October 2013 GTH Newsletter

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Global TeaHut


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Who We AreWe are a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, cultivating and expressing an awakening ofharmony through tea. We believe that tea wisdom which has no connection to any financial motivation,good or bad, is very necessary in this modern world and therefore strive to build schools, centers and

other tea spaces in the true, ancient spirit of tealeaves, water and wisdom shared without any personalprofit. Tere are several facets of what we do. Below are our main and current projects, branching fromour roots outward:

Global ea HutGlobal ea Hut is one of our main sources ofincome, helping to support all of our projects.Members around the world donate money and

then tea farmers, merchants or tea lovers do-nate tea. We connect the two gift-givers. For aminimum donation of twenty dollars a month,members receive a special tea, a newsletter and agift. All the work involved is voluntary and the teais donated, keeping expenses to a minimum. Wehave found that this Global ea Hut connects tealovers around the world, and that if you share inthe tea with a desire to connect, you will clearlyfeel the community in the bowl. In joining Globalea Hut, you can help support all our projects,drink a unique living tea each month, be a part ofthis community, read about the teas, this traditionand a life of tea and stay connected to our energyand activities here and abroad. For more informa-tion visit:www.globalteahut.org

ea Sage Hut

Tis is our current center, located in Miao Li, ai-wan. Each year, we host over one hundred visitorsfrom all around the world. At the ea Sage Hut,

guests come and drink tea, eat vegetarian food andhave a bed should they need it. We have weekly teaclasses and daily meditation sessions each morningand evening. We also help coordinate travel aroundaiwan and put guests in touch with tea farmers,tea and teaware shops and events. All instruction,room and board, and hugs are free. We operateon a donation basis, and guests are free to leaveas much or as little as they like for future guests,knowing that their visit was supported by pastguests and hoping to pay the experience forward.For more information visit:www.teasagehut.org

Light Meets LifeIn December, we were donated three acres of gor-geous land in the mountains of Da Hu, aiwan.Te land has a waterfall, sakura trees, cliffs, viewsand abundant verdure. Light Meets Life will bethe name of our future, expanded center. It willbe a great place to learn about and drink tea as

well as to meditate. We plan to have an ecological,organic tea garden for educational purposes and acommunal farm to grow our own food. Our newcenter will be run on similar principals to that ofthe ea Sage Hut, only on a larger scale.

Te LeafOur free, online magazine about tea hasnt had anew issue in over a year, but it will be restarted verysoon with an all-new ninth issue. Te Leaf focusesmore on tea information, differentiating it fromthese more casual/personal GH newsletters. It iscurrently electronic only, though we offer free hardcopies to the visually impaired. For more informa-tion visit:www.the-leaf.org
http://www.globalteahut.org/http://www.teasagehut.org/http://www.the-leaf.org/http://www.the-leaf.org/http://www.teasagehut.org/http://www.globalteahut.org/


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October2013and a festival on this day dates back to the third centuryBCE. raditionally, people drink Chrysanthemum wineor tea and pay respect to their oldest living relative. Teyalso wear dogwood leaves to dispel misfortune. Tisday might also include a trip to the temple to pray for

longevity themselves. Many Chinese people go hikingon this day, appreciate the chrysanthemums and eatrice cakes, often reciting poetry that was written for theholiday.

One story of this holidays origin is about alegendary figure named Huan Jing. His parents diedof the plague, so he traveled to Zhong Nan Shan tolearn medicine and save others. While there, a Daoistimmortal took pity on him and gave him a blue drag-on sword that could dispel demons. Te immortal saidanother plague demon would arrive on the ninth day ofthe ninth moon and urged him to gather the people ofhis village on a hill outside town, luring them with thepromise of chrysanthemum wine. Huan Jing took the

villagers outside town and gave them dogwood to protectthem, though he himself stayed behind to combat thedemon. He slayed the demon with his magic sword and

was immediately a hero worth celebrating, then to now...

Light mists; thick cloudsmelanchaly all day.

Te burning incensedissolves in the gold censer.Its the good time of double yang.

Jade pillow, silk curtains, the furnitureall are pierced by the midnight cold.

After drinking [tea] at the eastern hedgeduring the yellow dusk,some hidden fragrance overflows my sleeves.Tere is no way that does not dissolve the soul.Te curtain swirls in the west wind:Im wasting like the yellow flowers.

Li Qingzhao

In October, the Korean monk clacked the bam-boo three times, signifying the beginning of thetea session. He carefully poured us some Red eahe had made by hand, using a rustic pot and five

little cups. Te awe-inspiring pot had an actual tree at-

tached to the button on the lid, suggesting a bonsai bereftof its leaves, seeking winters embrace. Each of us tooka cup from the basket he handed around. When we allheld our cup, he looked at us with a warm smile and withthe utmost sincerity exclaimed, Autumn has now ar-rived!

Tat was at a tea gathering in ainan thismonth, where tea lovers from all over Asia meet everyyear to discuss Oolong tea. It is a good chance to seegood friends from afar, like the Korean master whoserved us tea this year. Since many of the topics at the

forums and seminars are also about tea history, folklore,processing and appreciation, we also feel responsible toshow up and speak for ea herself, and for Mother Earth:reminding everyone that without any ea there is no teaculture to speak of. ainan is much hotter than MiaoLi. Te southern part of the island is in the tropics, andis also much flatter. Upon returning home, an autumnchill had set in and the breeze reminded us of what theKorean master had said.

ea really does mark the seasons, especially for atea lover. Spring officially began in ancient China whenthe emperor sipped the first cup of the first flush of that

years Green ea. And even today, tea lovers shift their teadrinking to suit the seasons. We find ourselves invitingour adolescent Puerh, and more and more turning togongfu tea in the autumnperhaps our bodies yearn forsmaller, more refined amounts of tea. As a result, we alsotend to brew more Oolongs at this time of year, especial-ly Wuyi Yancha and Phoenix Mt. Dancong teas. Despitethe trend, there are still a few young Puerh teas that

we brew nowadays, as you will see when you open thismonths tea, but they grow fewer and farther between. In October, we enter the ninth Chrysanthemum

Moon. Te ninth day of the ninth moon is an importantday to pay respects to our elders. Nine is an impor-tant number in the I Ching, and in Chinese it is also ahomophone for the word foreverso doubling thenine is like doubling forever. Tis day signifies longevity,


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hundred, or even thousands of different trees, all withdifferent needs, the farmer would potentially have a lotmore work to do. It took millennia for trees like ea to developsexual cross-fertilization. It is also tremendously difficultfor such trees to fertilize one another, since the matescannot move towards embrace the way that animals andpeople can. As a result, plants have developed magnif-icent ways of fertilizing each other, enticing insects topollinate them, using the wind, etc. Tere is a reason forall this. Carl Sagan said that the evolution from asexual

to sexual reproduction on this planet was as significant asthe beginning of life itself, as it allows for all the creativepower in Nature to assert itself in such myriad forms.Tere is something deep and powerful missing whena plant is not allowed to cross-fertilize. Te variety inNature is magic, just as in humans. Every tree is then dif-ferent. Sure, they share some similarities due to commongenetic heritage and similar terroir(climate, soil, etc.),but like people they each have their own medicine, theirown perspective, experience and wisdom.

Te difference in power and healing between

seed-propagated and cloned ea is obvious. Tere areessentially two main varieties of ea trees: what are calledBig Leaf rees, which are the original, oldest ea trees(which were drinking this month). Tey have a singletrunk, grow very tall and have roots that go straightdown. As ea moved north it evolved into Small Leafrees, which are more bush-like. Tey have manytrunks and roots that grow outwards. In fact, the leavesgot smaller and smaller as ea moved north, whethernaturally or carried by man, until you get to Japan wherethe leaves are so small they look like needles after theyrerolled. Big Leaf ea trees can live thousands of years. Teoldest one weve dated is 3,500 years old! It is about sev-en people around (I kissed it, and once for you). Tereare probably older ones out there, or at least were in thepast. Small Leaf ea rees can live hundreds of years, andsome are many centuries old. Heres the punch line: Teclones on plantations typically live thirty to fifty yearsonly. And more than a few farmers have told me thatthey arent living as long anymore, sometimes as few asfifteen to twenty years. Tere are several species of birds that love to eatea seeds. Tey are rich and oily and full of nutrients.

