Opening to the Present Moment — My First Experience with Tea Chan

"I have always enjoyed the way tea is served in tea Chan. That is why I wanted to take part in this activity and share the joy of serving tea with others." As the tea host served each guest with sincerity and wholehearted attention, I could feel how that sincerity touched and nourished everyone’s heart.

I began to realize that meditation does not necessarily have to happen only while sitting. It can also happen through the simple process of serving tea—paying attention to the temperature of the water, warming the cups, brewing the tea, and raising the cup to invite the guest to drink. At the same time, the guest simply brings their whole attention to the color, fragrance, and taste of the tea. In this way, both the host and the guest can practice being fully present in the moment.

I am still very new to meditation. I used to think that Chan practice mainly meant relaxing the body and mind through sitting meditation. But I often asked myself, What does it really mean to relax the body and mind? During meditation, I often became frustrated because I could not understand how to relax. The more I tried to relax, the more I became aware that I was actually holding on to the idea of “relaxing.” Then I would get caught up in my own frustration.

In order to understand this better, I started reading Master Sheng Yen’s teachings on Chan. I tried to use my thinking mind to understand what he meant by “relaxing the body and mind.” More importantly, I wanted to find a practical way to actually experience it for myself.

But the more I tried to understand Chan through thinking, the more complicated it seemed. Trying to be aware of my body and mind while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down—and at the same time trying to relax—felt even more difficult. I gradually realized that understanding Chan intellectually was one thing, but actually practicing it in daily life was another.

I felt as if I were walking through a dark maze, trying to find my way without knowing which direction to take. 

Then, during the one-day retreat on May 30, Venerable Guo Chii (果啟法師) asked the practitioners to practice slow walking meditation in a busy neighborhood, surrounded by people coming and going. As I simply allowed my feet to move forward, one step at a time, I had a small glimpse of what relaxing the body and mind might mean. I did not have to make anything happen. I just walked. For a moment, there seemed to be less of a sense of “me” trying to control everything. Whether my body felt relaxed or tense did not seem so important anymore.

Three months later, I had my first experience of tea Chan, and it brought me a real sense of joy. I felt that I was getting a little closer to understanding what it means to relax and simply be present in the moment.

      Of course, my thinking mind immediately came back again!

I began to wonder: Considering my own habits, temperament, and capacity for practice, tea Chan could be the priority, the second is walking meditation, and then followed by sitting meditation. Is this the suitable sequence of entering Chan for me?

I live in a tea-growing area, so tea is readily available. I already have many of the things needed for a tea setting—tea utensils, a tablecloth, and flower containers. I can also easily find flowers, and plants in my garden to use for the tea table. So I thought, perhaps I can simply begin practicing one person tea Chan by myself.

If I stop giving myself so many choices and just begin, perhaps this can become my way of exploring Chan.

So, this is where I would like to begin: to practice awareness of my body and mind, to learn how to relax, and to learn how to stay with the present moment. I may still be searching for my way through the maze. But now, at least, I feel that I have found a place to begin.

​Written by Yueh L.

Photo：Emily 施心媛