salt。 He dwells also on the much…
discussed question of the choice of water and the degree of boiling it。
According to him； the mountain spring is the best； the river water and the
spring water come next in the order of excellence。 There are three stages
of boiling： the first boil is when the little bubbles like the eye of fishes
swim on the surface； the second boil is when the bubbles are like crystal
beads rolling in a fountain； the third boil is when the billows surge wildly
in the kettle。 The Cake…tea is roasted before the fire until it becomes soft
like a baby's arm and is shredded into powder between pieces of fine paper。
Salt is put in the first boil； the tea in the second。 At the third boil； a
dipperful of cold water is poured into the kettle to settle the tea and revive
the 〃youth of the water。〃 Then the beverage was poured into cups and
drunk。 O nectar！ The filmy leaflet hung like scaly clouds in a serene
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sky or floated like waterlilies on emerald streams。 It was of such a
beverage that Lotung； a Tang poet； wrote： 〃The first cup moistens my
lips and throat； the second cup breaks my loneliness； the third cup
searches my barren entrail but to find therein some five thousand volumes
of odd ideographs。 The fourth cup raises a slight perspiration；all the
wrong of life passes away through my pores。 At the fifth cup I am
purified； the sixth cup calls me to the realms of the immortals。 The
seventh cupah； but I could take no more！ I only feel the breath of cool
wind that rises in my sleeves。 Where is Horaisan？ Let me ride on this
sweet breeze and waft away thither。〃
The remaining chapters of the 〃Chaking〃 treat of the vulgarity of the
ordinary methods of tea…drinking； a historical summary of illustrious tea…
drinkers； the famous tea plantations of China； the possible variations of
the tea…service and illustrations of the tea…utensils。 The last is
unfortunately lost。
The appearance of the 〃Chaking〃 must have created considerable
sensation at the time。 Luwuh was befriended by the Emperor Taisung
（763…779）； and his fame attracted many followers。 Some exquisites
were said to have been able to detect the tea made by Luwuh from that of
his disciples。 One mandarin has his name immortalised by his failure to
appreciate the tea of this great master。
In the Sung dynasty the whipped tea came into fashion and created the
second school of Tea。 The leaves were ground to fine powder in a small
stone mill； and the preparation was whipped in hot water by a delicate
whisk made of split bamboo。 The new process led to some change in the
tea…equippage of Luwuh； as well as in the choice of leaves。 Salt was
discarded forever。 The enthusiasm of the Sung people for tea knew no
bounds。 Epicures vied with each other in discovering new varieties； and
regular tournaments were held to decide their superiority。 The Emperor
Kiasung （1101…1124）； who was too great an artist to be a well…behaved
monarch； lavished his treasures on the attainment of rare species。 He
himself wrote a dissertation on the twenty kinds of tea； among which he
prizes the 〃white tea〃 as of the rarest and finest quality。
The tea…ideal of the Sungs differed from the Tangs even as their notion
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of life differed。 They sought to actualize what their predecessors tried to
symbolise。 To the Neo…Confucian mind the cosmic law was not reflected
in the phenomenal world； but the phenomenal world was the cosmic law
itself。 Aeons were but momentsNirvana always within grasp。 The
Taoist conception that immortality lay in the eternal change permeated all
their modes of thought。 It was the process； not the deed； which was
interesting。 It was the completing； not the completion； which was really
vital。 Man came thus at once face to face with nature。 A new meaning
grew into the art of life。 The tea began to be not a poetical pastime； but
one of the methods of self…realisation。 Wangyucheng eulogised tea as
〃flooding his soul like a direct appeal； that its delicate bitterness reminded
him of the aftertaste of a good counsel。〃 Sotumpa wrote of the strength
of the immaculate purity in tea which defied corruption as a truly
virtuous man。 Among the Buddhists； the southern Zen sect； which
incorporated so much of Taoist doctrines； formulated an elaborate ritual of
tea。 The monks gathered before the image of Bodhi Dharma and drank
tea out of a single bowl with the profound formality of a holy sacrament。
It was this Zen ritual which finally developed into the Tea…ceremony of
Japan in the fifteenth century。
Unfortunately the sudden outburst of the Mongol tribes in the
thirteenth century which resulted in the devastation and conquest of
China under the barbaric rule of the Yuen Emperors； destroyed all the
fruits of Sung culture。 The native dynasty of the Mings which
attempted re…nationalisation in the middle of the fifteenth century was
harassed by internal troubles； and China again fell under the alien rule of
the Manchus in the seventeenth century。 Manners and customs changed
to leave no vestige of the former times。 The powdered tea is entirely
forgotten。 We find a Ming commentator at loss to recall the shape of the
tea whisk mentioned in one of the Sung classics。 Tea is now taken by
steeping the leaves in hot water in a bowl or cup。 The reason why the
Western world is innocent of the older method of drinking tea is explained
by the fact that Europe knew it only at the close of the Ming dynasty。
To the latter…day Chinese tea is a delicious beverage； but not an ideal。
The long woes of his country have robbed him of the zest for the meaning
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of life。 He has become modern； that is to say； old and disenchanted。 He
has lost that sublime faith in illusions which constitutes the eternal youth
and vigour of the poets and ancients。 He is an eclectic and politely
accepts the traditions of the universe。 He toys wit