Farmers make cooking oil out of them. Its delicious.Anyway, more than one farmer has told me that after thesecond generation of cloning, the birds will no longer eatthe ea seeds anymore.

Your Tea of the Month, October 2013 Spring 2013, Purple-bud Sheng Puerh, De Hong, Yunnan, China

As we walk the trail, round-ing corners and crossing

streams, the quiet of the jungleslowly rises past the sounds ofthe birds and wind, past the dis-tant monkeys to slowly steep your

heart in its calm. Te stillness envelops all the natural sounds,deepening rather than interrupting the quiet. A few hours fur-ther on and you begin to feel as if youre as much a part of it allas the insects, as the stillness. I point out a tea garden to you,but you cant help exclaiming, Where? We walk off the path

and into the trees, surrounded by underbrush, leaves, loamand flowers. For the first time you realize that Living ea istheforest, rather than just growing init. You cant even see wherethe tea garden begins and the jungle ends; it looks like all theother views weve seen on our hike herestream and hill, treeand flower. You understand more about the medicine of ea,connecting the human to ea, and through it to the wholeforest it is not just a part of, but an embodiment of. Te smallplants energy is eaten by bugs, which are taken by snakes andthen excreted. Meters deep, the soil is digesting and churningminerals and fungi. Microbes cover the tea trees and moss

grows on the trunks. Te sun and moon, water and mineralsare all living so vibrantly here. And everything thrums withthe life of it all. ea is our contact point to communicatewith this, you say scooping up a handful of loamy soil andsmiling at me. I agree, we are as much the Earth as that In past issues, we have discussed what Living eais and why it has such healing potential. We talked aboutthe four characteristics of Living ea: Seed-propagated,room to grow, biodiversity and a healthy relationship tothe humans who tend it. Tis months tea is definitely aLiving ea, and through it we can discuss some of theseissues more deeply. ea is a sexual plant, which means that it iscross-pollinated. A tremendous amount of natural energygoes into the creation of a ea seed, including bugs andforest, sun and sky. Each one carries great energy withinit. And no two ea seeds are alike. Tey will each pro-duce a completely unique ea tree, which is why ea hasdone so well traveling to different climates. If you plant athousand seeds, the chances that one of them will surviveare high. Unfortunately, very little ea in the world isseed-propagated. Te reason, of course, is industry andthe commoditization of ea. Sadly, ea faces many of the

problems that all agricultural products are haunted by.Most ea plantations use cuttings from a tree, plantedto produce another. Tey are in essence clones. Tey dothis to achieve a uniformity of flavor. Also, with a few


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as weve thought. Recently, several new varietals havebeen discovered and named, some of which arelike thismonths teaa rediscovery of something older than ourmodern tea trees.

Tis confuses things a bit, as perhaps they shouldbe. On the external level, I wouldnt say that any herbinfused in water is ea, but on a deeper level, the fact

that many of the varietals of Camellia sinensisare medici-nal, and barely distinguishable reminds us that the forestis ea and ea is the forest. Te boundaries we draw aremerely semantic, used to communicate categories andconcepts, and have no place in the real worldwherelife and energy moves throughout all species, and fromthe so-called inorganic to the organic. Te sun andmoon, rocks and waters flow powerfully through thesetea leaves.

Te infused liquor is bright and is almost com-pletely without bitterness. Tere is a strong full taste anda warm stimulating feel in the mouth and body afterdrinking this tea. It is composed of spring 2013 rawmaterial from the north-western area of Dehong County,

Yunnan. Tis is the forest where the Purple-bud Red eawe sent earlier this year also came from. Tis older cousinis wilder, stronger and more vibrant.

ry drinking this tea in the afternoon or earlymorning. Let it infuse you with the depth and power ofa hike through the jungle from whence it came. It willopen your day to new possibilities, and allow you toappreciate more of the amazing connections you alreadyhave with the Sky and Earth, as well as the peoplearound you. We find this tea to be very healing, attun-

ing us spiritually to the natural rhythms, which start tomake sense after a few bowls of this delicious teathelast of the Sheng Puerhs we will drink together thisyear

As we mentioned in previous months, we recommend lettingthe tea get over its jet lag. Let it sit a week or two andbecome acclimatized.

ea of the Month


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activity of their life, let alone drinking tea? What the guestsaid was actually very deep. It suggested that my homeworkis at least twofold because the homework itself was simply

a pointer towards the act of using two hands, and the actof using two hands is also a pointer, a signpost if you will,pointing towards the shift in consciousness that is alwaysreadily available to us. Of course, in that sense, two handsare not necessary to hold your tea bowl with reverence. Teaction is not so important as the intention behind the actionitself. It really is a state of mind, and the act of using twohands is simply a tool, revealing to us a path to get there,which is really right where you are. But, in the meantime,until I have mastered the ability to shift my consciousness inthis way at a moments notice, the tool serves an important

role and should not be overlooked because one intellectuallyunderstands the essence of it. As I mentioned in last monthsarticle, you are already enlightened, but that doesnt meanyou dont need to meditate. In another example, when youstart to understand the rules, does that mean you know

when not to follow them? So long as you have to ask your-self, do I need to meditate? Should I break the rules? Keepmeditating, keep following the rules, and keep using two

hands as a tool to bring about more reverence, awareness,and meaning to your life of tea. When youve really reachedthe point at which you no longer need to use two handswhen holding a tea bowl, youll not have to ask whether todo it or not because youll already be in that state of mind.

When youre in the right state of mind there is no need toask if what you are doing is right. Tat would be like con-sciously asking yourself, Am I conscious? Youll alreadybe there and youll no longer need the service the tool onceprovided.

You can see for yourself; its a simple enough

experiment: compare holding the bowl with two handsversus one hand. If theres any sense of what Ive describedin this article or if any question arises as to why there is adifference, continue using two hands! Te tool is serving apurpose. If youre honest with yourself and you notice no


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difference at all, this could mean one of two things: youvegot it (and all the more power to you! I celebrate that inyou); or you could possibly cultivate an increased level ofsensitivity. As a former tree planter in British Columbia, Ifully appreciate balance! For anyone who hasnt tree plantedbefore, the dominant hand usually holds the spade and the

off hand, the treelet. ens of thousands of planted trees later,imbalance manifests in myriad ways. endonitis in the wrist,damaged planting fingers, back cramps, etc. Most disturbingis the claw, a clenching of the hands as a result of holdingthe shovel too much and too taught. Switching hands andplanting amby as they say, though slow and clumsy in thebeginning, evenly distributes wear and tear over the courseof a season. Tis style of planting brings about mechanicalbalance, relieving and even preventing much of the physicalstress associated with tree planting, and ultimately leadsto more graceful movements, improving your economy ofmotion.

Everything in life is about balance. We inevitablysway this way and that along the tightrope of life, only toachieve a moments balance in which we can take the nextstep forward and the process continues. Of course, tea is alsoabout balance, both inner and outer. Tats what so much ofthe five brewing principles are about. Tey remind us thatthe body, heart, and mind should all be balanced, centered,focused and poised at the tea table. If we mainly use ourdominant hand at the neglect of our off hand, we lose thefluidity, grace, and skill achieved when both hands work in

unison. Since external actions are a reflection of ones innerstate of being, she who brews tea with great skill has alsocultivated herself with great skill. A balanced brew reflectsa balanced heart. Tis is one reason tea is such a powerfulmedium for transmitting wisdom between guest and host,student and teacher. Whatever expression of balance orimbalance, of the body or the mind, will come through in

the tea. One more experiment that Ill suggest to furtherarticulate the simple joy of using two hands and the bene-fits it has to offer is that of shaking hands in introduction.Te next time you encounter someone for the first time,which just so happens to be every time at the tea table,use both hands to introduce yourself. Notice how muchmore connected you feel; how much quicker the onset ofbrotherhood or sisterhood courses over you. And in respect,Ill take this opportunity, as you read this article which hasbeen passed on from my hands to yours, to bring my handstogether once again and bid farewell in a deep, reverentialbowl

wo Hands and ea


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why things are done and an inner, spiritual reason as well.And youll need to experience these differences in order tofully embody the teachings. Te Buddha taught three kinds of wisdom: the wis-dom of learning, the wisdom of rationality and the wisdomof experience. We can learn from others experience by at-tending workshops, lectures or by reading books. Ten, wemust use our minds to think about our understandingre-wording our lessons in our own articulation, which deepensour insights and enhances our relationship to the teaching.Finally, however, we must experience the difference in order

for it to become a part of our lives, effecting change in whowe are. Doing these experiments will enhance yourrelationship to tea by opening up your sensitivity. We try,as much as possible, to hold back on presenting you withconclusions, so that the experiment stands on its own andyou can approach it on your terms. It helps to do some ofthese experiments in groups, sharing your experience andconfirming the conclusions with others. As you do this, youwill begin to define what actually makes better tea and why.

