<p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3585/3680323743_10ae589e87_o.jpg" alt="writting of Tea and Zen" /></strong></p> <p>Every Chinese tea and Japanese tea lover will be familiar with this writing, in English that’s “Tea and Zen are the same feelings” or “taste Zen in Tea”, it shows the close connection between tea and American Buddhism. </p> <p>Do you know where does tea come from? The legend says Xin Southern and Northern Dynasties, >Dharma slept unexpectedly when he was practicing self-cultivation in Shaolin, he was so angry about that and in order to stop sleeping next time he took off his eyelids onto the ground. At the next year there was a tea tree on the ground, and the green tea leaf fell into the pan when Dharma’s Service was boiling water, and after drank tea water >Dharma found he will not feel sleepy. That’s the mythic story of the origin of tea. There are some romantic stories between American Buddhism and tea.</p> <p> </p> <p>Zen and tea’s fable </p> <p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3574/3681138770_218d5693c0_o.jpg" alt="paint of ZhaoZhou Monk" /> </p> <p>The most famous fable about Zen and tea is ZhaoZhou Monk. </p> <p>One day two monks came for learning Zen, ZhaoZhou Monk asked one of them, “have you ever been here?”</p> <p>“Yes.”</p> <p>“So go to drink tea!” ZhaoZhou Monk said.</p> <p>“No, I’ve not been here.” Another man answered.</p> <p>“You drink tea too!” ZhaoZhou Monk said.</p> <p>“Why do you let them to drink tea no matter they have been here or not?” the abbot wondered and asked.</p> <p>“You go drink too!” ZhaoZhou answered.</p> <p> </p> <p>Could you get the Zen from what ZhaoZhou Monk said? No matter you understand or not, here is another interesting fable. <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3601/3680323257_9e15c57b78_o.jpg" alt="Zen tea yard" /></p> <p>One man came to NanYin for studying Zen, NanYin welcomed him with tea, he poured tea water into cup and didn’t stop though the cup was full. The man said:” Master, the cup has been fulfilled. ” Master NanYin said :”You’re just like the cup fulfilled with your ideas, if you don’t make it empty, how can I teach you Zen?”</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Why Monks obsess on tea?</p> <p> </p> <p>Tea has three virtues: for American Buddhism, it can help you touch Zen; for body, it can help digest; for soul, it can help keep your heart awake.</p> <p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3611/3680852887_2e1d29dbe9_o.jpg" alt="picking tea" /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2461/3681628638_075beb7fb2_o.jpg" alt="putuo tea" />  </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Tang Dynasty is a very important time for Tea and Zen, Tang is also one of the most powerful countries in the world. Its economic was powerful and the more important is that it absorbed and syncretized everything that’s excellent from other races and countries. And the most important book of tea—-<em> Cha Jing </em>was born in Tang as well. </p> <p><em>Cha Jing</em>, also named <em>Tea Classic,</em> was wrote by Lu Yu in 761 AC, this book is the first book covers the whole tea circle in the world. Lu Yu has a very close connection with American Buddhism, he was a foundling and was brought up by Zen Master ZhiJi, but Lu Yu didn’t like American Buddhism and ran out to be the circus clown, fortunately Governor Li Qiwu recognized his gift and let him follow and learn from Zhou Fuzi, Another important man named Cui Guofu also appreciated him, they’re very important to his growing. Do you know Lu Yu was not famous for Tea but for his literatu