A tea tale

The saint who came all the way from India to china was worried. He selected an abode for himself to engage in meditation. But he failed to continue with vigilance.

“This is nothing but my own lethargy,” he murmured to himself seated in a corner of an outer space.

“I must not allow myself to fall asleep for I had a good sleep during the midday. Let not lethargy enter my mood of meditation. He was determined to keep his eyes closed, and keep the mind fully awakened.”

“Let me not hear even the chirp of a book or a sound of cicadas. Let me discard all the sounds that disturb me. I am vigilant I am fully awakened. At least for a few more minutes I should keep my mind off from disturbances. Having determined to do so, he slowly inhaled and exhaled. It was the breath meditation that he continued to practise. But unknowingly he had a gradual drowsiness. He for a moment fell asleep. “Oh my... what is happening to me? I shall punish myself for my failure in the determination. How should I punish myself?”

He touched his eyes. Then he brought his fingers on to the eyebrows.

“I must pluck these eyebrows one by one.”

There was a faint pain that appeared on his forehead as he plucked the eyebrows one by one. While plucking the eyebrows one by one, he placed them on the palm of his left hand. These eyebrows may remind me that I have undergone a punishment. This should teach me that I should be vigilant. These eyebrows are not wanted anymore.”

Having though thus he looked at the eyebrows he had removed. None remained above his eyes. He did not want to throw the eyebrows he had already plucked. He got up and called an attendant,”Please come over here,” he said showing the eyebrows.”

Can you do me a favour?” he asked.

“Yes master, what can I do for you?”

“Please bring me a hot cup of water.”

“Yes certainly,” the attendant went off and brought a hot cup of water. The saint drained half of the water and put the eyebrows into the remaining water. The attendant went on watching what the saint was doing. A sweet odour emanated from the cup of water.

“Master, I feel a sweet odour. Don’t you?” Asked the attendant.

The saint inhaled a breath to find that he too sensed a sweet odour.

“Can you do me a favour?” the saint asked once again.

“Yes master.”

“Please pour the remaining water to a place when people do not walk. Can you?”

“Yes certainly Master.’

Then the attendant took the cup of water remaining and poured it into a place where nobody walked. The saint went on meditating in vigilance.

To his surprise, the attendant too wanted to know what is happening. The following morning, the servant walked up to the place where he poured the water. To his grave surprise he saw a small plant with two leaves springing up.

“I must grow this plant and be watchful.”

As the saint meditated steadily and vigilantly the attendant came to see him often. Then he would walk up to the place where he poured the water.

The plant grew with few more leaves. He touched leaves and brought it up to his nose to smell. Oh this is wonderful, he thought. He plucked some tender leaves and dried them.

He found the sweet odour more and more. Then the attendant walked back to the saint. The saint heard what the attendant had to say. “Put those dried leaves into a boiling cup of water, and bring it back to me.”

The attendant obeying the word o the master put a few dried leaves of the plant. It was yet another surprise. The saint tasted the water which was gold colour and found it quite refreshing. “I tell you that a new drink has come to be.”

“What would you like to call it master?”

“Name it ‘chan’ or tea.” This then is believed to be the birth of tea. The saint is no other person than the great thinker Bodhidharma.