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When is the last time you sat down with a nice cup of tea and did nothing else but sip the tea for a good ten minutes? The great Zen master Joshu, from 9th century China, recommends you do just that. 
Master Joshu is one of the most venerated Zen masters in the Zen canon. Some of the most powerful and sublime teachings are attributed to him, and he delivered his teachings in terse and homely ways which could be taken on many levels. The story of his advice to two visiting monks runs as follows:
Once two traveling monks visited Joshu. He asked both of them, "Have you ever been here before?" One monk said yes. Joshu said, "Go and have some tea." The other monk answered no. Joshu said, "Go and have some tea."
Joshu's attendant monk wondered about his master's answer and asked him, "Why do you say, 'Go and have some tea', to a highly advanced monk and then say, 'Go and have some tea', to a monk who has still not seen the truth?" Joshu said, "Go and have some tea!".
Joshu wasn't exactly playing the good host by telling his guests to have some tea, since that was not why they had appeared before him. They had traveled far and wide in order to be instructed in the truth, in the path of awakening from suffering and of realizing their true enlightened nature. They were thirsty not for regular tea, but for enlightening words and teachings which would guide them on their spiritual paths. By simply offering them tea, was Joshu rebuffing their noble pursuits? Was he criticizing their efforts as wrongheaded?
Yes and no. The problem Joshu recognized in many of his students was that of spiritual materialism - a term the contemporary Tibetan Buddhist master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche coined.
Many people engage in spiritual pursuits such as meditation, prayer and yoga with a selfish motivation - they want to gain something from it. There is an underlying attitude that spiritual activities are investments that you one day reap a big return from.
When that moment is fully engaged, there is nothing missing - so what more do we want to gain?
Joshu was asking that very question when he sent his students off to have a cup of tea. What great teachings are you seeking from me that you won't find in a good cup of tea? How is the moment with me so superior to the moment you have with your steaming cup? Is the truth you realize from my words more valuable and real than the opportunities to realize truth in the other activities of your day? Joshu saw the "advanced" monk and the "beginner" in the same light - it is sometimes even more difficult for those with much spiritual training to see beyond their specific practices and expand their spiritual path into all activities.
It is very easy to fall into a dualistic state of mind which divides times and activities into spiritual and non-spiritual or worldly. Joshu is telling us not only that our simple cup of tea should be an awakening experience and high teaching, but if we take that example seriously, we should consider our trips to the supermarket and the decisions we face in the aisle choosing one olive oil over another as a practice of mindfulness and presence.
"Go have a cup of tea" can be translated as "see your whole life as your spiritual path." Go fill up your tank of gas, wash your dishes, speak to your loved ones on the phone, tie your shoelaces, shower, jog, meditate with a desire to be present.
The final suggestion Joshu is offering us in his invitation to tea is extremely relevant in today's addiction to "multitasking." When he said "go have a cup of tea" he didn't mean while you are writing an email, talking on your cell, driving, and listening to the news—all at once! Having a cup of tea means just have a cup of tea, and nothing else.
If we want to be truly present in life, it demands that we are present with one thing at a time. This is the key to mindfulness: one thing at a time. If you try to divide your attention, then your presence of mind is likewise divided. There is a simple practice to avoid this internal division and to become more present in our lives: go have some tea. By the way, I take mine with honey.
©iStockphoto.com
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