“I promise this just might be the most fascinating conversation you will hear all week.”
With these words, podcast host Rich Roll
introduces us to a Buddhist monk named Wu De who travels the world,
teaching people the importance of…tea. To be specific, teaching about
tea as a metaphor for ancient wisdom about the interconnectedness of
everything.
introduces us to a Buddhist monk named Wu De who travels the world,
teaching people the importance of…tea. To be specific, teaching about
tea as a metaphor for ancient wisdom about the interconnectedness of
everything.
Tea, it turns out is the second most consumed substance on Earth,
after water. Wu De believes that the sharing of tea is responsible for
the socialization of the entire world. In fact, one of tea’s ancient
names means The Great Connector when translated into English, and Wu De
elaborates on the three great connections that tea is responsible for.
after water. Wu De believes that the sharing of tea is responsible for
the socialization of the entire world. In fact, one of tea’s ancient
names means The Great Connector when translated into English, and Wu De
elaborates on the three great connections that tea is responsible for.
Connection To Nature
“This is tricky,” says Wu De “we are not disconnected
from nature and therefore we can’t be disconnected. What has been lost
is not the connection to nature; it is the feeling of connection to
nature. Our ancestors’ connection to earth was tacit – they had no
choice. What’s in tea is the earth – its minerals and weather and
mountains. Because tea trees have such deep roots, it is said that
they have access to trace elements that you can’t access elsewhere.”
Connection to Self
Perhaps most importantly, tea reminds us to take time for ourselves,
but not necessarily for the sake of simple idleness. The feeling that
we never have a moment to ourselves, or “time famine” as it is often
called, has become ubiquitous in North American society. But we all
have the same number of hours in a day and so it is important that we
challenge ourselves and ask what is really taking up our time.
but not necessarily for the sake of simple idleness. The feeling that
we never have a moment to ourselves, or “time famine” as it is often
called, has become ubiquitous in North American society. But we all
have the same number of hours in a day and so it is important that we
challenge ourselves and ask what is really taking up our time.
Buddhist meditation emphasizes the practice of quieting our own minds
– a focus on controlling the noise that we create in our own heads.
The simple act of boiling water, preparing tea leaves and enjoying a cup
of tea is a meditative one. Wu De says “you pick up the tea bowl with
two hands, you feel the flavor in your mouth and the warmth passing
down your throat and into your body. Suddenly without realizing it,
you are focusing inward.”
– a focus on controlling the noise that we create in our own heads.
The simple act of boiling water, preparing tea leaves and enjoying a cup
of tea is a meditative one. Wu De says “you pick up the tea bowl with
two hands, you feel the flavor in your mouth and the warmth passing
down your throat and into your body. Suddenly without realizing it,
you are focusing inward.”
Connection To Each Other
While he does state that he is not anti-technology, Wu De suggests
that in some ways technology is driving a diminishing of high quality,
real time human interactivity.
that in some ways technology is driving a diminishing of high quality,
real time human interactivity.
Many ancient tea ceremonies involve the participants arriving and
sitting in complete silence while the tea is prepared and served with
rigid adherence to the traditional forms, very much akin to the practice
of Kung Fu. Interestingly, the participants may arrive to the tea
ceremony as nearly strangers but leave as friends, having bonded through
the shared experience while sitting in silence. In our own lives,
sharing tea with someone, especially in our homes is very much an
ancient and very civilized way of connecting.
sitting in complete silence while the tea is prepared and served with
rigid adherence to the traditional forms, very much akin to the practice
of Kung Fu. Interestingly, the participants may arrive to the tea
ceremony as nearly strangers but leave as friends, having bonded through
the shared experience while sitting in silence. In our own lives,
sharing tea with someone, especially in our homes is very much an
ancient and very civilized way of connecting.
Wu
De would like to see us all “log off” more often – to power down the
devices and enjoy tea as a way of reconnecting with ourselves and with
the people who matter to us. “Every single one of these devices, every single one, has one feature in common – all of them come with an on/off button installed for your convenience.”
De would like to see us all “log off” more often – to power down the
devices and enjoy tea as a way of reconnecting with ourselves and with
the people who matter to us. “Every single one of these devices, every single one, has one feature in common – all of them come with an on/off button installed for your convenience.”
Tea reminds us that we too, have an on/off button.
* The podcast is quite long, clocking in at nearly two hours, but
the two hours flies by as this thought-provoking figure shares his
thoughts on what really matter in life. Perhaps you have a nice long
drive ahead of you, or perhaps you have the luxury of just relaxing and
listening in? We recommend pouring a nice Yellow Dragon Pu Erh, and taking the time to enjoy Wu De’s teaching.
the two hours flies by as this thought-provoking figure shares his
thoughts on what really matter in life. Perhaps you have a nice long
drive ahead of you, or perhaps you have the luxury of just relaxing and
listening in? We recommend pouring a nice Yellow Dragon Pu Erh, and taking the time to enjoy Wu De’s teaching.
This post was written by Jason King – a writer, gardener, musician, enthusiastic home cook, traveler & recovering entrepreneur. It was originally featured on Seven Sisters Tea’s blog.