Chinese tea legend

Chinese tea legend 

Chinese tea legend 

Theorigin of tea is linked to the legend of an Indian monk named Bodhidharma.Bodhidharma was an Indian prince who, in the seventh century, around the year520, went to Chinato preach Buddhism and founded the Ch’an sect. The latter will grow in Japan, nearly 6centuries later, under the name of Zen.

Bodhidharma(including here also wore left), shaggy beard, eyes huge and bulging, thepenetrating under thick eyebrows, sinister-looking, is the brushed portrait ofthis disturbing character who, upon his arrival at Canton, proved brutally honest.

Bodhidharmahad vowed to never sleep so as not to steal a moment to its mission. Still, oneday, he fell exhausted with fatigue on the roadside. And worse, he dreamed ofwomen. When he awoke, blind with rage, he tore his eyelids and threw them.

Someyears later, by returning to the same place where he saw that he had thrown hiseyelids two shrubs had grown. Shrubs whose leaves have the power to keep themind alert.

Itis said that at the end of his life Bodhidharma sat in meditation in a cave,facing a rock, for 9 years. After a few years, quite tired, he had the curiousgesture to tear the leaves of the shrub that grew nearby and chew. Hediscovered that these sheets allowed the mind to remain in a state ofconcentration, chasing boredom. He was thus able to continue, without moving,his meditation for 9 years.

Itis said that at the end of the 9 years, Bodhidharma managed to reach such ahigh concentration, he managed to feel the world around him. He understood andwas communion with the universe. It is also said that its image eventually burnon the rock, he bored a hole through a wall of the cave to force the set and helost the use of his legs.

Bodhidharma,practicing zazen for 9 years before a wall, threw all visitors. It is said thathe would have agreed to roll over and take a disciple when Hui k’o would cut anarm to get his attention. Bodhidharma is also ready to create the martial artsas well as the founding of the Shaolin Temple on Mount SongShan.

Actually,what about Bodhidharma and ch’a, this plant whose leaves resemble eyelids andgiving meditators way to stay awake?

Well,actually, they drank tea several centuries before the time of Bodhidharma.

Chinese tea legend 

Confucius, a Chinese gourmet?

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Chinese fondue

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