Tea Meditation and Harmony

In the early days, tea was reserved for the Buddhist Monk and Kings of China. It has always been the stimulant of choice to aid in meditation.

Tea is the most popular drink all over the world as a breakfast, afternoon, evening or “just about anytime” drink.

It is served in a variety of ways: just as a plain decoction for its inherent flavor and goodness, laced with salt for replenishing body’s loss due to sweating, with a dollop of butter for those extra calories in the high mountains of Tibet, with milk and sugar in the English way, as ‘masala chai’ with milk and sugar which sometimes is scented for an extra refreshment, with lime for that extra astringency and many more.

It is consumed both, hot and cold. Its brewing too ranges from just one cup with a modern tea bag to a community brew in a big samovar.

And its service can range from self service from a community pot to a full fledged English service, complete with silver spoons and fine bone china pots, tea cozy and a shining tea trolley, to the typical “kulhad”. In Japan, drinking of tea is a ceremony and a tea room is the norm in every contemporary house.

Whatever the style or type of tea, one thing common with its serving and consumption is the ambiance of bonhomie; of coexistence and harmony, of love and respect which manifests itself automatically over a cup of tea.