You will also begin to experience the factors that go into a

more fragrant, delicious cup of tea, as well as what is neededto enhance the experience of sharing tea in general.Have fun doing these experiments and sharing the

results with each other. In the least, they are a wonderfulexcuse to get together and share some tea, discussing thedifferences brewing methods have on this tea liquor

If and until you have tried a fine cup of tea, it is too hard to tell.

Master Lin Ping Xiang

Over the last twenty-oneissues, weve covered a lot

of gongfu experiments, from wa-ter to heat to teapots. Learning toprepare better and more refinedtea is a lifetime of joy, with end-

less subtleties to master. And which you choose to focus onand develop is also up to you. Some degree of mastery willheighten your sensitivity and deepen your relationship to ea,as well as making you a better servant of ea. A lot of peopleare introduced to tea by the magic of its preparation, and the

amazing tastes and aromas it provides us. Form there, we learnto drink tea with the whole body, rather than just the mouthand nose. Tis month, we would like to remind you about theimportance of these experiments as part of a tea practice. Itis essential to understand why we include this section in eachmonths newsletter, as it will motivate you to actually try theexperiments.

ea is inside of us. It isnt something we can learnfrom a classroom, a teacher or a newsletter. Your skills mustbe within you, and not as a list of information in your mind,

but actually in your hands, your breath and your life. Youmust live tea. Te best tea isnt brewed by formula. Tereisnt any pattern. Every single tea session is unique, and so allthe ways of brewing are only foundations to build upon andadapt from each and every time you sit down to prepare tea.

A master isnt thinking when she makes tea. Her tea flowsnaturally, and the brewing method is within her, like anygood art. A famous ballet dancer once said that when shedances there is no music and no her, only dance. Similarly,great athletes dont have time to think about what they aredoing as they do it. In sports, things are often happeningway too quickly to think about, and they would, therefore,miss their chance if they had to stop to think. Teir bodiesmust be in complete unison with what they are doing, andrespond automatically. When an athlete has something onhis mind, he performs poorly. His skills are in his make-uphoned to the point that they can respond spontaneously.Mastery of tea brewing is like that as well, and thats why itscalled gongfu tea, which means tea with mastery. In order for your brewing skills to be inherent insuch a way, you will have to cultivate an experiential relation-ship to your tea brewing. It is not enough to brew tea in acertain way because that is the traditional method. You must

understand whythe teachers before you chose that method.If it was just personal preference, then why notyourprefer-ence as well? Most always, there is an outer, practical reason

Gongfu Tea Tips October 2013


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collectors can tell cakes apart, especially ones from the samefactory, like for example the Red and Blue Mark Song PingHao cakes. Te leaves in these ancient cakes were larger-leafblends, and were harvested completely from old-growthtrees. When the New China was established in 1949,the central government declared that all industry belongedto the people. Even the tea industry was handed over to thelocal government. Tese changes closed these family-run,private businesses in the 1950s and the Antique Era cameto an end.

Te Masterpiece Era

Te start of the Masterpiece Era began with thecreation of the state-run factories, like Menghai, which isstill in existence today. In order to control and stabilize theproduction of tea in Yunnan, the China ea Corporation,

Yunnan Branch was created. Tey had their own logo,brand and trademarkestablished in 1950, and registeredwith the central government in 1951. Tis trademark is the

now famous 8-Zhong ea character that is in the centerof all the cakes from the Masterpiece and later Seven Sonseras. Te character zhong() means middle or MiddleKingdom, viz. China. Eight of them surround the char-acter for tea, cha(), since that number was consideredlucky. It also symbolized the goal of distributing Chinese teato all eight directions of the world.

Red and Blue Mark teas, as well as others from theMasterpiece Era, are now also very rare. While they arent asexpensive or as difficult to find as Antique Age teas, manyvintages are quickly approaching comparative values. Like

the older teas, these too are treasures.ea cakes in the Masterpiece Era are distinguished

from earlier ones by the obvious change to using outerwrapping paper. All these cakes were wrapped in handmadepapers with the 8-Zhong trademark in the center. Tename of the China ea Corporation, Yunnan ProvinceBranch Company was printed in a ring around the centralcharacter, and read from right to left (which helps distin-guish these cakes from later ones produced in the SevenSons Era). Te style and methods used to wrap seven cakesinto tongs didnt change in the Masterpiece Era: they still

used bamboo bark with soft bamboo twine to hold the tongclosed.Te Masterpiece Era is considered to be the 1950s

and 60s, and characterizes by four main categories of tea.Some authors subdivide these cakes into more varieties.

The Legend of How Oolong Tea Began

Article by Wu De

It should be noted that mostall the terms used to identify

the families and eras of Puerh teabegan for the most part with thescholarship of the 1990s. Duringtheir own times, these teas were

everyday commoditiesnames and trends always changedwith the times. Also, one should remember that the lines be-tween these eras, while based on reason, are ultimately arbi-trary. Tough most scholars agree in general, certain vintagesright near the boundaries might slip into either age depending

on what one reads.

Te Antique Age

Tis era of tea includes all the tea that was producedprior to the formation of Communist China in 1949. All ofthe factories from that time were private businesses and nonehad anywhere near the output of those today. Many of thesetrading firms also dealt in other goods as well, like rice andother agricultural products. Puerh tea was just one com-

modity amongst others. Some of them were even owned bysingle families, like the legendary Song Ping Hao and ongQing Hao. Tey were often small, rural houses where teaand other products were all processed completely by hand.Te demand of the market at that time was small and annualproduction in numbers that would make even the state-owned factories of later years scoff. Old tea house owners inHong Kong have reported that 10jian(or baskets, eachwith 84 cakes, therefore equaling 840 cakes) was enough forthe entire island for one year. Te demand for Puerh was lowbecause the retail price was relatively high compared to other

teas. Nevertheless, many would argue that the cleaner andmore natural farming methods and environment lent thesecakes a certain majesty not found in any of their descend-ents. Te fact that many of these teas are now 70 or moreyears old, coupled with the fact that very few were producedto begin with, makes them extremely rare and valuablesometimes costing more than a hundred thousand USD percake.

Te cakes from the Antique Era were never wrappedwith an outer wrapping paper. Perhaps it was consideredtoo costly at the time; and preservation wasnt as much of

an issue. However, all the cakes did have a nei feior innertrademark ticket embedded into the tea just like the ones oftoday. Many also had a nei piao or stack ticket that restedin each stack of seven cakes (tong). Other than the leavesthemselves, these trademarks are really the only way that

Introduction to the

Three Eras of Puerh TeaArticle by Wu De


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Tis list is, therefore, a gross simplification, as most Chineseanthologies will include some later teas in this era, as well assub-divide these categories into many cakes. Nevertheless,this is a start to understanding the Masterpiece Era:

1. Red Mark Round Cake2. Red Mark ie Bing (iron discuss)3. Grade A and B Blue Mark Round Cake

4. Artistic Font Blue Mark ie Bing (iron discuss)

Te Seven Sons Era (Chi se Bing)

Te Seven Sons Era began in 1972 with theformation of the now-famous China National Nativeproduce & Animal By-product Import & Export Compa-ny, referred to so often as the CNNP. Te new agencywould take control over all the Puerh production duringthe period. Te three main factories of the time period were

Menghai, Xiaguan and Kunming. During this time, theproduction of Puerh tea increased as a result of a growingforeign market. More tea was exported than ever before. Asa result, more of these teas are floating around the vintagemarket than their predecessors, though some of these


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Alot of work has been done on our land, removingsome undergrowth and making a path, building atemporary structure to help change the zoning laws and tohouse tools in, and even some cultivation of ginger, herbsand fruits. Each season brings its own beauty to the moun-

tains here, though we dont have such dramatic changes assome parts of the world.We recently went up to the land and walked

around with a feng shui master, who mentioned that ourspace was perfect for spiritual work and that it would besafe from earthquakes and typhoons. Te waterfall wasblazing and all of us got our feet wet in the river, sitting onstones and talking about the inspiring views. On the wayhome, we cut two huge bunches of wild, ripe bananas andtook them home. Tey went into delicious smoothies overthe course of the next two weeks. Aside from getting non-profit status, the mostimportant things you can do to help us build this amazingcenter are to promote awareness and help us fill up thisGlobal ea Hut to capacity. Also, we still have quite a bitof the Light Meets Life Puerh cakes that you can order.Tey can be shipped from the States or from aiwan,

whichever is most convenient. A single cake could easilyfit in your GH envelope, saving shipping. Te minimumdonation for each cake is twenty dollars.

