What is happiness? Taoist tea drinkers have their own concepts. They think "Everything is up to the Tao, yet has its own character; the objects have their own natural feature. Follow them and you will get the happiness immediately." Zhuang Zi thought that the mind conform to the laws of nature, bound out of all the limitations from things to forget the body and form, no utilitarian, no superficial fame and combine with the Tao. This level is the free and I greatest happiness in life.
Zhuang Zi's thought nurtured the free spiritual idea of tea drinkers. Happiness at ease is a state of self forgetting and not seeking fame and wealth, is a state that across time and space, makes our hearts free. Happy people do not suffer from the things because they are open-minded people. In their eyes, life is short and a process of experiencing everything，talking about "tea flavored life", which is an ability that can be calmed down and accept everything on the ups and downs of life, confident that they "have the talent but just waiting for the opportunity" when they have not seen their chances, not complacent when they succeeded. Happy people at ease is to remove the spiritual burden of life and enjoying life. Of the Taoist tea drinkers, Bai Yuchan in the Song Dynasty and Ma Yu in the Yuan Dynasty are models.
Bai Yuchan
Bai Yuchan, born in Qiongzhou, lost his father when he was six years old, followed his mother's remarriage to a Bai family and was named after Bai. He took the National Young Talents Examination at the age of ten. The examiner proposed a theme "loom" for them to write a poem, and he immediately answered loudly "The land, mountains and rivers make the loom; flowers are the brocades and the willows are silks; make the cloud as a piece of work, the moon and sun are the shuttles flying high." At the scene, people were amazed by the young man. Bai Yuchan studied hard and was well learned, but Yuchan studied hard and was well learned, but failed many times in the national examinations, and then he gave up his studying for fame, and travelled a lot to look for teachers and make friends, finally stopping in ujian Wuyi mountains, for a long time practicing in zhizhi Temple and teaching in Chongyou temple. He is utterly unruly, his self introduction says:
Been barefoot for thousands years, breathing the sunset air through life. Laughing and pointing at the foot of Wuyi mountains, my home is in the deep clouds.
Wuyi Mountain is the famous birthplace of tea in China, where Bai Yuchan had a nourished and more free life. In his Song in A Wuyi Boat, he wrote:
The fairy's home on the fairy peak, brewing new tea for guests.
Master pointed to the smoke, the water falls from the cliff just like shearing the snow.
About the Qingxu temple He has lived, he wrote:
The moon moves the flower shadow to the window, the wind attracts the sound of pines to my pillow. Savoring tea after a long sword dance, holding the musical instrument to sleep after writing the poem.
Bai Yuchan recorded his life in Wuyi mountains in poems. Here we select six them:
(A) Spring
Three Springs of flowers and birds are clear today, I come to the world talking about this.
The situation is nice that having tea in front of you, only the aroma of tea moves there.
(B) Summer
Birds singing calling for green leaves, butterflies asking for new flowers. Suddenly a tittle wind breezes, the crows singing in the mountains before sunset.
(C) Autumn
After rain several heaps of moss look like brocades, clusters of golden sunflowers towards sunrise. Make a clear whistle to this view, wild monkeys echoing in the green forest.
(D) Winter
A Few feet of snow covers the hill path, but a flower is calling for the spring.
The ice in river was green last night, the wind was blowing red clouds.
(E) Write immediately The rain in March is the least lovely, only two cups of tea helps.
The leaves before the window know my heart, the sound of rain drops sounds like the dark drum.
(F) The scene on spot The mountain is green and the water waves, a few birds singing with clouds. My heart should be such clear as the water, holding the cups and laughing to the sky.
The mountain is green and the water waves, a few birds singing with clouds, heart should be such clear as the water, holding the cups and laughing to the sky.
What is immortal life? Bai Yuchan's days in Wuyi mountains are immortal. What is happiness? To be free like wind breezes and relaxed as white clouds. Bai Yuchan became a famous Taoist priest, since he enjoyed the supernatural landscape, nourished by the tea and absorbed the essence of Confucianism and Zen Buddhism. He opened up the southern Neidan study in Wuyi mountain and became the legendary fifth South Taoism master. During the Jiading years (1208A.D.~1224A.D.), Emperor Song Shenzong titled him as the "Purple clear master". When talking about his own achievements, he proudly said "The bamboo is long and green, and Prajna flowers open in color yellow. Send my message to Liu Tiemo and self-knowledge Zhaozhou tea."
Ma Yu (Horse Jade)
Ma Yu, (1123A.D.- 1183A.D.) also known as Shan Dong, or Dan Yangd, was bom in Shandong Ninghai (now Shandong Mouping). His family was rich and powerful, and people call them the "semi-state Ma". In July of the seventh Dading years (1167A.D.), Wang Chongyang was preaching in Ninghai, Ma Yu and his wife listened to the teachings, and then resolutely decided to follow Wang Chongyang and abandon their family business, to explore the real value of life and happiness.
Ma Yu studied Wang Chongyang's simultaneous way to practice, took quiet inaction, free and uninvolvment as cultivation purpose. He was talented and enlightened quickly. Before his death, Wang chong yang passed the head position of Quan-Zhen Religion to Ma Yu.
After Ma Yu became the head, he started preaching in Chang'an in Shaanxi Zhongnan mountains and Baoji, not only providing the salvation to common people, but also to many prominent and wealthy squires. Ma Yu formed his own characteristics as a preacher. He was good at using friendly lyrics and poems to promote the concept of Taoism. For example, in promoting the view of free happiness, he wrote:
Man Ting Fang . Out of the Cage
Break the habenular of fame, knock off the lock of interest, happily leap out the cage. Free to visit anywhere I want. Take inaction, clean family tradition. No emotion, no hate and no love, harmonious everywhere. Not only body is magnanimous, heart is as well Natural silence to clarify the around, get the tranquility. Nothing needs to be worried about, make the decision to go to the Peng palace!
In the life of self-cultivation, tea is the best accompany for Ma Yu. He had many tea poems, such as Long-thinking tea, Nice Partridge . Sing Tea, West River Moon Tea, Million Years Spring Tea, Riding Clouds Tea. The West River Moon Tea is very wonderful:
In Snow near the river, the yin and yang made good fortune. Yellow buds and nice leaves coming from a mysterious place, with exceptional aroma. Grinding lightly with fine jade, brewing with boiled sage water, Shan Dong tried and went to Yao Chi, do not want Lu Tong to Know.
It can be said that the Taoist provided the idea of "relaxed and free life" for the tea drinkers, but tea accompanied the Taoist and preaches a free and relaxed life. Bai Yuchan was tired of the pursuit of fame and worked for a free life; Ma Yu gave up a rich life to pursue a life of free. They have both achieved not only the spiritual happiness, but also great virtue, leaving reputable names in Chinese history without intention.
