Drinking tea can be quite an art form. The ritual of preparing tea can have a hidden impact on your good fortune, as tea releases propitious energy into your home. It was in Chengdu that I discovered that the tea brewing ritual evolved from an ancient belief that pouring freshly-brewed tea onto specially-made clay images of auspicious items such as the rolling ball (which signifies continuous good fortune) and to auspicious creatures such as the farmer’s cow or the pi yao – plus a whole lot of other lucky symbols – was in actual fact an excellent way of unlocking their inner auspiciousness.
Indeed, we were all so charmed by the simple truths being explained to us by the charming young ladies in the tea supply shop we stayed for hours! And after that, between us, we practically bought up her shop’s supply of lucky objects, we were so happy! We were mesmerized by the clay ox that had been “grown” by them over several months, using tea to create a special shine to the ox; this was done by pouring freshly brewed tea over the ox. The tea left a thin veneer of red, which over time got ingrained into the ox, hence its beautiful detail and shine.
This was how they could ensure the clay ox could unlock its inner energies of abundance. They then pointed to other auspicious objects in the tea tray, before the tea lady started to show us how the tea was brewed. The water should be boiled to about 1000C. It was first necessary to pour hot water over all the cups, jug and pots, and this was basically to wake up the tea set before filling the clay tea pot with fresh tea leaves.
Always use the same teapot unless you are a collector of teapots and have special ones for special occasions or for different purposes. Place the tea into the teapot, and then pour the freshly boiled hot water into the pot. Leave for about twenty seconds or so, then pour away this first dousing of boiling water. Pour it over the auspicious objects already placed on the large tea tray… and think… “with this first pouring of tea, I shall awaken the good fortune hidden within my inner essence”.
You can see from the picture of the tea tray above that there can be as many different auspicious objects as you like. Here on this lady’s tray can be seen a pig (she was born in the year of the pig and hence its presence here is to awaken her personal luck). There is also an object showing two dragons offering the red rolling ball – this is said to be very lucky indeed, as the rolling ball indicates continuous good fortune; then you can see the groundnuts which bring growth luck, the ingot which brings prosperity, the lions to offer protection and the Pi Yao with a coin in its mouth. We had such a fun time investigating ALL their auspicious objects!
The tea is left to brew for several minutes. It is then poured onto a clay or glass jug from where the tea will then be poured onto the small clay cups and offered to the guests. When the teapot has been emptied of the first infusion, hot water is again poured onto the leaves to make a second infusion.
We were advised that when pouring in the hot water, we must always pour enough for the water to overflow, as this is a very auspicious sign. Water overflowing from the teapot indicates an abundance of wealth luck. Altogether, the tea leaves should be of a quality that can offer as much as seven infusions of tea. And after the tea colour has thinned out, it is time to wind up, or if you want more, to discard the old tea leaves and place fresh tea leaves into the pot.
Note that the pot and cups should never be washed with soap. They are always washed with boiling water and left in the tea tray. When the tea drinking is over, the tray collecting water from all the washing and drenching is then discarded. Tea stains are always left on the cups, the pot and the auspicious objects. This is what gives a continuity of good fortune!
WHY DRINK TEA?
Well brewed hot Chinese tea helps the body settle after a good meal; it is an excellent way to still the mind, enabling you to rid your body of tension. Offering tea to elders is also a sign of respect. It is the nicest way possible to apologize or to convey gratitude to one’s parents. Drinking good well-brewed tea after a good dinner adds good chi to any celebration. Over the years then, the art of tea drinking has become synonymous with joyous occasions.
In the present day, the most important occasion when serving and drinking tea is taken most seriously is during the tea ceremony at weddings. That is when the bride and groom use the tea offering to signify their respect for their parents and their elders.
To the older generation, sitting down to share a pot of tea with a friend is very meaningful as this transcends the superficial. It signifies more than two friends being sociable; to those who understand the deeper meanings associated with the ritual, the seemingly relaxed way of preparing the tea signifies that good feng shui is maintained in the relationship.
Sitting down to share several pots of tea evokes the philosophical concepts of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism – the three Pillars of classical Chinese culture, so in itself, drinking tea is already a great way to socialize. Add the extra dimension of good feng shui and it becomes something beautiful to do together.
When you sit down to enjoy several cups of ceremonially brewed tea with me, we will be surrounded by many auspicious objects. You will participate with me in a ritual which takes on an empowering dimension. This is a potent Taoist secret long practised by ancient masters. I could not wait to start practising once I learnt it. The ritual is full of promise and I have incorporated it into my typical day. I have watched with fascination as my auspicious Laughing Buddhas and rolling balls come alive.
Now I know that preparing and enjoying good Chinese tea that has been brewed in a special pot, with water boiled to the correct temperature, using excellent tea leaves to create the mood required and served with specially-fired clay cups can be transformed into a powerful way of “growing the abundance of your home” simply by incorporating artfully-crafted auspicious celestial creatures and carefully selected auspicious objects that awaken good fortune for the household. The operative word here is “awaken”; making the luck represented by these auspicious come alive. Grow them to maturity and watch your luck grow alongside!
USEFUL TIPS IN TEA DRINKING
- Attitude – When you perform the tea brewing ceremony, you should have a joyous demeanour. You must relax and exude a calm disposition. Never brew tea when you are angry or when your mind is disturbed. The energy that goes into the tea should be positive, optimistic and happy. Otherwise, let someone else make the tea!
- Tea Selection – There are many kinds of tea being sold. Some are made from old leaves, some from young, some are blended into a mix, some are pure, and some are fermented then kept to mature. Each kind of tea has its own special fragrance, taste and benefits. The popular teas of today are oolong and pu er tea. Today, the most popular is the green tea (such as ti koon yam) and the dark tea (pu er). But as I am not an expert on tea, you can be like me and seek advice from the experts. There are some excellent tea vendors in town and I am sure they can tell you a good story associated with each tea. Or you can google different kinds of tea. For me personally, I drink ten-year-old Pu Er tea given to me by friends of mine who live in China.
- Use good water – The best quality tea leaves will have poor taste if bad quality water is used. Therefore, select pure, clean water to ensure a
wonderful-tasting tea. - Selecting a good tea set – It is really vital to invest in a good tea tray, teapot and tea cups, and you should always brew your tea in a clay pot. You can use a glass jug to serve into the cups but do use good clay cups, so that the aroma of the tea emerges and wafts your nostrils and the temperature of the tea is just right, being neither too hot nor too cold. You can own several tea sets and I myself own three, one set for when I drink alone, one set for when there is just me and another friend, and a much larger set for when I have several people drinking tea with me.
- Happy ambiance – It is nice to sit close together when drinking Chinese tea. This sets the intimate ambiance that can be so beneficial. A Chinese décor with a hint of Chinese landscape painting is helpful though not essential but you get the idea.
- Practise your technique – It is easy to understand the basics for brewing tea. This is something that takes only a few minutes to learn, but it is only through practice that you can gain the confidence needed to brew a good cup of tea. Remember that it is lovely to adopt a graceful manner that should be reflected in your hand movements, your facial expression and your clothing.