As this is the chrysanthemum month, you mightwant to consider boiling up the Shou we created. Yourhelp in promoting these cakes will bring us an important

abundance. We plan to do this once a year, but we willneed to sell them out in order to do so. As a result, we planto include the cake descriptions in the next few monthsnewsletters.

Shen Nongs Brew

Shen Nongmeans Divine Farmer in Chinese. Heis the legendary emperor who ruled China for a thousandyears, teaching the people to farm, boil water and the use

of medicinal herbsbringing them civilization. He mostlikely represents the collective wisdom of all the tribalchiefs and shamans of pre-civilized China. Tey say hediscovered tea while meditating in the forest. A single leaffell into his boiling pot of water, and he exclaimed: Tis isthe ruler of all medicinal herbs! Te first cake is a 2007 organic Lin Cang ShouPuerh blended with Kun Lun snow chrysanthemums. It is

very rare to find a shou Puerh that is organic and has someold-growth raw material, especially since the price of suchold tree tea has gone up recently. In 2007, however, it wasstill possible. Te five years have also helped to mellowout the tea, adding depth. Snow Chrysanthemum tea is arare and highly sought-after high altitude flower tea fromKunlun Mountain, Gansu Province, China. Te flowersare picked and sun-dried once a year (late summer), thenhand-sorted into various grades. Tis is the highest gradeavailable, and it brews a lovely liquor with a strong sweetand spicy flavor. It is thought that properties within thechrysanthemum flower have a calming effect that aidssleep. In the raditional Chinese Materia Medica, SnowChrysanthemum is said to restore respiratory fitness, regu-late blood pressure and prevent cancer.

Light Meets Life


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of human behaviour instantly picked up on several traitswhich were less than masterly, less heavenly and perfect thanwhat seemed to be hinted at in his biography (or what I hadlet my mind expect after reading his impressive biography).I tried to observe the jugding mind from a little distance, towedge in some space between Me and my judgements, andfollowed an intuition to attend the workshop nonetheless.

Of course, those aspects of personality I picked upon were present indeed in the workshop, but so was a lot ofthe richness, wisdom and depth hinted at by the biography.I was reminded (once again!) of how we are all struggling on

this road to self improvement, how we are all fragile humanswho will make mistakes, stumble and trip back into reac-tion, into Little-Meness. Why expect perfection in others(actually why expect anything at all from others?) when itis so far off in ourselves? We are all trying in our own falibleways. Wu De once mentioned that its not about beingperfect all the time, its about always making the proper ad-

justments. Like a tightrope-walker: he doesnt sprint acrossthe rope in some perfect, flawless single ballet move. Insteadhe takes a few steps, wabbles, then adjusts, keeps going,

loses balance, adjusts immediately, keeps going Tis is anapt analogy to our own personal development and it doesno one much good to harp on the times we or others losebalance or stumble, or to see their entire selves as comprisedof that stumble and trip.Yes that might be the lower self, theLittle Me in free-fall, but lets instead pay more attentionto the re-adjustmentthats the Higher Self in action, andwhat beauty in those moves! So back at the yoga seminar, this teacher had manymoments of truly inspired Higher Self, when the brain wassuccessfully turned down a notch and he was speaking, shar-ing not from a space of ego or from the personality of thislifetime, but from a deeper wisdom. And in these momentsI, as well as the others Im sure, listened and respondedfrom a higher source as well. Tat higher self resonates andresponds to the higher self exhibited in others. What a gift! I was asked to serve tea at this workshop, a nicechallenge of coordination and organization for me as itwas the first time I alone served so many (16) others atone time. Tere was some silence in the tea drinking, buta number of questions were directed my way, and I foundmyself responding to them with words I had never reallyspoken before, very calmly and with sounds seemingly not

being actively spoken by me, or anyone in specific. I wasnot nervous, uninterested in making any kind of appearanceor impression and this cleared the way for some amount ofdepth to be shared.

On impulse, I decided re-cently to participate in a

weekend workshop on yoga andmeditation. I was interested in theparticular approach of the instruc-tor, whose impressive history of

having spent most of his 20s and 30s studying with variousKriya yoga and Eastern tantric gurus aroused my curiosity.Not only did I feel like spending time with a wise person asa way of further cultivating (unleashing?) my own inner wis-dom, but his teaching of how specific yoga asanas are inextri-

cabley linked with consciousness-expansion was of particularinterest to me.

Many yoga schools emphasise physical poses andstretches, add in some peace-of-mind sivasana at the end andtreat yoga as a sub-branch of athletics, as opposed to as anextension of meditation. However, yoga poses seem to havebeen developed mainly for strengthening the alignment withthe higher self, to use the physical to go beyond the physical.Te word yoga itself, Wikipedia tells me in black and white,is Sanskrit for union with the divine. I was also hoping for an event (like this workshop)

to kick-start my own dedication to meditation. While Ihave incorporated quiet time, mostly with a bowl of tea,into almost each mornings practices, they are often neitherrooting/grounding nor, thanks to streams of mind noise,pathways to Source. (Something tells me that if I continuerushing about some 14 hours a day, simply adding on 30minutes of quiet time wont quite do the trick!) Many practi-tioners of meditation at some point get discouraged as initialmini-satoris and waves of deep peace get eventually replacedwith the usual streams of mind noise; incorporating quiettime into everyday schedule does offer inumerable beneficialeffects to be sure, but without occasional guidelines, re-minders and pointers, not to mention strict commitment toregular practise, long-term benefits are questionableat leastthey are less than they could be. Tis is part of a disappoint-ment many encounter after long bouts of trying to achievewhat they had seemingly been promised: Peace! Yet the point of this already-rambling tale is aboutour daily selves/ego/Little Me/Monkey Mind (take yourpick) versus our higher selves/Source/love & compassion(take your pick, and lets forget for a moment that there isultimately no difference between them, thus no versus).Its about the struggle we all encounter as we try to act from

a source of higher self , and the erroneous judgments wemake about others on the same path. When I met the aforementioned yoga teacher a fewdays before the workshop, I found my mind going into anal-ysis mode; my years of psychology training and observation

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I later reflected that within the space of an hour,I myself had acted first out of Little Self (forming mental

judgements about the teacher, analyzing, complaining that Ishould have done something else with my rare free time thanbe there in the class) and then after, apparently, out of High-er Self. All that had changed was an opportunity and spaceto act from that higher realm, which I had given myselfthrough this opportunity to serve tea. Tis contrast in statesof mind was so sharp I felt ashamed that I had not given the

teacher the space and opportunity to act from his higher selfby relating to him only as one ego to another, personalityto personality, body to body. When spirit meets spirit, whatheights can be attained! Even when spirit meets ego/person-ality, the spirit gives an opportunity for the ego to transcend,

and most will rise to the occasion. Tis is among thedeepest gifts we can offer others through tea service. Onlythrough tea? No, basically it is through presence, CalmBeing and recognition in others of that same Calm Being.However, as we all know, serving tea helps us cultivate that. So, to whom do I offer this next steaming cup?


