Origins And Evolvements Of Chinese Zen-Tea Culture

As a particular phenomenon in the history of Chinese traditional culture, Zen-Tea Culture is characteristic of tasting zen in tea, which makes a great contribution to the global culture. Originally, tea and zen are two different cultures; they evolve into a new culture--Zen-Tea Culture gradually via interaction and interrelation in their own lengthy development history. This essay starts with historical integration process of tea culture and Zen culture, and aims at explaining the process from independence to integration of tea culture and Zen culture through philology and relevant material. On this foundation, the author searches their intemal and profound integration reasons in the field of daily life, self-realization methods and religious ideas and so on, and then explores spirit characteristics and cultural connotation of Zen-Tea Culture.The essay is consisted of five parts.Firstly, the introduction has carded on the simple review to both domestic and foreign research present situation. Although there are many research works on Zen-Tea Culture, it is nessesary to go on researching.First chapters: A Brief Introduction to the Development of Tea Culture and Zen Culture. Originally produced in China and experienced a course from officinal to edible and drinkable, tea wins the favor of literators in the Wei Dynasty, Jin Dynasty, and Southern & Northern Dynasty, evolves into independent Tea Culture in Tang Dynasty, and enters its most prosperous ear in Song Dynasty. Buddhism comes into China via India in Han Dynasty. Buddhists cultivate themselves by za-zen. With the sinicization of Buddhism, Zen Buddhism whose tenet is zen comes into being in Tang Dynasty, and also to a head in Song Dynasty. Zen-Tea Culture becomes formed in Tang Dynasty when both Zen and Tea are popular, and is brought to perfection in Song Dynasty.Second chapters: Trace back integration history of Zen-Tea, and focus on the literature. There are five parts. Firstly, The Buddhist monks begin drinking tea in large quantity in order to attain a better meditation on Buddhism; Secondly, The Buddhist monks plant tea; Thirdly, The Buddhist monks sacrifice Buddhas with tea; Fourthly, The Buddhist monks introduce religious tinge and Buddhist meditation into the tea culture; Fifthly, A unique phenomenon in the history of Chinese culture comes forth, that is an integration of tea and Zen. Traced the integration process of tea culture and Zen culture, we may see, that goes deeper and deeper, from outside to the inside. The integration of tea and zen mainly manifests in daily usage: Buddhist monks taste tea when sitting in meditation, serve the guests a wonderful tea and plant tea from Wei Dynasty, Jin Dynasty to Sui Dynasty. With the establishment of Baizhang Ordinance in intermediate stage of Tang Dynasty, the integration of tea and Zen leads into the field of culture: sacrificing Buddhas with tea and other protocols have become a part of temple system. The zen case of Monk Zhaozhou in late Tang Dynasty inducts the tea into the Zen Buddhism whose characteristic is self-realization, which shows that Zen-Tea Culture characteristic of tasting Zen in tea finally formed.Third chapters: The reasons for the formation of Zen-Tea Culture. The reasons are various and the mainly ones are as following. Firstly, tea is of officinal function that could preserve one's health. Buddhist monks taste tea in order to control their body and feelings when sitting in meditation. Secondly, the regulation that Buddhist monks participate in cultivation has provided the powerful material base and safeguard for Zen-Tea Culture. Thirdly, we can find their common ground by analyzing the zen case of Monk Zhaozhou, which indicates the intrinsic, profound reason for formation of Zen-Tea Culture. Fourthly, tea and Zen Buddhism have interchanges in some religious ideas which help tea and zen integrate in daily life.Fourth chapters: Characteristics and influence of Zen-Tea Culture. Moderateness is the soul of our traditional culture; Elegance is the connatural trait of tea culture; Austerity is the mutual spirit of Zen-Tea; Concentration of extreme subtleties of meaning into the simplest of actions is what all Buddhists pursue. Our Zen-Tea Culture spreads to Japan together along with Zen Buddhism, and under their influence, the world-famous tea ceremony of Japan comes into beings.