Tea and Buddhist Monasteries

Original Chinese text / Lin Jung-wen (林鍾妏)


There is a legend in Chan Buddhism. It is said that after Bodhidharma crossed the sea to China, he spent nine years in a cave, practicing sitting meditation while facing the cave wall. During this time, he was troubled by frequent drowsiness. In order to overcome drowsiness, he resolutely tore off his eyelids and threw them on the ground. From that spot, a plant began to grow. One day, as his disciples were boiling water for drinking, a gust of wind blew some leaves from the plant into the boiling water. Unexpectedly, when Bodhidharma drank the water, he felt energized and no longer nodded off during sitting meditation. From then on, he would drink water boiled with the leaves of this plant while meditating.
 
The plant in this story is "tea," marking the earliest legend that connects tea with Chan. Did the connection between tea and Chan really begin with Bodhidharma? We cannot verify it at this point. But what we can confirm is that the encounter between Chan tradition and tea had a significant impact on both. Chan Buddhism has developed a simple practice of using tea as a means of investigating the mind, turning drinking tea into one of the ways to practice Chan in life. On the other hand, with the integration of Chan philosophy, Chinese tea culture was further enriched, becoming an aesthetic of living.

 
The Promotion of Tea by Buddhist Communities
 
In fact, tea had a long history in China before the arrival of Buddhism. Initially regarded as a medicinal plant, tea was not widely consumed by the public. It was not until the Tang dynasty that it became a popular drink. However, it is said that during the Northern and Southern dynasties, monastics in monasteries south of the Jianghuai region had already begun advocating for tea.
 
By the Tang dynasty, the popularization of tea was closely related to its promotion by Buddhist communities. One obvious example comes from Lingyan Temple (靈岩寺) on Mount Tai (泰山), a site renowned for its Chan practice. There, monks were expected to stay awake during sitting meditation and refrain from eating after noontime, but they were allowed to drink tea. As a result, monks brought loose tea leaves with them to prepare tea whenever needed. This eventually became a trend, as ordinary people began to imitate the monastics' practice of tea drinking.
 
During that time, Buddhist monastics not only advocated tea drinking but also cultivated and processed tea themselves, directly contributing to the spread of tea culture among the general public. Because tea is rich in nutrients that enhance physical strength and mental alertness, it was considered beneficial for spiritual cultivation. For this reason, Buddhist communities widely advocated tea drinking. Many ancient monasteries maintained their own tea gardens, integrating tea planting and processing into their daily Chan practice through farming.


​
Related articles:

The Taste of Chan in Tea

Chan in the Aroma and Color of Tea

Tea Regimen

Things to be Aware of when having Tea for Recreational or Medicinal Purpose

Tea and Buddhist Monasteries

Go Have Some Tea – A Gong'an about Tea

The Art of the Tea Ceremony

How to Brew Chinese Tea?



Resource: Issue 291 of Humanity Magazine (November 2007), Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Translation: Li Siang-ling
Editing: Keith Brown, Ven. Yan Siang (演香法師)