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a peak that was made up entirely of rocks like these. Terocks were so abundant that they were spilling out onto theroad, and we couldnt help but stop five times or more tocollect rocks. We found a couple huge ones for the main teatable at the Center, and some smaller ones for personal use.Tey retain the essence of the mountain from which theycame, and provide a tranquil and elevated-yet-groundedfeeling on the tea table. Te smooth river rocks I use as tea pillows andmatcha whisk rests are similarly calm and grounding, as wellas very cooling. Tese were found in a stream on San Lin

Xi, a mountain in Nantou County famed for tea, bambooand beautiful views, and they still hold a sense of the soundof wind soughing the bamboo groves when I place themon the tea table. Perhaps because they spent so long in abubbling brook near a butterfly filled forest, they work wellin more joyful tea sessions. And the stone tea pillow I found on a shore nottoo far from Miaoli feels like something that has spentplenty of time deep in the ocean and brought great wisdomwith it when it finally came up for air. Accordingly, I use itin more meditative tea sessions.

Te gemstones that sometimes adorn my tea tablewere not items that I found in Nature, but rather in Yingge(aiwans pottery town). On trips there, we often stop into agemstone shop for water crystals, and I always like to keepan eye out for unusually shaped stones that might workwell as tea things. Te best ones Ive found so far are small,rectangular stones that have a flat bottom and a top witha natural indentation. Tey make wonderful rests for teautensils. Te type of stone matters too, both in its appear-ance (soothing green versus invigorating red, for example)and in its energetic effects (heart-balancing jade, energy-fo-cusing amethyst, clarifying quartz), so I try to choose themcarefully when buying them and when placing them on thetea table.

Driftwood

Every now and then, Wu De used to mention thattheres a place near Miaoli where you can find driftwood.Recently, when Wu De was in America, Merlin and I decid-ed to go on a little adventure and find this driftwood spot.

Using intuition, guesswork and Google Maps, we foundthe mouth of an estuary that was littered with driftwood(and, unfortunately, with plenty of debris that had washedup from China). Picking through the rocks and refuse, wefound a segment of bamboo root that makes and incredible

Recently, Ive been deeply im-mersing myself in the two

great joys of the tea lover: seasoningteaware and converting things thathave nothing to do with tea intotools for preparing and serving tea. Te first of these is a

gradual process, one that unfolds slowly over time. Te roleof the tea lover is primarily to observe and enjoy. We let thebrewing and the ea do most of the work with regards toseasoning teaware.

Te second is a more active process, and one whichextends far beyond the tea table, out into the world of dailylife. Making non-tea things into tea things is an act whichI have been delving into more and more since this spring. As a hobby, making non-tea things into tea thingshas brought me great joy. But moreover, as a practice, it hashelped me increase my awareness and expand ea into allrealms of my life. Yesterday, I reorganized my chaxi drawers.Reflecting upon the many beautiful and personally mean-ingful items Ive converted into tea things, I decided to shareglimpses into the act of making that which is not ea into

ea through a few of these objects. (As an aside, I use words like things and objectsto describe the chaxi below. However, Ive ultimately foundthem to be far more than that. Tey are useful tools, yes,but over time each one becomes a kind of helper-friend whosupports the serving of tea. Each one has its own strengthsand personality. As you get to know your own tea things,you may also find that they become tea friends.)

Rocks & Stones

Some of my very favorite converted tea things arerocks and stones. All of the rocks I use for chaxi were found in Na-ture, and still carry a vivid sense of where they originated.For example, there are some richly colored, brittle sedi-mentary rocks that I like to use as lid rests, tea pillows anddecorative items for the tea table (depending on their sizesand shapes). Tey range a thin, flat, shimmery gray stonespeckled with near-black dots to a chunky, multi-hued rockwith color changes reminiscent of oil hovering on the surface

of water, yet they all came from the same place. I found them along with Skylar, Shane and Wu Dewhile visiting the higher reaches of Li Shan (Pear Mountain)on the way back from aiwans famous aroko Gorge. Driv-ing through the misty, winding roads of Li Shan, we reached

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lid rest, pieces of water-smoothed wood that are flat andlarge enough to hold a side-handle pot or a few teacups,longer stretches of root and branch that work well as teautensils, and other pieces of driftwood that are more for lookand feel than actual use. I find that driftwood has spent so much time inwater that it resonates with ea in a different way from reg-ular wood. Also, its colors tend to be especially muted andserene, and its very nature has a certain accepting all that isvibe to it. I usually use it for silent tea sessions. You have to be careful with tea and driftwood,

though, as the brine smell/flavor is often strong and willtake months if not years to dissipate. You can try soaking thewood in hot water, even with a dash of non-toxic bleach. Al-ternatively, you can soak it in distilled water for two weeks,changing the water regularly.

Shells & Coral

While in Okinawa for my brothers wedding, Imanaged to find a few gorgeous seashells. wo of the large,

flat shells I use as tea scoops. Tey display the tea in such anatural way, and can be flipped over after the tea is in thepot, making them doubly beautiful in many cases. And thesmaller or spiraled shells make (depending on their shapes)good tea utensil rests or decorative items for the tea table.

Tey are very well suited for summer, but one shell seemsas though it will work for cooler weather, too. (It has aspire-like appearance, and is opalescent off-white, makingit appear almost like a snow-covered mountain.) I especiallyappreciate these shells because they lend a sort of harmoniz-ing effect to the overall feel of the chaxiand the tea sessionsthey grace (and also because they remind me of my brotherand his lovely wife... though I try not to let that personalsentiment influence my choice in when to use the shells toomuch). Te coral is a contribution I have to credit to

Nick. One day in Yingge, we visited one of our dear teafriends, who was making necklaces with red coral beads. Isaw the light flash on in his head immediately. Te perfectlid rests! His discovery inspired me to keep my eyes rovingfor potential tea things everywhere I look, and the coral lidrest I use today is a great reminder of that. It lends warmthand seems to get creativity and ea wisdom flowing in teasessions.

Human-Made Objects

Although things from Nature can make magnifi-cent additions to the tea table, objects that were fashionedby human hands in order to be used for things other thantea can also have their place.


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liquid if you drink gongfu tea, so if you have to be carefulabout how much you drink in the evening to avoid visitingthe bathroom all night, that might also be a factor to consid-

er.

Write out the schedule

I write or print a piece of paper with the scheduleon it, but for me this can be one of the pitfalls of a self-course. I am, in a sense, the director of the day, so its easyfor that habitual whats next mentality to sneak its wayinto my course through the form of the schedule, because Ihave to make whatever is next happen and happen on time,as it were. I have enough of this mentality in daily life andwant to work on dropping it at least for today. I also findmyself wanting to simply look at the schedule over and over.So, I do my best to pretend it doesnt exist until its time forthe next event.

I have found two tricks that really help me withthis. One is that I write the schedule well in advance, so thatIve forgotten it. Another is that I literally write events onthe paper spaced out and then folded in such a way that Ionly see the current event and its time slot. Ten when itstime, I get to watch with childlike wonder as the next event

literally unfolds before my eyes. Its actually fun, and believeit or not, it was a vehicle for some deep insights for me inmy most recent course.

ea IS cleaning

Tere is a saying in this tradition that Cha Dao is80% cleaning, both inside and outside. I always thoroughlyclean the house the day before I begin. Its a good way toprepare yourself internally as well as externally, as cultivat-ing a pure environment is always beneficial to the cultiva-tion of a pure mind. I also try to begin to enter into thespace I am creating for my course, by doing my cleaningas mindfully as possible, thereby beginning my internalcleaning as well. By keeping my tea area clean (define this as youwish, but for me its really the whole house) I demonstratemy respect and gratitude for my tea, and begin to prepare

for the tea session just as much as I do when I light thefire. As the years have gone by, I more and more palpablyfeel the two as one action. I can honestly say that cleaningis no longer any more of a chore or something I have todo before I can start drinking tea than preparing chaxiorwashing the teapot are. When the cleaning commences, sohas the tea preparation.

If you havent paid much attention to the effectthat your cleaning (both before and after a teas session)has on both yourself and your tea, make sure to pay closeattention from now on. ake the time to reflect on how

much nicer your tea will be tomorrow in a bright cleanuncluttered home where nothing has been left undone. Weall know that feeling, when we are trying to relax in the faceof some put-off responsibility; it just doesnt work, you cant


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settle into it. Similarly, if we dont take the time to preparefor our session as we would to welcome a guest into ourhomes, our sessions will be lacking in depth. I also include smudging, and play sacred musicthroughout the house the day before, even while Im atwork, to pump some extra energy into the space that willhelp the day go well. Naturally, you will want to turn off all

your Googles, as we like to refer to any communication/entertainment devices around here. Bury them if you haveto, but eliminate them from your reality. You will probablysurvive without them. Use a clock or a watch, not yourphone, to check the time.

