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Understanding the Discipline of "Tao"

Buddhism Altar Classic preaches "Tao is understood by heart". There are three thousands ways to understand Tao, how to do it in the tea activity? There is no fixed way, only some examples as references.

There are a lot of records about understanding Tao through tea in the Buddhism Zen studying stories. For example, the Zen Master Xueyan Zuqin in the late Song, early Yuan Dynasties, joined the monastery at the age of 5, became a monk at 16, started visiting and studying at 18, he was dedicated to study the life and death issue, followed Masters Shuang Linyuan, Miao Fengshan and Tian Dong. At first, he insisted in sitting meditation, which really exhausted him. He said "no matter day time or night, it was just faint", but he got enlightened by the teaching of Master Shi Fan afterwards and became the head mater in the Yangshan temple in Jiangxi Province. Master Zuiqin was followed by many people, the Yangshan Temple hence being famous, even the second emperor, Hu Billie of the Yuan Dynasty respected him very much.

Master Zuqin had a poem after being enlightened.

A cup of aromatic morning snow tea, the spring day time is long after awake from midday rest.

Feels like the body is full of eyes, half of the window of plum flowers are facing the sunset.

Drinking tea is a tradition of monks. Brewed with snow water the tea of course is a good tea. The monk thankfully said in the morning that "aromatic morning tea", life is good. His heart was relaxed, because the spring is coming and the daytime is longer, then he had a midday rest. With a relaxed heart, felt the time change, what to do after the rest? Understand the truth! "body full of eyes" is the experience of understanding the principle.

"Full body of eyes" was a case. Mater Yunyan asked Master Daowu, "the thousand eyes on Guan Yin, which one being the first?" Master Daowu answered "just like touch the pillow at night." Mater Yunyan asked what is that mean? Master Daowu said, "body is full of eyes", Yunyan said "no, it should be full body is". The pillow in the Tang Dynasty usually be made of bamboo with lot of wholes on it and empty inside. Mater Yunyan took this to imply that the buddhist should have eyes on full body like the pillow. It was because the monk has eyes full on his body, the beautiful scenery he saw was like a life "half of the window of plum flowers are facing the sunset", but he was at a age that "the sunset is so beautiful, but just so close to dusk". "Half of the window of plum flowers are facing the sunset", think about it, what a beautiful painting! How could you feel the beauty of this scenery through this poem without being enlightened?