The Meaning Behind Drinking Tea

If we are to share something with the world, I believe it should be something that helps move the lives of those who receive it forward. Today, I would like to introduce one such act that I believe has this potential: drinking tea.

I think I grew to love tea through my practice of the tea ceremony. Before engaging in tea ceremony and before deeply understanding it, I had no knowledge of tea at all. At first, when I began the act of drinking tea, my initial impression was that it required so many tools and seemed bothersome. Because of that, I thought that making tea as simple as possible was key to spreading it more widely. Back then, I felt that convenience was everything.

As I pursued this idea, I encountered many failures. And along the way, I began to ask myself the question: Why do we drink tea? Around this time, the philosophy of the tea ceremony started to resonate with me little by little. I began to feel the joy of deliberately taking my time and moving at a slower pace. My attachment to the idea that convenience equals goodness gradually faded away.

It was around then that I started using tea leaves, a teapot, a tea bowl, a sand timer, and other tools to make tea more often. I found myself captivated by their charm. Through the tea ceremony, I felt that my life was growing, little by little. This realization led me to believe that the act of drinking tea should also be something that helps move life forward in some way. That felt like one possible answer to the question of why we drink tea.

Every morning, I prepare my favorite tools and take time to savor tea. Even on days when I have to wake up very early, I make an effort to create time for tea. Thanks to this act, I feel that my life has become a little richer.

If reading this inspires even a little interest in tea, I would be delighted. These are the things I find charming about tea, and for anyone who becomes interested in tea in the future, I hope you’ll discover your own unique charm in it.

Thank you.