What to listen to?

You may be tempted to leave the discourse out,wanting more tea, or an earlier bedtime perhaps. Or maybe

it just sounds out of sync in a day of silence. But I havefound that its quite important for me. For one thing, itscratches that mind itch a little bit. It gives my mindsomething to feed on, as it were. But instead of the rubbishmy mind probably wanted to feed on all day, Im feeding itsomething healthy instead; and if I have another day aheadof me, that energy carries into my sleep and is still there thenext day, leaving me more attuned and prepared. It guidesmy thoughts and insights in a good direction, and can moti-vate me with a greater sense of purpose as well. Even in a one-day course though, the discourse pe-

riod is important because I have very much been cultivatingmyself to receive spiritual insight all day, and I will absorbany teaching more deeply than I might have otherwise. Tisis also a big part of why practicing silence throughout theday is crucial. So be sure to choose appropriate reading(s) oraudio recording(s) for this important period each day.

ea for dinner!

You may have noticed, there is no dinner listed in

the schedule above. One of the powerful medicinal proper-ties of tea is that it cleanses the body of impurities. Fastinghas been an aspect of spiritual and physical cleansing as longas humans have existed, and tea has the ability to acceler-ate both the spiritual and physical benefits fasting has tooffer. In light of that, I would also encourage those of youwho arent strict vegetarians to make the effort during yourcourse.

We often challenge guests to at least try a vegetari-an lifestyle for a period of time, just to see if its really as badas they think. After all, meat will still be there, so its not asthough there is anything to lose beyond a little discomfort.If nothing else, its always good to take a stand and facedown anything outside of us that we give power to, such asthe feeling that we have to eat meat to avoid discomfort.

An average person will notice a big difference intheir sensitivity and energy levels increasing within three

months or so, but if you also drink tea every day as part ofthe shift, pretty much everyone will realize huge differenceswithin a month or even less! So even if its only for a day,this is a good chance to witness this powerful property of teafor yourself, and being so light and clean inside will greatlyincrease your appreciation for your evening tea session. I betyou will notice a big difference. It also doesnt hurt to reflect

on how fortunate we are that we can skip a meal as a choice,when so many others alive today are struggling to eat.At first I reacted to the idea of needing to prepare

meals during a self-course as though it was a disturbance,but it isnt really a big deal at all, it just calls for a bit ofpreparation. Te one important factor to consider, besideseating vegetarian food, is that you also choose meals thatare relatively bland. Dont torture yourself; just avoid strongspices and things like garlic, or soda, because it will reallyget in the way of your tea. You should know exactly whatyou are going to eat for each meal in advance, and makesure the ingredients are all bought. You can go further, anddo the prep before you start so you can just throw it in thepan. Or even avoid cooking altogether and go raw.

Tere are plenty of healthy and appropriate mealsthat can be made entirely in advance, depending on thelength of the course. I once made a large container of ahearty salad with nuts and beans and such and had that forlunch each day. Another time I prepared a few vegetablewraps. Shane suggests making a variety of veggie burritosand freezing them. Tere are lots of good options. On theother hand, why not have freshly prepared food every dayinstead? Dont forget, after all, that we are making tea!

One of the integral reasons we practice tea inaddition to meditation is the realization that my practice issomewhat useless if I can only find peace when I am sittingdown in meditation. And this is a tradition of service toothers, so use the power of intention that lies behind a daylike this to fill all your slicing and dicing with mindfulnessand presence. Tere are tons of other things you have todo like make the bed and get dressed and shower and brushyour teethchopping a bit of food isnt that much morecomplicated. Prepare your days tea with each chop andbrush!

Friends and family

Obviously, its quite rude to just suddenly stoptalking to everyone without notice, and if you have room-mates this can be a big challenge. Of course explain whatyou are doing, give them your schedule, and discuss anycompromises that might need to happen. Ten remindeveryone again soon before, asking them to save anythingless than very unexpected and important for when you are

finished. Do your best to tie up any loose-ends and affairsthat might require your input or communication, especiallywith roommates or significant others.

Its important not to be too overbearing andattached to the rules in this area. Tat said, I have always

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scheduled my courses at a time when the house will natu-rally be empty. If that wont be possible, then be sure to berespectful of the fact that other people are notpracticingsilence, and notmeditating (probably). Tey are just livingtheir daily lives, as they have a right to. I am the one who isimportuning. Tis puts the responsibility on me, not them.

I would do my best to schedule around their dayto minimize contact naturally, and not be demanding abouttheir behavior. My state of mind is my responsibility, nottheirs, and whatever arises is my practice. I have informedthem about what I am doing; what they do with that is notmy responsibility. If I live with the kind of person who isgoing to watch a Die Hard marathon that night, well, I did

choose that roommate, so trying to meditate to the soundof grenades must be what I need!

Te course

Now that everything is in perfect order, we areready to begin! And naturally, with everything in its properplace, there is only one thing that can happen. It begins tounravel, of course! In spite of all preparations, it happensto me every time. It will probably happen to you. A friendcame and intruded on my course.

Tey knewI was meditating and practicing silence,but they asked me to speak! Worst of all, it was not anemergency. It was an unnecessary intrusion, was notevenreally my business, and it could have been handled without

bothering me. Nobody really neededto bother me, but they

did anyway! It was horrible! I actually had no choice butto open my mouth and speak, when Im not supposedto bespeaking! Tere I was, developing equanimity and compas-sion for my fellow man, and this inconsiderate, unthinking

jerk Ah, wait a minute Back to equanimity practice.Nothing has stopped me from getting the most

out of meditation more than too much rigidity. Of coursemany people may find that looseness is their tendency, solook for that too. As the famous adage says, too loose andthe string makes no sound, too tight and it breaks. Tiswont be a structured, volunteer-run facility with rigidly

defined boundaries, rules, and a fence running around it,as it would be at a meditation center. Tis has its pros andcons, but make full use of the advantages. Ten make fulluse of the so-called disadvantages as well! Te only alterna-tive is to complain about them, which is pointless. rying topick and choose what you are willing to work with or accept

just results in slower growth and progress. Everything is anopportunity for growth.

Meditating with a friend

I wont say too much about this, as Ive only satwith another person once. We split the chores of the day,with one of us cooking a meal and the other one cleaning itup, and took turns preparing tea. If you anticipate strug-


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gling to stay out of the fridge, off the V, actually wakingup at 4am and so on, it could be a great idea to have themoral support. Tere is no doubt that doing this entirelyon your own requires more discipline than if you have apartner. Make sure though, that you are both committed tosupporting each other in creating a distraction-free space.Be sure you both agree on what this means and that it is

well and clearly communicated in advance. Tis can betricky with a romantic partner especially.

ea

As for considerations that are more specificallytea-related, there are a few things I have found which reallyenhance the course. When we make tea for guests, weensure that as soon as one kettle is finished, there is alwaysa new one ready to go, so the flow of tea is constant. I

dont drink tea this way alone, and definitely not during aself-course. For one thing, I might explode from drinkingso much tea. But besides that, those ten or fifteen minutebreaks waiting for the water to boil are really nice pauses inwhich to simply sit with the tea. I also like to use this timeto acquaint myself more intimately with the nuances of mykettle, as I can listen to it progress from start to finish asthe water boils without the distraction of brewing tea at thesame time.

Ive also found that this is a good opportunity touse subtler brewing techniques, such as making water gong-

fu, without the tea, or drinking bowl tea with one to threeleaves of tea in the bowl. Sometimes I will burn a bit of sub-tle incense such as Aloeswood as well. As for music, its theone potential exception as far as maintaining silence goes.For my first course, Wu De suggested playing a recordedseries of sacred ibetan bells throughout the tea sessions ofthe day. But unless you have something with a very specificpurpose such as this in mind, its best to drink in quiet. Idefinitely wouldnt practice pairing music and tea during acourse, or listening simply for pleasure. Lastly, I love to change the chaxifor each andevery tea session. Its a beautiful practice to keep normally as

well. I like to limit the changes I make to small and subtleones that are still enough to produce an impact, as settingup a nice chaxican take too long and be too distracting. Imight switch scoops, or the tea boat, or the flower on thetable only. I may even change two or three things, but I willmaintain the fundamental theme I started with, or grow itinto another one, as it were (perhaps a cool chaxitransitionstowards warmth, for example). For a longer course, I mightchange the whole thing before going to sleep last thing atnight. During a day of meditation and awareness of thetemporary nature of reality, it is rewarding to actively partic-

ipate in that energy by renewing the tea space and reflectingon this integral principal of tea.

