Tea, Buddhism, Psychology.

On this beautiful Saturday, June 21, 2008, I was working at Harney & Sons, the retail store in Millerton, NY. I officially have the best job in the world. Of course this may be argued and is completely relative, but I want to convey my gratitude to the world, to whomever will read this blog. I'm twenty-three years old and I've been blessed to work with the best company in the world, with people who really care. In my experience, I've been able to connect with people on many subtle energetic levels. I feel that the level of compassion and empathetic understanding that occurs naturally in this tea tasting room, this room of magic, is beyond belief. In this blog, I hope that people are able to feel some of that energy, some of that beauty that I am able to experience on a daily basis.

I meet wonderful people all day long. Basically, I get to drink tea and talk to people about their lives, their issues, their concerns, their happiness. On an even more general level, I am able to be myself with these people and that quality of authenticity permeates the whole room. People feel relaxed in this room. The layers of pretense, the masks, the materialism, it all gets dropped for a second.

One gets lost in time and space in this magical room. It is my intention to share some of my experiences with people and to convey the lessons that I have learned from them. It is also my intention to somehow connect tea, psychology, and Buddhism to one another. In my humble opinion, I think that tea goes hand and hand with Buddhism, which not only exemplifies, but lives the true embodiment of mindfulness. Being mindful means being present. Being present means being here, being now, being everything that is in the context of whatever moment, whatever experience, right then and there, on the spot, on the DOT.

Any good psychologist or therapist wants to make their clients self-sufficient. Self-sufficiency to me means being able to deal with all adversities, with all aspects of life, with a level mind. Having a tame mind comes and goes, but being able get back to the breath and letting go is one of the most crucial points of life, if there are any. It's so easy to attach. Buddhism throws you into the fire and let's you make of it what you will. Buddhism lets you take that leap of faith every moment because the mystery is always there. We can only know now, we are only now, we are only here. I continue to challenge myself in ways that bring me closer to all that is right now, and fully immerse whatever essence I am to become a part of this bigger essence, whatever this life is.

Through the mindfulness of pouring tea, being with the tea, preparing the tea, and enjoying every sip of the tea, I believe that much can be learned. While appreciating the subtleties and different flavors, not only can we have gratitude for this tea, but in fact we become the tea. We become one with this tea. Tea is a ceremony and an appreciation for life. It's the gratitude for the moment that can be so delicious and tender. What moment better than now? Enjoy your cup of tea and I hope to see you at Harney & sons the store in Millerton NY.

Please come back for more posts... regarding philosophical perspectives on tea, my experiences with beautiful people, and the interconnection of tea, Buddhism, and psychology.