This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this series or simply explore from here.
Likewise, whether formal or informal, the drinking of tea has inspired countless Zen poets and meditation masters to equate the tranquil experience of a mindful sip of tea with a momentary yet fruitful experience of clarity. Not unlike the sense of calm and ease that arises from meditation in a peaceful mountain environment, the drinking of tea is seen to elicit a similar meditative state associated with peace and serenity.
Below you'll find a collection of books related to Zen and tea from Shambhala Publications. We hope these treasures bring you clarity, peace, and enjoyment in drinking up the moment!
Overview
Zen Buddhism: A Reader's Guide to the Great Works
Chan in China
Zen in Korea
Zen in Japan
Additional Resources
>Zen and Tea
$14.95 - Paperback
By Kakuzo Okakura
Introduction and contributions by Sam Hamill
In his landmark entrée to tea culture and history, Kakuzo Okakura celebrates the Way of Tea from its ancient origins in Chinese Taoism to its culmination in the Zen discipline known as the Japanese tea ceremony—an enchanting practice bringing together such arts as architecture, pottery, and flower arranging to create an experience that delights the senses, calms the mind, and refreshes the spirit. It also describes the rich aesthetics of Asian culture through the history, philosophy, and practice of brewing and drinking tea.
$19.95 - Paperback
The One Taste of Truth: Zen and the Art of Drinking Tea
Traditionally in China and Japan, drinking a cup of tea was an opportunity for contemplation, meditation, and an elevation of mind and spirit. Here, renowned translator William Scott Wilson distills what is singular and precious about this traditional tea culture, and he explores the fascinating connection between Zen and tea drinking. He unpacks the most common phrases from Zen and Chinese philosophy—usually found in Asia printed on hanging scrolls in tea rooms, restaurant alcoves, family rooms, and martial arts dojos—that have traditionally served as points of contemplation to encourage the appropriate atmosphere for drinking tea or silent meditation.
Part history, part philosophy, part inspirational guide, The One Taste of Truth will connect you to the distinctive pleasure of sipping tea and allowing it to transport your mind and thoughts. This beautifully written book will appeal to tea lovers and anyone interested in tea culture, Chinese philosophy, and Zen.
$16.95 - Paperback
A White Tea Bowl: 100 Haiku from 100 Years of Life
By Mitsu Suzuki
Edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi
Translated by Kate McCandless
Introduction by Norman Fischer
A White Tea Bowl is a selection of 100 haiku written by Mitsu Suzuki, the widow of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, and published in celebration of her 100th birthday. The compelling introduction by Zen priest Norman Fischer describes the profound impact on her life and work of war in Japan and social upheaval in America.
Part I: 100 Haiku presents a kaleidoscope of poems by Mitsu Suzuki that touch all aspects of her being: her dedication to the Buddha way, the loneliness of a widow's life, her generational role as "Candy Auntie," her sensitive attunement to nature, and her moments of insight into the dharma. The more you read these haiku, the more their wisdom will emerge.
Part II: Pickles and Tea contains reminiscences and anecdotes about Mitsu Suzuki by those who lived and studied with her at the San Francisco Zen Center; often these meetings took place in Mitsu's kitchen where she provided countless cupsA White Tea Bowl is a selection of 100 haiku written by Mitsu Suzuki, the widow of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, and published in celebration of her 100th birthday. The compelling introduction by Zen priest Norman Fischer describes the profound impact on her life and work of war in Japan and social upheaval in America.
$19.95 - Paperback
Yin Mountain: The Immortal Poetry of Three Daoist Women
Translated by Rebecca Nie
Translated by Peter Levitt
Though not specific to Japanese Zen, in part one of Yin Mountain, the poet and Daoist priestess Yi Le meets Lu Hongjian also known as Lu Yu, the author of The Classic of Tea. According to the authors, Rebecca Nie and Peter Levitt, "Lu was revered as “the Sage of Tea” and credited with creating the tea ceremonies of China and Japan."
After offering the Sage a Yi Le the "elixir of Tao Yuanming, a seminal fourth-century hermit-poet known for his propensity for drinking," she states:
Yesterday, you left beneath a moon thick with frost—
today you return to find me suffering beneath a bitter fog.
Still bedridden and ill,
only tears flow when I try to speak.
Let’s just drink Tao’s hermitage elixir,
and recite the poems of Xie Ke’s seclusion.
Besides the slight chance we’ll get drunk,
what else can we do?
-from "Sick on a Lake Happily Receiving Lu Hongjian," Yin Mountain
Yin Mountain presents a fascinating window onto the lives of three Tang Dynasty Daoist women poets. Li Ye (c. 734–784), Xue Tao (c. 768–832), and Yu Xuanji (843–868) lived and wrote during the period when Chinese poetry reached its greatest height. Yet while the names of the male poets of this era, such as Tu Fu, Li Bo, and Wang Wei, are all easily recognized, the names of its accomplished women poets are hardly known at all. Read More
$24.95 - Paperback
The Art of Budo: The Calligraphy and Paintings of the Martial Arts Masters
By John Stevens
In The Art of Budo, John Stevens translates a beautiful piece of calligraphy from Rikyu.