Every course a tea-seed

I hope this article is useful to some of you, andthat you will take the time for a course of your own soon.Te most important thing is to be sure that this is a dayof enjoyment, in spite of the discipline and work that areinvolved. I often feel as though I have never worked as hard

in my life as I did during a course, yet at the same time novacation has ever left me feeling so rested or refreshed.

Performing a course like this on your own isactually something really very special. Tere are meditationcenters and tea centers, but we are a part of a unique tradi-tion, which combines the two and creates tea-meditationcenters. In creating and partaking in your own tea-medita-tion courses now, you are helping us to energetically pavethe way towards our mountain retreat. You are demon-strating to the Universe that there is both the need and thewillingness to heed the call for an awakening of harmony

through tea.Your self-courses will be the first manifestationsof that space we are all creating together, the first flush,the Spring buds of tea-light opening for the first time inthe same spirit of community with which we share thesemonthly bowls of tea. Tese openings and manifestationsmay be small and spread out across the world now, but theday is coming when they will be unified under one roof atLight Meets Life, which will offer nothing less than long-term dedicated tea-meditation courses where we can all sittogether under one roof, complete with guaranteed need-less question protection, prepared meals, and everythingelse youll need to have a productive course!

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this pain has forced me to pay attention to my body more.I cant, for instance, slouch or I am immediately in agony. Ialso must continually monitor painful areas and relax themor it becomes downright unbearable. You could say Fatehas decided to be a rather harsh Alexander of an instructor!

As I deepen my relationship to ea, I have found that somemeditation techniques really transpose well into enhancingmy tea experience too. Te bottom line is that if I am too inmy head, then my tea experience is at the mercy of whatevermental states and thought patterns I am experiencing. Tiscan be cramped and agitating, and too much of my atten-

tion drains away, so that only a small part of me is left toappreciate the tea. However, the more I can bring awarenessinto my body, the more spacious and relaxed I feel. I amthen more fully able to experience the myriad effects thatthe tea has on me. Of course, even without personal effort,tea will probably have this spacious effect. Tis is partly whywe drink it: ea is medicine. But, as Wu De says, these daysnow that the really powerful teas of yore have disappeared(or are too expensive), we must more than ever meet teahalfway to enjoy its full rewards. What can we do to bring our bodies more into our

tea drinking? Te first thing that I do after setting up the teaspace and collecting water is to sit down and scan throughthe body while the kettle is boiling. Tis can be done bothalone or in a silent, mindful group of tea drinkers fairly easi-ly, though it takes a bit more skill in a more chatty informalsession! If Im alone, I close my eyes and allow awarenessto flow through the body, part by part, acknowledging anyareas that feel tight or blocked, and letting go of any tensionI am able tosending kindness to the rest. It really is quitesimple. You can either start at the top and work down orvice versa. Te key is to directlyexperience your body, notexperience the thought-about-it. Tis means that we do notthink about say our foot and connect solely to the mentalimage we have of it stored in our brains. Rather, the bodyscan is about moving awareness to directly experiencesensations in the foot: feelings of warmth or coldness, flowor stagnation, pressure from contact with the floor, tensionor relaxation: the bare energy of that space. Tere reallyis a whole world in your foot when you take the time toexplore. In fact, the deeper you go, the more difficult it is toeven find this thing we call a foot, to locate this hermetical-ly sealed silhouette we call the body. More on this later. Becareful, though, not to drift off and let your kettle boil over.

Dont be like the ibetan guru who sat down to a meal withhis followers and decided they should say a quick prayerbefore they ate. He then drifted into meditative absorptionfor 5 days and awoke to scold everyone for serving himfood with maggots crawling in it! Learning to listen to the

MediTEAtion Part II: The BodyArticle by Nick Dilks

It is getting increasingly diffi-cult in this crazy world of ours

to reclaim the balance betweenbody and mind. Tink about itfor a minute. Most people feel it isnormal and healthy to send their

children to pre-school at around two or three years old, andkeep them studying until they graduate at 18. Ten its offto University for another few years before finally being re-leased into a job. We do this out of love, of course: we wantour kids to be able to compete with other kids, to get a good

education, then get a job that they are happy with and earn adecent living. And this is how society is. Tis is its priority: toproduce useful citizens who can contribute to the needs of thepopulous. But is it really necessary for a happy and balancedlife to have our heads stuffed in books for over 90% of ourfirst 21 years? Tis society seems to think so, and dont getme wrong; school can be cool. It was for me, and I am verygrateful for (some of) my education. It was the foundationfor the best studies in my life: those that began after school! Itis awesome to be able to reflect on life the way that I do. Butthe sheer domination of education in our early lives points to

an over-privileging of thought and reason in Western society.So, what about the body? What are we taught about

the body in our educational systemapart how to hone itfor sports events or its scientific nomenclature in Biologylabs? Some schools are more progressive of course but thereis a glaring absence of any instruction on how to relate tothis lump of Latin names that carries us around while weare busy memorizing all these facts about it. For instance,schools could help children learn to relax their body, tonotice the emotions that arise within it and process themhealthily, or how to balance their awareness of body/mind,so that consciousness does not reside solely in the crampedwalnut of the cerebrum! Nowadays, some schools in the UKare actually doing Emotional Intelligence courses that touchon these areas, but not many. Such things are very new. Iwas in my mid-twenties before I walked into a Buddhistmeditation class and realized such things were possible! If weadd to all of this the modern tendency to rush around doingimportant things and the gadgets and distractions that keepus locked in our heads, its easy to see why the relationshipbetween body and mind is so skewed in our times. I mention all of this because the ability to balancebody and mind is key to mindfully drinking tea. Of course,

for some this balance may be natural. With a bit of luck,you may even be wondering what Im going on about. If so,then good for you. But for the rest of us there may be somework to do in this area. Personally, I do a lot of bodyworkin meditation. I have had sciatica for eight years now, and


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emerging wind soughing the pines whilst scanning can be adelightful process, rather like watching spring snow for thefirst signs of green tips of grass poking through. One mo-ment there is silence and emptiness, the next moment, form.

Focusing in this way really helps us to get out of our headsand emerge from the tyranny of thoughts. Te key to doingthis is to become more interested in something else, and thesensations of the body along with listening for the nascentsounds of the kettle are a great way to do this. Whether I am alone or in a group, I keep returningto my body as the tea session progresses. Obviously, moreof my attention will gravitate towards the mouth sensa-tions as I start to drink the tea. Tis is a whole other topicthat is covered in many of the gongfu experiments in backissues of this newsletter or Te Leaf. But it is not just about

flavors and aromas. Scanning through the body really helpsme to connect to the teas Qi too. Te more I am aware ofmy body, the more aware I am of the teas energy flowingthrough me. Tis is something that I really enjoy exploring,and if Im alone, Ill often have a few drinks and then takethe kettle off the burner while I close my eyes and explorethis world. What changes have happened energetically asthe tea diffuses through my being? Is it a gentle, Yin energyor Yang? Constant or wave-like? Superficial or deep withinmy body? Mainly in the limbs or in my torso? Radiatingoutwards or towards the core, and so on? By doing this, I am

deepening my connection to ea. I am not just coming awayfrom a session with some vague sense that something hasshifted for the better; I am actually exploring the energet-ic changes directly in my body. By doing this I feel that Iam meeting tea halfway and opening myself to its healing

energy. ea can open blockages. It can release traumas heldin the body, and so much more. But I think it is much lesslikely to do so, if I am stuck in my thoughts and mentalstates a short distance away from my body.

