the book of tea-第4节

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ce　of　the　Mongol　invasion　in　1281　had　enabled　us　to　carry　on　the　Sung　movement　so　disastrously　cut　off　in　China　itself　through　the　nomadic　inroad。　　Tea　with　us　became　more　than　an　idealisation　of　the　form　of　drinking；　it　is　a　religion　of　the　art　of　life。　　The　beverage　grew　to　be　an　excuse　for　the　worship　of　purity　and　refinement；　a　sacred　function　at　which　the　host　and　guest　joined　to　produce　for　that　occasion　the　utmost　beatitude　of　the　mundane。　　The　tea…room　was　an　oasis　in　the　dreary　waste　of　existence　where　weary　travellers　could　meet　to　drink　from　the　common　spring　of　art…　appreciation。　　The　ceremony　was　an　improvised　drama　whose　plot　was　woven　about　the　tea；　the　flowers；　and　the　paintings。　　Not　a　colour　to　disturb　the　tone　of　the　room；　not　a　sound　to　mar　the　rhythm　of　things；　not　a　　gesture　to　obtrude　on　the　harmony；　not　a　word　to　break　　the　unity　of　the　surroundings；　all　movements　to　be　performed　simply　and　naturallysuch　were　the　aims　of　the　tea…　ceremony。　　And　strangely　enough　it　was　often　successful。　A　subtle　philosophy　lay　behind　it　all。　　Teaism　was　Taoism　in　disguise。




III。　　Taoism　and　Zennism


The　connection　of　Zennism　with　tea　is　proverbial。　　We　　have　already　remarked　that　the　tea…ceremony　was　a　development　of　the　Zen　ritual。　　The　name　of　Laotse；　the　founder　of　Taoism；　is　also　intimately　associated　with　the　history　of　tea。　　It　is　written　in　the　Chinese　school　manual　concerning　the　origin　of　habits　and　customs　that　the　　ceremony　of　offering　tea　to　a　guest　began　with　Kwanyin；　a　well…known　disciple　of　Laotse；　who　first　at　the　gate　of　　the　Han　Pass　presented　to　the　〃Old　Philosopher〃　a　cup　　of　the　golden　elixir。　　We　shall　not　stop　to　discuss　the　　authenticity　of　such　tales；　which　are　valuable；　however；　　as　confirming　the　early　use　of　the　beverage　by　the　Taoists。　Our　interest　in　Taoism　and　Zennism　here　lies　mainly　in　those　ideas　regarding　life　and　art　which　are　so　embodied　in　what　we　call　Teaism。

It　is　to　be　regretted　that　as　yet　there　appears　to　be　no　adequate　presentation　of　the　Taoists　and　Zen　doctrines　in　any　foreign　language；　though　we　have　had　several　laudable　attempts。

Translation　is　always　a　treason；　and　as　a　Ming　author　observes；　can　at　its　best　be　only　the　reverse　side　of　a　　brocade；all　the　threads　are　there；　but　not　the　subtlety　of　　colour　or　design。　　But；　after　all；　what　great　doctrine　is　there　which　is　easy　to　expound？　　The　ancient　sages　never　put　their　teachings　in　systematic　form。　　They　spoke　in　paradoxes；　for　they　were　afraid　of　uttering　half…truths。　　　They　began　by　talking　like　fools　and　ended　by　making　their　hearers　wise。　　Laotse　himself；　with　his　quaint　humour；　says；　〃If　people　of　inferior　intelligence　hear　of　the　Tao；　they　laugh　immensely。　　It　would　not　be　the　Tao　unless　they　laughed　at　it。〃

