Daoism inherits the ancient culture dating back thousands of years and encompasses the vast folk culture of today, spanning the entire development process of Chinese culture and profoundly influencing both the material and spiritual lives of the Chinese nation. The profound significance and depth of Daoist thought are inseparable. In every field that Daoism studies, including musical instruments, opera, tea, medicine, health preservation, military science, sociology, psychology, economics, law, chemistry, martial arts, mathematics, optics, acoustics, magnetism, geography, and even astronomy, it has made remarkable discoveries and outstanding contributions. These fields are numerous, and in any of them, Daoism delves deeply.
Daoist teachings have infused the philosophy of "Dao follows nature" and "unity of man and nature" into the tea culture, establishing the soul of tea ceremony and promoting the aesthetic concept of natural beauty and the Taoist ideals of immortality and health preservation.
- Dao Follows Nature
"Dao follows nature" reveals the relationship between things in the universe and is the principle that people should follow in their lives. "Man follows the earth, the earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature" is the conclusion drawn by Laozi after analyzing the laws of development and change of various things in the universe and discovering the connection between man, earth, heaven, and Dao. Nature is the essence of Dao, and Dao is inherently natural.
Chinese tea culture emphasizes "Dao follows nature," which includes three levels: material, behavior, and spirit. In terms of material, Chinese tea culture believes, "There are immortal products in the world, and tea is precious among plants." When growing, picking, and processing tea, it is necessary to follow the laws of nature to produce the best tea. In terms of behavior, Chinese tea culture emphasizes simplicity and naturalness in a series of tea-related activities, with every movement and gesture being natural. In terms of spirit, tea culture advocates reaching the state of "ultimate emptiness and tranquility," where the mind is settled in tranquility. Daoism believes that tea ceremony provides a gateway to emptiness and tranquility, where tea drinkers seek solace in the mountains and waters, forgetting themselves in nature, as if they are merging with nature, reaching the state of "selflessness."
- Unity of Man and Nature
The concept of "unity of man and nature" refers to the unity of man and nature. Human Taoism originates from natural Taoism. The essence of "unity of man and nature" is how to effectively live with nature. The method is to live according to the way of nature, achieving a state of harmony with nature, and thus making nature one's own. This is precisely the realm pursued by Chinese tea culture. In Chinese tea culture, the fusion of man and nature is not only manifested in the humanization of the tea environment such as mountains, waters, and trees but also includes the humanization of tea and tea utensils. Because the philosophical thought of "unity of man and nature" in Daoism is infused into the spirit of tea culture, Chinese tea drinkers can better appreciate the wonderful feeling of "the meeting of self and object."
- Esteem for Life in Immortality
Life is precious for everyone because it only happens once. Daoism attaches great importance to human life, regarding the preservation of life as fundamental and considering longevity as the goal of practice. Daoism believes that external objects can both preserve and harm life, and the method of valuing life lies in handling the relationship between man and external objects rationally. "Nourish the nature (life)" and for external objects, "if beneficial to nature, acquire it; if harmful to nature, abandon it," thus can "fulfill one's life (life)." Esteem for life in immortality is the realistic thought injected into tea culture by Daoism. Under the influence of Daoist thoughts of esteeming life, health preservation, and joy in life, Chinese tea culture especially emphasizes the "functions of tea," focusing on the health-preserving function of tea and the function of refreshing and nourishing the spirit.
The Daoist philosophy in Chinese tea culture is perfectly displayed in Bai Yu Chan's poem "Song of Tea." It depicts the scene of enjoying tea after spring rain, the fragrance lingering in the heart, the feeling of wandering to Penglai, reaching the realm of humanizing nature, making nature one's own, and deeply understanding the Daoist concepts of "Dao follows nature," "unity of man and nature," and "esteem for life in immortality" in tea culture.
