tea is an act complete …

tea is an act complete in its simplicity.

when i drink tea, there is only me, and the tea.

the rest of the world dissolves.

there are no worries about the future.

no dwelling on past mistakes.

tea is simple: loose-leaf tea, hot pure water, a cup.

i inhale the scent, tiny delicate pieces of the tea floating above the cup.

i drink the tea, the essence of the leaves becoming a part of me.

i am informed by the tea, changed.

this is the act of life, in one pure moment, and in this act the truth of the world suddenly becomes revealed: all the complexity, pain, drama of life is a pretense, invented in our minds for no good purpose.

there is only the tea, and me, converging.

-thich nhat hanh: tea ceremony