The　Tao　literally　means　a　Path。　　It　has　been　severally　translated　　as　the　Way；　the　Absolute；　the　Law；　Nature；　Supreme　Reason；　the　Mode。　　These　renderings　are　not　incorrect；　for　the　use　of　the　term　by　the　Taoists　differs　according　to　the　subject…matter　of　the　inquiry。　　Laotse　himself　spoke　of　it　thus：　〃There　is　a　thing　which　is　all…containing；　which　was　born　before　the　existence　of　Heaven　and　Earth。　　How　silent！　　How　solitary！　　It　stands　alone　and　changes　not。　　It　revolves　without　danger　to　itself　and　is　the　　mother　of　the　universe。　　I　do　not　know　its　name　and　so　call　it　the　Path。　　With　reluctance　I　call　it　the　Infinite。　　Infinity　is　the　Fleeting；　the　Fleeting　is　the　Vanishing；　the　Vanishing　is　the　Reverting。〃　　The　Tao　is　in　the　Passage　rather　than　the　Path。　　It　is　the　spirit　of　Cosmic　Change；the　eternal　growth　which　returns　upon　itself　to　produce　new　forms。　　It　recoils　upon　itself　like　the　dragon；　the　beloved　symbol　of　the　Taoists。　　It　folds　and　unfolds　as　do　the　clouds。　　The　Tao　might　be　spoken　of　as　the　Great　Transition。　　Subjectively　it　is　the　Mood　of　the　Universe。　Its　Absolute　is　the　Relative。

It　should　be　remembered　in　the　first　place　that　Taoism；　like　its　legitimate　successor　Zennism；　represents　the　individualistic　trend　of　the　Southern　Chinese　mind　in　contra…distinction　to　the　communism　of　Northern　China　which　expressed　itself　in　Confucianism。　　The　Middle　Kingdom　is　as　vast　as　Europe　and　has　a　differentiation　of　idiosyncrasies　marked　by　the　two　great　river　systems　which　traverse　it。　　The　Yangste…Kiang　and　Hoang…　Ho　are　respectively　the　Mediterranean　and　the　Baltic。　　Even　to…day；　in　spite　of　centuries　of　unification；　the　Southern　Celestial　differs　in　his　thoughts　and　beliefs　from　his　Northern　brother　as　a　member　of　the　Latin　race　differs　from　the　Teuton。　In　ancient　days；　when　communication　was　even　more　difficult　　than　at　present；　and　especially　during　the　feudal　period；　this　difference　in　thought　was　most　pronounced。　　The　art　and　poetry　of　the　one　breathes　an　atmosphere　entirely　distinct　from　that　of　the　other。　　In　Laotse　and　his　followers　and　in　Kutsugen；　the　　forerunner　of　the　Yangtse…Kiang　nature…poets；　we　find　an　　idealism　quite　inconsistent　with　the　prosaic　ethical　notions　of　their　contemporary　northern　writers。　　Laotse　lived　five　centuries　before　the　Christian　Era。

The　germ　of　Taoist　speculation　may　be　found　long　before　the　　advent　of　Laotse；　surnamed　the　Long…Eared。　　The　archaic　records　of　China；　especially　the　Book　of　Changes；　foreshadow　his　thought。　　But　the　great　respect　paid　to　the　laws　and　customs　of　that　classic　period　of　Chinese　civilisation　which　culminated　with　the　establishment　of　the　Chow　dynasty　in　the　sixteenth　century　B。C。；　kept　the　development　of　individualism　in　check　for　a　long　while；　so　that　it　was　not　until　after　the　disintegration　of　the　Chow　dynasty　and　the　establishment　of　innumerable　independent　kingdoms　that　it　was　able　to　blossom　forth　in　the　luxuriance　of　free…thought。　　Laotse　and　Soshi　（Chuangtse）　were　both　Southerners　and　the　greatest　exponents　of　the　New　School。　On　the　other　hand；　Confucius　with　his　numerous　disciples　aimed　at　retaining　ancestral　conventions。　　Taoism　cannot　be　understood　without　some　knowledge　of　Confucianism　and　vice　versa。

