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SCMP Reporter

Young people's interest in Buddhism can be nurtured through the art of tea drinking.

     The ideas behind tea drinking and Buddhism are closely linked. Buddha taught disciples how to develop concentration and be sensitive to their environment through meditation.

   Buddha said: 'You can find wisdom in flowers and enlightenment in leaves.'  Chinese monks also taught followers how to achieve the same goals through tea drinking.

   For several hundred years, Buddhist monks have understood the wisdom that can be found in Chinese 'tea arts'.

    During the Christmas holidays, two teachers and 10 students from Buddhist Ho Nam Kam College went on a four-day trip to Wuyishan, Fujian province to study tea drinking.

   During the trip, the students visited a tea farm, factory and a Buddhist monastery and enjoyed picturesque views of Wuyishan.

  Traditionally, people in Guangdong only know pu li or heung pin teas.

   In fact, there are over several thousand kinds of tea drunk by the Chinese, according to the tour guide in Wuyishan. There are hundreds of fragrances, over 50 kinds of bitterness and 40 kinds of sweetness. If you do not pay attention while drinking tea, you will not be able to distinguish the subtle differences between teas.

   Although different kinds of tea look similar, they taste very different. Students learned how to distinguish the different teas using the nose, tongue, eye and hand. Fat-sau is mostly bitter with a touch of scent; pa-mau- tan is mostly bitter; and yuk-kai is sweet with a hint of bitterness.

  At the tea factory, staff taught us how to pour tea and choose tea utensils. For fragrant tit- koon-yin tea, some leaves are put into a small teapot and water at 90 degrees Celsius is poured over them. For pu-i, a big teapot of water at 80 degrees is used.

  How can we tell what temperature the water is? If the bubbles on the water are the size of marbles, the water is 80 degrees. If the bubbles are the size of an ox's eye, the water is 90 degrees.

 The students learned how tea blended with water; how the colour of the tea slowly becomes darker; and how tea leaves and water combine to make a cup of tea. They were able to experience the harmony of nature. Through the practice of tea drinking, they saw the Buddhist principle that everyone exists in relation to others: no one exists in isolation.

   When we drink a cup of tea, we cannot distinguish between the tea and the water.

  The two separate things have fused into one.

     The vegetarian barbecue and book fair attracted over a hundred students.

   Students learned a lot about tea drinking on the trip and became ambassadors to promote the art at school.

   Those who participated in activities organised by the Buddhist Fellowship group were offered cups of Chinese tea.

   Over a nice cup of tea, students had the opportunity to discuss Buddhist teachings.

  Tea drinking enabled stu dents to learn about the art and Buddhism at the same time.

  We would like to thank the teachers and students of Ho Nam Kam College for telling us about their Wuyishan trip. The Education for Quality Life project welcomes teachers' and students' experiences. You can fax us on 2603- 5280, e-mail us at (ecreatschool.net.hk) or visit our site at http://home.school. net.hk/~ecre/youngpost.htm to share your ideas and responses to this article about tea drinking.

  Wuyishan Municipal Government's official site is at (http://www.wuyimountain. com/newcopy/index.htm). A section on tea drinking can be found at (http://www. wuyimountain.com/chaye1/ index1.htm).

Ethical, Civic and Religious Education is sponsored by the Department of Religion at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. We have set up a Web page at http://home.school.net.hk/~ecre for you to post your ideas, comments and suggestions. There is also a discussion forum for readers.

Ms Fan and Mr Mak are teachers at Buddhist Ho Nam Kam College 



Getting Buddhism across over tea