Speaking of Tea — From One Word to Seven
Tea culture in China is vast as an ocean.
Generations have found peace, friendship, and reflection in a single cup.
Let us speak of tea — in one word, then two, and so on, up to seven.
1. Love (爱)
To love tea is to be chosen by it.
At first it seems a small curiosity,
but once you let it in,
its quiet beauty will hold you fast.
Love your path and your craft —
and tea will return that love,
one fragrant breath at a time.
2. Cherish (珍惜)
Every leaf lives three lives:
growing in wind and rain,
shaped by patient hands and fire,
and reborn in the cup through water and breath.
From sprout to harvest, from farmer to artisan,
the journey is long and full of care.
From the hills to the teahouse,
through miles of travel and nights of learning,
each infusion is a story of effort and devotion.
So treasure every brew before you —
it carries countless hands within it.
3. Conversation (畅所谈)
Where friends of tea gather,
words flow like a mountain stream.
No gold or glory compares to such joy.
Hearts open, tempers calm —
even strangers speak as if they’ve met before.
Tea softens the edges of time,
and in that stillness,
we see one another clearly.
When the cups are empty,
we already await the next meeting.
4. Learning (用心感觉)
The path of tea is walked with patience.
Haste only hides the fragrance.
Tea reveals herself slowly —
like a shy maiden,
warmed by gentle attention.
Let the world’s noise fall away.
When your heart is quiet,
you begin to feel her truth.
Then comes that moment —
unforced, genuine,
when life itself feels lighter.
The ancients said,
“Those who did good in a past life drink tea in this one.”
In that feeling, there is nothing false.
5. Appreciation (人・茶・心・艺・境)
To taste tea is to taste humanity.
Virtue refines the drink,
just as good leaves refine the cup.
True tea asks honesty.
Adulterated tea may fill the pot,
but not the spirit.
The flavor follows the heart:
in joy, it is sweet;
in sorrow, bitter;
with carelessness, sour;
with peace, sincere.
Skill too is part of the art —
without love, there is no mastery.
One may not know tea yet,
but if one refuses to learn,
how can tasting begin?
Tea has its realms:
beginner, intermediate, refined, enlightened.
Some drink all their lives and never ascend,
not for lack of years, but lack of insight.
Others, at a first sip, already touch the door.
To see the beauty of tea is the first gate.
To find its true flavor, the second.
To share it gladly, the third.
To forget words and let heart and tea become one —
that is the highest realm.
6. Awakening (心悟・神悟・魂悟)
When love for tea reaches the spirit,
the soul begins to glow.
The tea-person carries a quiet light —
not painted, not proud, not loud.
You can sense them in a crowd:
a calm step, a soft presence,
as if mountains and clouds walk with them.
Their grace seeps from the inside out —
touching the eyes,
the heart,
the very soul of those who meet them.
7. Understanding (饮・喝・品・享受・追求)
At first, tea quenches thirst.
Then it offers play and comfort.
Later, in good company,
it becomes communion — a shared silence.
Drink it long enough,
and a few days without it
feel like illness of the heart.
You begin to crave not the flavor,
but the feeling —
the world in balance,
the pulse of peace within the cup.
Eventually, tea is no longer a beverage,
but a lifelong pursuit.
You do not possess it;
it leads you on —
a companion for the rest of your days.
To spread the spirit of tea is to spread harmony —
a wisdom that teaches us how to live,
slowly, gently, and awake.