We　have　said　that　the　Taoist　Absolute　was　the　Relative。　　　In　ethics　the　Taoist　railed　at　the　laws　and　the　moral　codes　of　society；　for　to　them　right　and　wrong　were　but　relative　　terms。　　Definition　is　always　limitationthe　〃fixed〃　and　　〃unchangeless〃　are　but　terms　expressive　of　a　stoppage　of　　growth。　　Said　Kuzugen；〃The　Sages　move　the　world。〃　Our　standards　of　morality　are　begotten　of　the　past　needs　of　society；　but　is　society　to　remain　always　the　same？　The　observance　of　communal　traditions　involves　a　constant　sacrifice　of　the　　individual　to　the　state。　　Education；　in　order　to　keep　up　the　mighty　delusion；　encourages　a　species　of　ignorance。　　People　are　not　taught　to　be　really　virtuous；　but　to　behave　properly。　We　are　wicked　because　we　are　frightfully　self…conscious。　We　nurse　a　conscience　because　we　are　afraid　to　tell　the　truth　to　others；　we　take　refuge　in　pride　because　we　are　afraid　to　tell　the　truth　to　ourselves。　　How　can　one　be　serious　with　the　world　when　the　world　itself　is　so　ridiculous！　　The　spirit　of　barter　is　　everywhere。　　Honour　and　Chastity！　　Behold　the　complacent　salesman　retailing　the　Good　and　True。　　One　can　even　buy　a　so…called　Religion；　which　is　really　but　common　morality　sanctified　with　flowers　and　music。　　Rob　the　Church　of　her　accessories　and　what　remains　behind？　　Yet　the　trusts　thrive　marvelously；　for　the　prices　are　absurdly　cheap；　a　prayer　for　a　ticket　to　heaven；　a　diploma　for　an　honourable　citizenship。　Hide　yourself　under　a　bushel　quickly；　for　if　your　real　usefulness　were　known　to　the　world　you　would　soon　be　knocked　down　to　the　highest　bidder　by　the　public　auctioneer。　Why　do　men　and　women　like　to　advertise　themselves　so　much？　Is　it　not　but　an　instinct　derived　from　the　days　of　slavery？

The　virility　of　the　idea　lies　not　less　in　its　power　of　breaking　through　contemporary　thought　than　in　its　capacity　for　dominating　subsequent　movements。　　Taoism　was　an　active　power　during　　the　Shin　dynasty；　that　epoch　of　Chinese　unification　from　which　we　derive　the　name　China。　　It　would　be　interesting　had　we　time　to　note　its　influence　on　contemporary　thinkers；　the　mathemeticians；　writers　on　law　and　war；　the　mystics　and　alchemists　and　the　later　nature…poets　of　the　Yangste…Kiang。　　We　should　not　even　ignore　those　speculators　on　Reality　who　doubted　whether　a　white　horse　was　real　because　he　was　white；　or　because　he　was　solid；　nor　the　Conversationalists　of　the　Six　dynasties　who；　like　the　Zen　philosophers；　revelled　in　discussions　concerning　the　Pure　and　the　Abstract。　　Above　all　we　should　pay　homage　to　Taoism　for　what　it　has　done　toward　the　formation　of　the　Celestial　character；　giving　to　it　a　certain　capacity　for　reserve　and　refinement　as　〃warm　as　jade。〃　　Chinese　history　is　full　of　instances　in　which　the　votaries　of　Taoism；　princes　and　hermits　alike；　followed　with　varied　and　interesting　results　the　teachings　of　their　creed。　The　tale　will　not　be　without　its　quota　of　instruction　and　amusement。　It　will　be　rich　in　anecdotes；　allegories；　and　aphorisms。　　We　would　fain　be　on　speaking　terms　with　the　delightful　emperor　who　never　died　because　he　had　never　lived。　　We　may　ride　the　wind　with　Liehtse　and　find　it　absolutely　quiet　because　we　ourselves　are　the　wind；　or　dwell　in　mid…air　with　the　Aged　one　of　the　Hoang…Ho；　who　lived　betwixt　Heaven　and　E