Before there was history, there was mythology. That’s the strange thing about human societies. The origins are almost always riddled with obscurities and only myths and legends can shine some light on them.
The same holds true in the case of tea. Since it originated and evolved in the far-eastern cultures, which, historically, have maintained a reputation of being more introverted than extroverted, we don’t know much about the origins.
But… thanks to the ancient folks’ fascination with myth-making, we have quite a few mythological tales. Let’s find out what the tea mythology has to say.
Bodhidharma’s Medi-Tea-tions
Bodhidharma was an ancient Indian Buddhist monk. Born to King Sugandha in the late 5th century, he was among the earliest monks to travel to China. He spread the teachings of Buddhism and even founded the school of Zen, or Ch’an Buddhism. Interestingly there is another therapeutic practice that is attributed to him – yes, the tea.
Legend says that – once upon a time – Bodhidharma sat in front of a cave and meditated every day… for nine years! In the beginning he had to endure the scorn and ridicule of the people who lived in the area. The torment continued for the first three years, after which those people got tired of tormenting a man who would never react. He would simply sit in stillness and not say a word.
Now the same people started approaching him and asked him to share his wisdom. This time… he obliged.
Bodhidharma spoke about the essence of Buddhism – which was about seeing the suffering and overcoming it. He used the example of a lotus flower, how it rises from the muddy waters and blooms and flourishes. In a similar manner, he said, we can make use of our own suffering to heal ourselves. After the daily teachings, he would again turn to his meditations.
It was during one of these meditation sessions that we are told he fell asleep. Now, if you know about the practice of meditation, you’d be aware that you’re not supposed to do that. Upon waking up, Bodhidharma grew furious. In fact so disgusted he became that he cut his eyelids off, hoping that it would never happen again. Then he threw the eyelids in the garden. It is said that the place where his eyelids landed, a tea plant began to grow. In essence, Bodhidharma gave the art of drinking tea to the world as a gift to be used along with one’s meditation practice to help with focus.
Emperor Shen Nong was Thirs-Tea
Shen Nong was an ancient Chinese ruler whose mention we only find in mythology, not in the historical records. He is believed to be the first Yan Emperor who later became a deity in various Chinese and Vietnamese folk religions (referred to as Than Nong).
The legend says that Shen Nong ‘invented’ tea as a beverage. There are different versions of this story, though.
In one version, Shen Nong (the emperor) and his entourage were resting under the shade of a giant tree. They made a fire and prepared a large pot with boiling water. There were a number of herbal plants around them. Soon… a gush of wind blew some of the leaves into the large pot with boiling water. The leaves introduced a golden colour in the water and released a delicious scent. When the emperor tasted the water, he was delighted. He immediately recognised the invigorating and refreshing effect and shouted T’CHA, which means godlike. The Chinese adopted “cha” as the name for tea and they use it even today.
In another version, the invention is considered more intentional than accidental. Shen Nong experimented with different herbs and… Voila! The divine drink had arrived.
The Dei-Tea of Mercy
This story recounts the origin of a particular kind of tea, Ti Kuan Yin. It’s a popular type of oolong tea, the semi-oxidised tea which lies somewhere between the green and black teas in flavour as well as appearance.
According to the legend, Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, presented tea as a gift to a devout farmer who diligently maintained her old temple. Inside the temple was the Kuan Yin’s elegant iron statue which was worshipped by her followers.
One day, to everyone’s surprise, the iron statue appeared to come alive.
Shocked, the farmer fell to his knees and the goddess whispered, “The key for your future is just outside this temple. Nourish it with tenderness; it will support you and yours for generations to come.”
Unable to contain his curiosity, he went outside and found a withered, straggly bush. That was how the tea came to be.
Kalampedia 