2024-04-16 21:50:30
Ssanggyesa Temple, where Korea’s first tea tree was planted
Ahead of the Tea Culture Festival on the 2nd to 5th of next month.
“This is the first tea I picked this year. Please try it.”
After saying hello and taking our seats, the head monk offered us tea. Unlike what I always see, it is so white that it is almost transparent. I took a sip, expecting a strong tea taste, but contrary to my expectations, it was closer to plain water with a slightly sweet taste. “What does it taste like? Heh heh. “This tastes like real green tea.”
Buddhist priest Jihyeon, whom we met at Ssanggyesa Temple in Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do on the 15th, said, “The process of drinking tea is called Seondailmi (禪茶一味) in the sense that it is like practicing meditation. Even if you quietly meditate for just 3 minutes before drinking, a lot of the anger in your heart will subside. “It is,” he said.
―The ‘2024 Ssanggyesa World Tea Culture Festival’ (May 2-5) is just around the corner.
“As Ssanggyesa Temple is the first planting site for tea in Korea, we must not be negligent in preparations, so we are a bit busy. This year, along with the Gaewonchaeda ceremony where tea leaves are collected from the cultivation area, the tea ceremony, and the tea ceremony, an event called ‘Meeting Tea with Decasi’ is also held for youth. Decasi is a new literary genre in the digital age that captures nature and objects with a digital camera and expresses them poetically. I started this because I wanted to make cars more familiar to the younger generation. For middle-aged people, we also hold the ‘Cé Si Bon Concert’ where Cho Young-nam, Song Chang-sik, and Kim Se-hwan perform.”
―There are many people who do not know that Ssanggyesa Temple is the birthplace of tea trees in Korea.
“In the Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), it is recorded that in the 3rd year of King Heungdeok’s reign in Silla (828), Kim Dae-ryeom, who went to the Tang Dynasty as an envoy, brought tea tree seeds and planted them for the first time on the slopes of Jiri Mountain at the king’s command. Later, in the second year of King Munseong’s reign, Zen Master Jingamhyeso founded Ssanggyesa Temple and propagated tea trees in the Hwagae area of Hadong-gun. “Damaek disappeared during the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, but Daesunsa Gosan, the founder of the temple, restored it when he took office as the head priest in 1975, and it is what it is today.”
―Perhaps because it is a temple site, the scent of tea fills the temple.
“Hahaha, that smells like firewood… . When firewood gets wet in the rain, it smells similar to tea. “There are a lot of trees here, so we use wood-fired boilers.”
―How can drinking tea lead to spiritual practice?
“There is a famous tea ceremony center in Kyoto, Japan. I drink for two hours and only get two drinks. It’s about making a fire, boiling water, and washing dishes while trying to drink a cup of tea in a state of complete thoughtlessness. This state is called Zen tea, and even if it is not to that degree, anyone can find peace of mind by drinking tea with just 3 minutes of effort.”
―They say you can find peace of mind in 3 minutes.
“When a person is angry or worried, their thoughts wander more than usual. So, my mind becomes more and more complicated and I don’t know what to do. If your mind is already muddy, will you be able to find the answer if you stir it further? Before finding the answer, we must first settle the muddy water and make it clear. Put your car in front and just sit there without thinking about anything for just 3 minutes. You will feel your heart sinking greatly. Is the practice any different? If you clear your mind, that is practice. It’s okay with coffee too. “I also drink it often.”
Reporter Lee Jin-gu [email protected]
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2024-04-16 21:50:30