Tea Art Makes Tea-Drinking a True Enjoyment
Tea-Drinking: Between Science, Art and Enjoyment
Tea-drinking requires both science and art, and above all, enjoyment. Science simplifies the complex, while art enriches the simple. A wise person can move from simplicity to complexity to appreciate beauty, and return to simplicity to savor the essence. Tea, once one of the seven elegant pastimes in ancient China, later became a daily necessity, but whether elegant or ordinary, with a teapot in hand, it should always be a pleasure.
The Simplicity of Tea-Drinking
At its core, drinking tea is simple: boil water, add tea leaves to a teapot, and sip. Most people drink tea for joy, not for professional research or excessive evaluation. There is no need to overcomplicate it with discussions about tea varieties or origins. The highest realm of tea-drinking is to enjoy it simply and happily, satisfying both body and mind.
From Physiological Need to Spiritual Enjoyment
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, tea-drinking is a basic physiological need, but true enjoyment lies in moderation. As Lu Tong described in his poem "Seven Bowls of Tea", a teapot of tea can bring physical comfort and spiritual transcendence. Tea has both material attributes (as a crop) and spiritual attributes (as an elegant pastime), engaging all six senses and bringing inner peace and self-reflection.
The Beauty of Tea Art and Its Inheritance
Tea art, a part of humanistic and social sciences, derives its beauty from the process rather than the result. Its charm lies in skill, etiquette and artistic conception, not just the sensory pleasure of a teapot of good tea. As Chinese culinary culture thrives, we should promote tea art, making it more refined and letting tea-drinking become a true enjoyment that enriches people’s spiritual life.