I share a sip of tea together with the spring wind and ten thousand peaks;
Then with my arms folded in my sleeves I contently stroll along the riverbank
Commenting on the above verse, Stevens writes:
$35.00 - Paperback
Foreword by Stephen Mitchell
By Zen Master Seung Sahn
Edited by Hyon Gak
In The Compass of Zen, Zen Master Seung Sahn shares important Zen teachings coupled with insightful stories and personal experience. Humorously, when discussing the nature of the Three Jewels—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—Master Seung Sahn writes:
A long time ago, somebody asked Zen Master Joju, ‘‘What is Buddha?’’ Joju replied, ‘‘Go drink tea!’’ Another time, someone asked Joju, ‘‘What is Dharma?’’ ‘‘Go drink tea!’’ ‘‘What is Sangha?’’ ‘‘Go drink tea!’’ In Chinese characters, we call this shil yong sam bo, which means the actual Three Treasures. If you drink tea with a clear mind, then in that moment, you become actual Buddha, actual Dharma, and actual Sangha. This is a very simple, everyday mind. Joju answered many kinds of questions with ‘‘Go drink tea!’’ If you don’t understand this you must go drink some tea, right now. If you don’t like tea, you can drink Coca-Cola or a milkshake. Ha ha ha ha ha! Either way, you will attain Zen Master Joju’s true teaching. You will attain the highest teaching of the Buddha and all the eminent teachers. Then you will attain the actual Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. It is very clear.
$18.95 - Paperback
Green Buddhism: Practice and Compassionate Action in Uncertain Times
In Green Buddhism, Stephanie Kaza invites readers to glimpse the state of peace and appreciation inspired from tea and the values of respect, purity, and tranquility experienced from the practice of drinking tea. Musing on the notion of wabi, Kaza writes:
I return to the austere beauty of wabi. Something here speaks to me. This is the very opposite of charisma, of ostentation, of pretension, of arrogance. The path of tea speaks of four primary values that lead to understanding wabi. These same four principles also shape the design of Japanese gardens. Through wa (lit. “harmony”) the student observes the unchanging force of nature, of life, generativity, and loss, right in the midst of constant change. To practice harmony means “to be free of pretensions, walking the path of moderation, never forgetting the attitude of humility.” One keeps close to the Earth, where the broken things lie, where beauty springs forth from the soil.
$18.95 - Paperback
The Little Book of Zen Healing: Japanese Rituals for Beauty, Harmony, and Love
By Paula Arai
While note related specifically to Zen and tea, Paula Arai emphasizes similar qualities such as embodied compassion, expressions of gratitude, and expanding your perspective in daily rituals. Just as tranquility can arise from a mindful sip of tea, Arai explains that healing can arise from living from the heart, nurturing qualities of self-care, beauty, and gratitude, and relating with each moment of our life in a creative and expansive way. In fact, healing, she explains can happen in the most simple acts of life. In her words:
Planting seeds of Zen in daily life can yield a harvest of healing. You can tend these seeds as you cook, clean, and mark life passages. Times of illness and loss, too, are fertile soil for healing. Healing grows where it is needed, as a lotus blossoms in mud.
$40.00 - Hardcover
Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors
By Sonoko Sakai
Photographs by Rick Poon
Though not specific to tea and tea ceremony, Sonoko Sakai, author of Japanese Home Cooking explains the qualities of traditional Japanese cooking and eating in terms of traits that are similar to tea ceremony. She writes:
There are five keys to Japanese cooking: freshness, seasonality, simplicity, beauty, and economy. At its most fundamental level, Japanese cooking, or washoku, is about respecting your ingredients and letting their natural flavor come through. Your ingredients should be as fresh and seasonal as possible. Relatedly, let the ingredients speak for themselves. I prefer not to fuss too much with the food. A fresh fish, simply salted and grilled over charcoal, can make a beautiful meal.
$18.95 - Paperback
Zen for Kids: 50+ Mindful Activities and Stories to Shine Loving-Kindness in the World
By Laura Burges
Illustrated by Melissa Iwai
In Zen for Kids, Laura Burges offers a kids version of "The Broken Teacup," a famous story about a young boy named Ikkyu and his Zen teacher. Following the story Burgess encourages young readers to participate in practices related to the story. She writes:
Have a Cup of Tea
Tea ceremony is a special practice to share with other people and to enjoy the making and drinking of tea. Invite a friend to have a cup of tea with you. Peppermint tea is very nice! You may need help from an adult to boil the water and pour it into the cups over the tea bags. A little honey is nice too. Sit quietly with your friend for a bit. Feel the warmth of the tea through the cup. Notice how the teacup looks and how the tea looks and smells. Blow on it a little bit before you take a sip and let the taste of tea fill up your mind and body. The tea you share with your friend becomes a part of both of you.
As described above, qualities that are central to Zen Buddhism, such as attention to details, respect, care, and tranquility of mind, come through in the various aspects of Japanese culture from tea ceremony and casual tea drinking, poetry, calligraphy, and home cooking. The above books are just a few examples of books on the subject of Japanese Buddhism and culture available at Shambhala Publications.
