I am guilty of one thing as a chajin – for chasing that last great encounter I had with Tea. Having tasted something spectacular; having experienced divine moment, I crave that same feeling and sensation and taste and I want it back, again, reminiscing on the past. This means that any tea sits in the future would be coloured by that past experience, and my heart occluded by a sort of greed for more and a fear for what could be lost forever if I did not hoard enough of that specific tea. And so it is with much relief that I can always return to ceremony and be reminded by the dhyana, Zen wisdom, that permeates Her very spirit. For, lest I forget anytime, She always gives me a little pat on the head and a warm embrace of my heart, and tells me that there is nothing such as the present moment – there is nothing quite like the here and now: rather than live by the rules of the past by comparing and hoping I could chase down that same feeling; rather than clouding my present moment with anxiety of a possible future loss, I can allow Tea to sit with me and fill me up and empty me out, fill me up again and then empty me out again... again and again, I am kept fresh, clean, as the forever student of Tea. 🌿 "I am that cup, humble and indiscriminate. The cup doesn't object. It hold great and mediocre tea alike. It also remains untainted after the tea is drunk. Thoughts also pass through my mind, like tea through this cup; and let them also leave no traces to taint my future tea sessions. Let my mind also spend the majority of its time empty, so that when the tea is finally poured it will be fresh and new, unaffected by any cups I've drunk in the past." ~ Wu De
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