55. Zen drinks tea

☰ In Zen 禪 it is only a room. Nothing is in it. Except for the tatami 畳 mats. And some walls, and me holding the camera. But you don't see me. ☳ The room is supposed to be full of potential. Staring at it allows myself calmness and sanity to flow back into my life. I drink a cup of matcha 抹茶 and that is my chanoyu 茶の湯 session. ☵ To find oneself here is to admit that one's war 戰 is over... Years of toil and stress to make ends meet financially and materially. ☶ Matcha 抹茶 is an interesting tea 茶 in that the drinker is actually drinking the finely powdered tea leaves rather than just steeped liquid. And the best way to make it is in a calm state of mind. Not tranquil as in Zazen 座禅 or Mindfulness 靜觀, but just pleasantly calm. ☷ In a world of quick fixes and magic bullets, this way of letting go doesn't seem right. We are meant to work to the bone so we can pay for the holiday that will fix the problem caused by working to the bone. That's the story, right? ☱ To say that having a little bit of Tea Time equals Me Time is a little far fetched. When has drinking tea 喝茶 ever helped somebody? ☲ Has Tea Time equals Me Time ever helped you? ☴ There comes a point in everybody's life where we have to sit down, brew that cup of matcha 抹茶 and honestly admit to ourselves that the cavalry ain't coming. And that cup of tea isn't going to drink itself. The closest to heaven we are going to get, is the beam of light dazzling us through the window. So why keep fighting? Liked what you heard & want to connect with me? Join me at… linkedin.com/in/peterhainzl/