The tea festival is a creation of the ancients.

In fact, tea, as a sacrifice, has risen as early as the two Jin Dynasty. At that time, it was mainly in some areas in the south, and the rise of tea sacrifices in the Yellow River Valley should have been after the middle of the Tang Dynasty.

The ancients regarded death as if they were alive, and the things they enjoyed during their lives should also be enjoyed after death. It is not surprising that tea, as a drink loved by both the court and the people, was used as a sacrifice.

Therefore, with tea as a sacrifice, there is a certain divine sign, whether it is respecting heaven and earth, or worshiping Buddha and ancestors, than the general tea as a ceremony, to be more pious and more exquisite.

All the tea used by the royal family for the festival is the best tea as a tribute. In general, the best tea leaves are also used to worship the Buddha in temples. For example, the "Manou Zhi" recorded: "The "Juelin Yuan Zhi" worships the third class of tea: the guests are treated with thunder pods (medium tea), the daylily belt (inferior tea) is offered to the Buddha, and the purple mushroom fragrance (superior tea) is offered to the Buddha. The top cover is for the Buddha, and the bottom is for self-worship. ”

Therefore, it is not difficult to see from the records the prevalence of tea sacrifice and the importance of tea sacrifice.

Wang Xiucai said to Nong Tianyi: In ancient times, tea was used as a sacrifice, and there were generally three forms:

One is to pour tea into tea bowls and tea cups to show respect; the second is not to boil and only put dry tea to show respect; The third is not to put tea, only to place teapots and teacups as symbols. These are all solemn and ceremonial.

Nong Tian nodded again and again.

But there are exceptions, such as Ming Xu Xianzhong's "Wu Xingzhang Collection": "I Dynasty Emperor Taizu likes Gu Zhu tea, now customized, the year tribute is 32 catties, Qingming (before) the second day, the county officials personally picked, into Nanjing Fengxian Hall to burn incense. In the county annals of Yixing, there are similar records.

Wang Xiucai said: That is to say, after Yongle moved the capital to Beijing in the Ming Dynasty, Yixing and Changxing not only paid tribute to Beijing with bud tea, but also paid tribute to dozens of catties of tea two days before the Qingming Festival for the ancestors to worship the ancestors for incineration.

Nong Tianyi went on to say: These are just tributes, not drinks.

In the Jingshan area, there have been large or small activities of tea festivals since ancient times.

On this day, after worshipping at the golden dome of Taiping Temple, Nong Tianyi followed his father to the bottom of the mountain slowly, and when he reached the halfway point of the mountain, he saw a large tea garden spread over the mountainside, arching a graceful arc with the ups and downs of the mountain. Here, it is the "Golden Peak Tea Garden" where Taiping Snow Buds grow.

Standing in the tea garden, they saw that the neatly trimmed tea trees were particularly energetic, like waves of green waves, surging vigorously in the breeze, and finally surging into the vast distance......

A gentle breeze blows, and the fresh air wafts a fragrance that is difficult to describe. The mist of the haze, low against the tea trees, looking from a distance, the whole tea garden from green to daisy, giving birth to a bit of ethereal beauty. I think it is because the Sanskrit sound in this mountain is like a tide all year round, the Buddha incense is curling, the bells and drums are leisurely, and the nectar bathes, so that every grass, tree, flower and stone in the mountain has Buddha nature.

The two of them saw the wonders of the Jinding Tea Garden and the budding of drinking snow.

There is a snow bud tea house next to the tea garden, which is specially taken care of by monks in turn. When the father and son were tired of walking, they rested and went into the tea house to taste tea. The water is the water of Yunwu Mountain, and the tea is the snow buds of Yunwu Mountain.

Nong Tianyi looked at the steaming tea soup and said to himself, the shape of the bud head is extremely full.

Nonglu told his son: Because the mountain is foggy all year round, the nutrients of the tea tree transpire very little, and the temperature difference between day and night in the mountain is large, which stimulates the continuous accumulation of nutrients in the bud head, so each bud head has rich reserves.

Nong Tianyi: "The tea soup is fresh and extremely sweet. ”

Nonglu said that the long snow freeze period on the top of the mountain has completely cut off the worry of insect infestation.

The melting snow and ice in early spring nourish the awakening of the tea trees, and the snowflakes that continue to fall on the golden top turn into cool mountain springs that flow out, moisturizing the germination of tea buds. The whole process, no need to fertilize, all is natural, this is the love of nature.

As the so-called snow buds snow buds, tea is as its name suggests, drinking snow sprouts. It's a miracle.

Nong Tianyi suddenly remembered that tea has three lives: the first is rooting, germination, branching, growing leaves, and bathing in the landscape.

Then, picking, rolling, and frying...... It is as if cultivating to become a Buddha and eventually becoming a genuine product.

Finally, plunge into the sweet spring, bloom, brilliant, and be reborn in Nirvana. Tea has gained a new lease of life!

Tasting tea in Jinding Buddha Mountain, there is a different taste, Nong Tianyi's heart is more calm, and he also holds a grateful heart for this unique taste.

Nong Tianyi is like making a fuss: the tea is fragrant, the tea is light, the tea is clear, and the tea buds are upright up and down, lifelike. The boiling water is boiled, and the soup color is deep and simple. The color is like the green of spring, the water is like the heat of summer, and the taste is like the sweetness of autumn.

Therefore, Nonglu said to his son that when drinking tea, he had to hold a pure mood like winter snow in order to feel its wonderful layering.

Nong Tian nodded yes.

This is the snow bud of the Taiping Temple of Yunwu Mountain, tea is the spirit of Yunwu Mountain, and snow is the soul of Yunwu Mountain.

The day after coming down from the Golden Dome, it was just in time for the birthday of the Bodhisattva Buddha. The Thousand Buddha Monastery, known as the first gateway of Yunwu Mountain, began the Buddhist dojo of Taiping Snow Bud Tea early.

Nongtianyi: Recite a Zen and offer a cup of tea.

His father also said: Ten directions of the jungle, eight directions to confess.

Following the strong smell of incense, when I walked into the temple, my heart became calm. The pilgrims who come and go, in front of the hall in the stove to light high incense, light the treasure paper, the long table, neatly lined up with lotus lamps, candles lit, warm and quiet.

Speaking of offering tea to the Buddha, tea and the Buddha have a deep relationship. The trend of drinking tea originated in monasteries. Tea saint Lu Yu, who was once a small novice who grew up in Zen, learned a good tea ceremony from his master, and then took the tea ceremony out of the temple, visited the tea ceremony, and wrote books and talks. Tea has been a must-have holy product in Buddhism since ancient times, because tea: one taste is "bitter", the second taste is "quiet", the third taste is "simple", and the fourth taste is "put". Tea and Zen are connected, tea helps meditation, and tea is the most appropriate for Buddha.

A chant of incense, all the Buddhas of the ten directions know. The offering and blessing ceremony in the Mahavira Hall begins.

"The monks take tea as the supreme second offering and worship the Three Jewels. The husband of tea, when he encounters water, sacrifices himself and becomes tea, which is for charity; To endure steaming and frying, to be squeezed and kneaded, is to endure humiliation; and respect for silence, the taste of tea is the same, it is for meditation; It is wisdom to practice convenient methods and help countless people. Offering the Three Treasures with the treasure mountain tea, receiving the blessing of the Three Treasures, offering tea in front of the Buddha, the merit is immeasurable, and the wishful auspiciousness ......"

A cup of fragrant tea is held in the hands of the host, singing the Buddha's voice, and respectfully offering to the Buddha. This is a native green tea on Yunwu Mountain, Taiping Snow Buds. Foshan, to worship the Buddha, with the first spring tea buds collected from the high mountain tea garden around the Taiping Temple of more than 1,000 meters in Yunwu Mountain, after the tea master 27 roasted tea processes refined, is the special Zen tea for the Buddha seat in the mountain.

In front of the Buddha, there is a mountain of Taiping snow bud tea leaves, praying for the blessings and blessings of the Buddha to it: let the tea inherit the Buddha's Ruiqi, Zen tea unity, gather the essence of the Buddha's tea ceremony of righteousness, purity, harmony and elegance, so that its drinkers can be all kinds of diseases, drive away filth, clear the heart and eyes, wisdom and good roots, understand the true meaning of "tea Zen taste", and often hold a "normal heart".

Sanskrit sound is like a tide, making people's hearts sink like water, from the top of the head to the toes, it is pure because of cleansing.

Pilgrims lined up in a long queue to come to the Buddha and reverently receive the empowerment of the Buddha's fragrant tea. Everyone was praying, and their expressions were so focused that it was touching. Embraced by the hearts of many pilgrims, it makes people feel a desire to bow down from the heart.

Tea Buddha blends into one. The depth of faith can be truly felt, or truly touched.