It is always such a pleasure to have a tea meeting at Lee Young Hee museum, www.LYHKM.org. The place showcases traditional Korean lines and shapes. It is definately a very unique space in the middle of Manhattan. If you did not get a chance to visit the museum, please do so. If you do not own a traditional Korean dress by Lee Young Hee, please run to the museum and buy one, before all of her clothes become museum pieces.
For the June meeting, we had a variety of Korean traditional green teas. We especially got to enjoy teas made by two of the more famous Korean Tea Master, Shin Kwangsoo and Hong Sosul. People ask me all the time how Korean green teas are different from the Japanese or Chinese green teas. Tea is a product of people and places. As such Korean green teas reflect heaven and earth that are particular to Korea. Native Korean tea trees grow to be small bushes even if they are 1000 years old; however, their roots go down into the earth 10 times taller than the trees. Native Korean tea trees keep their seeds in the pod for a year. Just like a mother keeps its baby in the womb for 9 months, Korean tea trees are the only trees that I know of that keep their seeds in the pods for a year. After flowers fall in Autumn, Korean tea trees bear seeds. However, instead of letting it fall to the ground, the Korean tea trees keep their seeds in the pods for a year until new flowers come out next year. Because they keep their seeds in the pods for a year, the seeds are more nurtured and have greater chance of sprouting and taking deep roots. The reason most tea plantations have cloned tea trees instead of planting tea tree seeds is because tea tree seeds are notorious for being difficult to sprout and take roots. Since most tea trees are made by attaching tea branches to different trees that are easier to take roots, essentially only leaves are tea trees and stem down to the roots are differnt trees. That is why almost all tea trees in plantations around the world do not have deep roots like native Korean tea trees. Because Korean tea trees are so much easier to sprout and take deep roots from its seeds, Korea is one of the very few places in the world where one will find major tea plantations with real native tea trees of deep roots. (Korea also has other variety of tea plantations of shallow roots.)
The custom of tea ritual is also very unique to Korea. Korea has distinctive four seasons and in Korean tea ceremonies, there are distinctive four stages of birth, growth, harvest and rest. First, hot water is poured into a water jar; birth. Second, cooled water is poured into a tea pot; growth. Third, tea is harvest into a water jar; harvest. Fourth, tea is poured into individual cups; rest. With oxydized teas of the hotter regions of the world, where the four seasons are not as distinct, usually hot water is poured into tea pot to seep the tea and then the tea is consumed.
During the tea meet, someone asked about meditation. Korean style of meditation and enlightenment is also very distinctive. She asked how to empty the mind so she can go into a meditative state. Korean meditation practice has four seasons. When meditating to still the mind, thoughts will come in; birth. Do not try to block the thoughts, they are coming into the mind because they need to be healed or addressed. Let the thoughts sprout and grow for they need to be healed. Meditation is like coming home in the evening, it is the returning process, it is the harvesting process. Let the thoughts come in and growth, and then eventually let them be harvested and return to their origins. Only when the thoughts return to their origins, the mind will rest. It is like riding a bicycle, as we turn the wheel, we go forward. Eventually as the mind rest, the water energy of the kidney will rise. As it rise, the bottom part of the stomach will feel as if it is a stove. The water energy will enter the heart and the whole body will feel the love of returning. The water energy will open up the crown chakra and the universe will be with you. The fire energy that was giving you passion and drive will come down from the head all the way down to the bottom of the stomach. As you open up the crown chakra the energy of the universe will pierce your head down to the roots of your body. It probably is not a good idea to leave the crown chakra open all the time, but you should be able to open it at your will as well. Before Buddhism came into Korea, children were taught to meditate to discipline the mind and body. Taking a cake of tea on their waist, the Hwarangs of Shilla travelled the mountains to train their mind and body. Breaking the tea cake and sharing their tea, they meditated and opened their enlightenment. An unfortunate consequence of Buddhist practice is that it made the practice of enlightenment jobs of monks. Since Buddhism came from the tropics of India where there are only two seasons, the traditional Korean practice of birth, growth, harvest and rest in meditation was abandoned in favor of sudden enlightenment. I am not saying one is better than the other. However, I am a student of people and their thoughts. And my job is to heal the history.
In July we have a very special tea event scheduled with our dear tea friend, Nini Ordoubadi. Nini will host a Persian afternoon tea at her tea house, Tay Home, www.TayTea.com, in Andes, New York on Saturday, July 14th at 2p. We plan to arrive in Andes, nestled in the Catskill Mountains in Delaware County, a short distance west of charming Woodstock, earlier in the day to experience the many shops & art galleries that the lovely town has to offer before our Persian afternoon tea with Nini. This should make for an enjoyable, day or weekend, tea event in the "country" among nature & fresh air. The cost for the Persian afternoon tea is $25. Please let me know if you are coming by July 1st. We are planning to hire a bus if we have enough people. See you in July.
Jaenam
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