Why do monks love tea? When can the history of tea drinking by monks be traced back to the earliest?

The reason why monks love tea is because they can calm their minds, and the history of monks drinking tea can be traced back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

1.Chinese Buddhism absorbed Taoism and Confucianism. Buddhists have strict precepts in their practice.

The life of a monk is clear, away from dust, free from vulgarity. Buddhism, in particular, values meditation and practice. They need to sit quietly and relax, seeking relief from focusing on meditation.

That's when the function of tea comes in. A pot of tea can eliminate the fatigue of meditation, drive away the sleeping demon, and also secrete saliva, quench thirst, and refresh the mind. As a result, tea has become the most ideal beverage for Buddhists.

2.After the Tang and Song dynasties, Zen Buddhism in Buddhism developed rapidly. Bodhidharma is said to be the founder of Zen Buddhism in China.

Bodhidharma is said to have been on the wall for nine years, practicing meditation. Although there are no more detailed records of the Dharma face wall in the historical sources, the practice of Zen Buddhism for up to 90 days may be the foundation and inspiration gained from the 9 years of the Dharma face wall. Temple monks are known to observe Zen and forest precepts such as not drinking alcohol, not eating at noon, and abstaining from eating meat and vegetables.

Among them, the abstinence from alcohol makes drinking tea an indispensable thing in their daily life.

3.Drinking tea can relieve hunger properly. In addition, meditation is also an essential daily assignment for monks.

Drinking tea can awaken their eyes and relieve fatigue, which is very beneficial for meditation. Not only monks, but also tea is important to us ordinary people. It has become an inseparable part of life, such as seven things to open the door, firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea.

Its importance is evident. The sacredness of Zen Buddhism as a religion is naturally indispensable, but if it is too far away from the people, the people will stay away from it.

4.In order to replenish the nutrients of the afternoon, refresh the mind, drive away dizziness during meditation, and at the same time, in order to maintain health, there is an urgent need for a secret recipe or drink with medicinal functions (drink juice in the afternoon, etc.). It is this need that has made tea inextricably linked to Buddhism for the past two millennia.

During the Tang Dynasty, especially after the rise of Zen Buddhism, tea became popular in temples and influenced society. The above is the answer to the question of why monks love tea and when the history of monks drinking tea can be traced back to the earliest.

Because monks feel that drinking tea can calm their minds, calm their mood, let their minds be free of distractions, and can also cultivate their self-cultivation; The history of monks drinking tea can be traced back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

Because tea has three virtues, it not only has the effect of refreshing the mind, which is conducive to sleepless all night while sitting in meditation, but also contains a deep sense of Zen, which is a way for practitioners to understand life; The hidden history of Buddhists can be traced back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty.