Tea Lovers

On the fine day of Gogujeol (one of the 24 solar terms), the sunshine on Duryun Mountain changes into the color of wild grapes when new tea leaves sprout out. Cho-eui Seonsa, who was to be called the Saint of Tea later, was living at Iljiam, a small temple at the foot of the mountain.

In this place with wild tea fields all over, Cho-eui tasted the unity of Buddhist truth and meditative pleasure through a cup of tea and reached the state of achieving enlightenment through tea. Enamored by Cho-eui’s tea, Chusa Kim Jeong-hui sent a letter: “When are you going to send your tea? I will punish your laziness and discipline you with Majo’s roaring reprimand and Deoksan’s club.”

This book records stories of 50 tea lovers in Korean history from Goun Choi Chi-won to Chunwon Lee Gwang-su. It is a fragrant history of our ancestors who loved tea, and a travel journal tracing those beautiful tea-loving people. Thankful of earth, rain, sunshine, and wind, the four elements that nourished tea, the author says “There is no place in the Korean Peninsula without the fragrance of tea.”

The ties between tea and Buddhist monks are deep and long. The Buddhist vein of tea originated at Joju, was moved to Haedong by Cheolgam Seonsa, and was revived by Bojo Guksa and Jingak Guksa in Goryeo and by Hamheo Seonsa, Samyeong Daesa, and Cho-eui Seonsa in Joseon Dynasty.

However, the meaning of a cup of tea in Korean history goes beyond the hedge of Buddhist temple. The tea culture has been not only a method of Buddhist meditative practice, but also a heritage at the crux of Korean culture.

Choi Chi-won, Lee Ja-hyeon, Kim Si-seup, and Heo Gyun withdrew from the world in love with the clean and deep taste of tea, while Kim Jong-jik, Lee Mok, Ki Dae-seung, Kim Jang-saeng, Lee Yi, Song Si-yeol, and Yun Seon-do treated tea as a man of virtue. Yang Paeng-son, Kim Jeong-hui, and Heo Baek-ryeon engrossed themselves in writings and paintings with tea, while Shin Suk-ju and Lee Gwang-su tasted the honor and disgrace of their days with tea.

Interestingly, the “Three Euns,” famous for their fidelity to the Goryeo Dynasty, were all tea lovers. The evergreen tea tree grows in a barren place. With its straight growing roots, it dies easily when moved. Doesn’t it resemble the upright spirit of Seonbi?

Gi-U Lee keywoo@donga.com