the book of tea-第3章

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g　the　eyesight。　It　was　not　only　administered　as　an　internal　dose；　but　often　applied　externally　in　form　of　paste　to　alleviate　rheumatic　pains。　　The　Taoists　claimed　it　as　an　important　ingredient　of　the　elixir　of　immortality。　　The　Buddhists　used　it　extensively　to　prevent　drowsiness　during　their　long　hours　of　meditation。

By　the　fourth　and　fifth　centuries　Tea　became　a　favourite　beverage　among　the　inhabitants　of　the　Yangtse…Kiang　valley。　It　was　about　this　time　that　modern　ideograph　Cha　was　coined；　evidently　a　corruption　of　the　classic　Tou。　The　poets　of　the　southern　dynasties　have　left　some　fragments　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　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　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　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　Chin