With a few possessions to my name and a wandering spirit to my heart, I tend to favor holding a restrained quantity and selection of teas at any given time. Within my practice, tea is often approached, considered, and tended as an energy intended to flow consistently in the nooks of Life. A sentiment of detachment and freedom naturally emerges, uninhabited by the potential material burden that could stem from aimless accumulation and therefore lead to a suffocating form of stagnation in an uncultivated field of possibilities.
A tea that is not drunk and shared is a tea deprived of its original intention, depleted of its inherent, altruistic nature. Not holding tea for extended periods of time or purposely storing it for aging prospects offers the opportunity to give space for the present moment to flourish and express itself in the uniqueness of its ethereal eternity. In this slow and ever evolving dance, a precious bound with the seen and unseen comes to life, taking roots in the teachings of tea.
Through the stream of encountering people, tea is at times gifted to me, which I learned to gratefully received, and then passed on once more to others through tea gatherings and sharing moments. There is an undeniable beauty and humility dwelling in the continual opening, nourishing, and closing of such cycle, colored by impermanence and infused by the nexus of all things. In this fast-paced, disconnected world, doing so contribute in weaving a therapeutical-like cocoon for others to seat in, let go, and initiate the healing of their wounds, to finally be reborn in the true reality of their heart when the time is ripe.
On the path tea practitioners walk on, the essence of their mission and craft everlastingly shines in plain sight, embalmed with the perfume of compassion, tolerance, and a thirst for the knowledge of oneself. Our true nature is revealed, free, reflected in each cup offered to others through a pervasive aliveness that somewhat never dies.
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