Te great thing about tuning into the body is thatbodily sensations always happen now! If we are present inthis way, it is much more difficult to drift off into past andfutureaway from Life. oo many people, myself includ-ed, are guilty of John Lennons famous admonishmentthat Life is what happens while we are busy making otherplans. I, for one, use my tea drinking sessions to practicereturning to the present when my mind drifts off. ea is anawesome aid for this practice. Tis is why the Zen monksof old took tea onto their zafuswith such zeal. I hope thisarticle acts as inspiration for some of you to more con-

sciously bring the body into your tea, as well as tea intoyour body. At the very least, it should help to make yourtea more spacious and enjoyable. Even if you just pay moreattention to your posture and keep that spine alert, you willnotice the benefits. But the body is more than a mindful-ness tool. It is also a gateway to vastness. As we explore,where does it really end? Is our assumption of a mentaloutline to the body real or just mind-made? Why not drinksome tea, close your eyes and have a look for yourself?

Te summer soft surrenderso the Autumns cooler breeze,But Im too caught in mundane thoughto spot such things as these.


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Tis is a love story that defies convention andstretches the well hydrated and aromatically steepedthreads of imagination. A magical tale of ea meets Girl.

A debriefing of the nurturing friendship that has blos-somed between a wise old beverage and a picaro change-ling. Lets begin at the latest conveniently designatedbeginning

Ave Global ea Brethren and Sister-Kin! MeetSeason (which is I), a poet and performance artist, devoteeof synchronicity, boogie dervish, and mixtress of mysticalpixie sauce. wo years ago I began a daily recitation of amantra that was, in essence, an invitation for Divine sanc-tuary to be delivered to me as well as a declaration of mybody and all that I do as deliverances of such. wo weekslater Enter: Te Way of the ea.

Upon my first tasting with aylor and Colin attheir ea temple in Venice Beach, California, I was guidedby Colin to connect with the tree from which the leaves

came and the land on which that tree grew. Cue: MajorEpiphany! I was immediately transported through timeand space to a foreign landscape. I could tangibly feel theplants roots reaching spindly appendages deep into theearth below and the nutritive pulsations of Nature cor-ralling upward through its trunk. I was tickled by gentlebreezes in Her branches and serenaded by the subtle songof soft rustling and the delicate applause of leaves. I was

welcomed into the globoid embrace of exotic atmosphere,the convex curvature of mildly complexioned skies abovean especially salient feature, with the stable presence of

bulbous hills overlooking the scene from a polite distancein the backdrop and this was all just within the firstten minutes of the first date! I quickly made ample roomfor ea in my life and in return, ea has ever since beeneaching and talking to me, taking me to transcendentastral parties and imperial other worlds on Her coilingseamy coat-tails.

Each day I meet with many facets of this dynam-ic spirit, from Her serene awakenings in mornings as wedrift in a crisp waning daze through the ebbing tides ofdreamland and in the afternoons surfing alpha waves, toHer more playful and adventurous incarnations whichlove to bibulously conspire on art projects and wax philo-sophical under full moons. ea is now the trustee accom-plice and co-conspirator of all that I write. She mingles

with my mind in metaphor and lacquers my tongue with

Each month we introduce one of the Global ea Hut members to you in these newsletters. We hope that this helps us all get toknow each other better. Its also to pay homage to the many manifestations that all this wonderful spirit and tea are becoming, asthe tea is drunk and becomes human. Te energy of the tea fuels some great work in this world, and we are so honored to show yousome glimpses of such beautiful people and their tea. Tis month we though you should meet the talented, sparkly and incredibly

postive beam of light we call Season Cole.

Her clarifying liquor as I rap and rhyme. Ive become a bitof a Mad-Hattered-Italian-mother with ea, officiouslyproviding a bottomless bowl for all who visit.

ea creates an energetic quality standard and is abarometer of purity in my life, where ever She goes mustbe up to her preferences par and is instantly designatedsacred space. She is the soothing guru shrub, so generously

aiding and abetting many meditative and conscious explo-rations. She has transformed the way I relate with my foodand drink and the way I commune with the vegetal realms. I feel right at home wherever I go where there isea; she is my trustee travel companion and faithful co-in-habitant. I just recently moved to Portland Oregon fromSouthern California, and am cozied up in an undergroundforest adjacent faery alcove, sitting with innumerous bowlsof eas kind brew each day, watching small parades ofdeer graze and raid the fruit trees in the yard. If any ofyou ea-familia find yourselves in the rainy City of Roses,

youre invited Until then, farewell for now fellow wayfarers!Bowl bottoms up! Cha Dao Cheers and out!

Tea Wayfarer


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Te Global ea Hut website has a forum, where we canall discuss this months tea and ask or answer questions,as well as share our experiences. It is a great way to meetsome of your brothers and sisters in the hut. Come and

join us:www.globalteahut.org/forum

(We are also on Facebook and witter now!)

We have a great video series online now. Tere are many

videos about this tradition, tea brewing, the center andWu Des travels and work. Tey are all very inspiring towatch. You can visit our Youtube channel via the GHwebsite or watch the video on the new page at our site. Wewill be launching regular videos all the time so check back!

Tere are currently 200 people in Global ea Hut fromall around the world: countries including Spain, Tai-land, Russia, Estonia, Australia, New Zealand, America,Canada, USA, the U.K. and aiwan. Our accountant,Kaiya the Magnificent (and Merciful) says that things areabundant nowadays so we should all live happily everafter,forever and ever! Membership will be limited to 250ishmembers!

If any of you are interested in seeing these newsletters infull color, you can read them on the Internet at the GH

website, under the link for newsletters. Some of the pho-tography is worth taking a peek at.

You are all welcome to visit our center in aiwan. Allclasses, as well as room and board are completely free ofcharge. We have tons going on. You can read more at:

www.teasagehut.org

We may have changed all the shipping to unregisteredpost due to an inflation in the cost of aiwanese shipping.

What this means is that you wont have to sign for GHanymore; it will just be left on your door or in your mail-

box. Tis may mean that some get lost, and we cant trackthem, so you will have to let us know if you dont get yourGH.

Wu De is traveling to Estonia and the Ukraine in mid-Oc-tober for around three weeks, until early November. Tere

will be workshops, interviews, lectures and ceremonies inalinn, artu, Southern Estonia and Kiev. For informationcontact Steve: [email protected]

As you can see we are shifting our GH services around:changing the format of these newsletters and the printer.

(Hopefully you see this as improvementwe do!) We alsohad to switch envelopes, as the post office doesnt makethe old ones anymore (but that means we can draw on thenew ones). Please contact us or use the forums and let usknow what you think!

Our center here in Miao Li, ea Sage Hut, has a newkitchen (now with a Vitamix thanks to Mia!). As many ofyou know, this was a long time coming. Te new kitchenis gorgeous, complete with a kitchen god, new cupboards,stone counters, a Kuanyin and much more.

www.globalteahut.orgwww.teasagehut.org

www.the-leaf.org

Be happy!

Center News
http://www.globalteahut.org/forumhttp://www.teasagehut.org/mailto:maadlus%40infonet.ee?subject=WuDe%27s%20Triphttp://www.globalteahut.org/http://www.teasagehut.org/http://www.the-leaf.org/http://www.the-leaf.org/http://www.teasagehut.org/http://www.globalteahut.org/mailto:maadlus%40infonet.ee?subject=WuDe%27s%20Triphttp://www.teasagehut.org/http://www.globalteahut.org/forumhttp://www.globalteahut.org/forum


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Our Center (Tea Sage Hut) Food and entertainment, trips and gas for visitors who wish to see Taiwan Bowls and tea for every guest to take home A Puerh storage cave on the third oor A library of vintage teas for future students to study from A large collection of various teawares to learn from

Future Center (Light Meets Life) Mountain land (We got it! Check this one o) Building (we will need from between 1,000,000-2,000,000 USD)

Gardening (Including landscaping, Tea and vegetables for eating)

Publications Te Leaf, ea & ao Magazine (Online and free at:www.the-leaf.org) Translations of some Chinese texts for free distribution Printing of pamphlets and introductions for free distribution e purchase of copies of Wu Des books: Faces of the Master, ea Wisdom, Way of eaandZen & ea, One

Flavorfor free distribution at our center

Videos We need around 500 USD worth of equipment (Contact us if you have some equipment to donate)

We are also looking for alternative ways to better host/share our videos online

Our Projects

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October 2013 GTH Newsletter

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