Tea is tea, mountains are mountains

[heybai]

As a youth, I was foolish enough to tell an experienced tea connoisseur, "What's the big deal? -- tea is tea."  I was greeted with much amusement and the derision has followed me now for decades.   I of course meant that "Liptons is just Liptions, nothing special," knowing nothing of Darjeeling, High Mountain Wu-long,  Japanese ceremonial green tea (sooo good), Chrysanthemum, and the myriad other flavors now known and others still unknown to me.

Recently I had a really nice Wu-long, and thought "This tea is tea."  I enjoyed each the warmth of the cup, the flavor on my tongue, and the warmth in brought me when I shallowed.

Somewhat unrelated, this real-life story of my nonetheless reminds me of this famous Zen aphorism --

Mountains are Mountains
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/zen/sayings.htm

The famous saying of Ch'ing-yüan Wei-hsin (Seigen Ishin):

老僧三十年前未參禪時、見山是山、見水是水、及至後夾親見知識、有箇入處、見山不是山、見水不是水、而今得箇體歇處、依然見山秪是山、見水秪是水 (The Way of Zen 220 k)

Before I had studied Zen for thirty years, I saw mountains as mountains, and waters as waters. When I arrived at a more intimate knowledge, I came to the point where I saw that mountains are not mountains, and waters are not waters. But now that I have got its very substance I am at rest. For it's just that I see mountains once again as mountains, and waters once again as waters. 13
13 Ch'uan Teng Lu, 22. (The Way of Zen 126)

 

[swampflower]

This mountain jets up
Skywards to the stars above
Stopping when it’s gone

David (a child)


How can it be?
This amber liquid sublime
Stills my very soul

Debra Stewart
New Jersey

[Bodhisatta2012]

 

[Dae Bi]

I love it

[catmoon]

I got a feeling the poopies areally gonna hit the fan when Oggie sees this...

[heybai]

Content removed after complaints from FS community.

Not funny Ron.  You can call me PC etc etc., but whether this technically a violation of the TOS it is certainly in bad taste.  If you have ever known a woman who has been beaten around by a man, or even if you know of this from news reports, -- have a heart pal.  

Further, I don't mind people interpreting broadly or whimsically based on my OP, but I was commenting on an actual, time-honored, Zen text.  I may not have composed my post well, but this is well off topic.

Best wishes,
Heybai

[meez]

As a youth, I was foolish enough to tell an experienced tea connoisseur, "What's the big deal? -- tea is tea."

This is what Jet Li (as Huo Yuanjia) said in the movie Fearless while having tea with a Japanese martial artist that was talking to him about grades of tea.  He said that the "grade" or quality is based on the person drinking it, as they all grow in nature and are simply tea.

[Bodhisatta2012]

Content removed after complaints from FS community.

Not funny Ron.  You can call me PC etc etc., but whether this technically a violation of the TOS it is certainly in bad taste.  If you have ever known a woman who has been beaten around by a man, or even if you know of this from news reports, -- have a heart pal.  

Further, I don't mind people interpreting broadly or whimsically based on my OP, but I was commenting on an actual, time-honored, Zen text.  I may not have composed my post well, but this is well off topic.

Best wishes,
Heybai

The so-called humorous medical case calling for tea to be used as a medical curative cited was admittedly misogynistic as discussed in Chat just after posting with Caz and zen-zen.

No disrespect meant to Zen as a practice, Japanese tea rituals, nagging wives, nor abusive drunks.  _/\_Ron

[Quiet Heart]

 
Moutains are mountains.
Tea is Tea
------------------------------------------
The Zen master, Shuzan, raised his staff before his assembly saying, "If you call this a staff, you are attached to the name (form). If you don't call this a staff, you deny the fact (present reality). Tell me, what do you call it?"

I just call it a staff.

because Mountains are (just) mountains
and Tea is (just) Tea

[Dae Bi]

I take the staff and throw it on the ground. 

[swampflower]

I take the staff and throw it on the ground. 

Wow, I get it!

[lowonthetotem]

What do you call the ground.

[catmoon]

What do you call the ground.

I think of it in friendly terms, so mostly I call it Herbie.

[Dae Bi]

the thing, where Gravity and I meet. 

[Skillz]

As I take a sip of my inexpensive, mass produced, wonderfully flavored "Tension tamer" tea... I can only smile.