Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Posted by 醉茶生 at 08:30 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related

With regard to the appreciation of Chinese tea, four things are necessary: jìng xiǎo shǎo màn 靜小少慢。

靜 Jing “Quiet”

The setting should be quiet and free from distractions. It should allow one to collect one’s thoughts and to focus the mind.

小 Xiao “Small”

The pot and cups should be small and the finest are made of clay or of porcelain. There are two reasons for this: the small size allows one to regulate the temperature of the tea more easily in much the same way that white wine is always served in a smaller glass. Tea that is served in too large a cup may not be consumed quickly enough before it starts to cool. Tea in a smaller cup may be finished before it cools and the cup then refilled from the pot with tea at the correct temperature.

少 Shao “Few”

The drinking of tea is a solitary pleasure. When shared, there should be at most two or three people present. When there are too many people present, the preparation and serving of tea becomes hurried and mechanical, leaving no time for reflection or examination. 「一人得神，二人得趣，三人得味，七八人是施茶。」 “If alone, you profit your spirit; if with a friend, you may gain enjoyment; if with two friends, you may share the flavour. If with six or seven friends, you are only serving out tea.”

慢 Man “Slow”

Tea should be sipped slowly, and not quickly as if to quench thirst. Take the opportunity to savour what you are doing; not just the tea, but the moment as well.

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