While the fast-paced lifestyle has brought many changes, it also carries drawbacks, such as emptiness and a sense of meaninglessness. As a result, people seek various ways to relieve mental stress and bring joy and fulfillment to their lives.
In the preface of the book "Zen and Tea Are One," the following passage stood out, which I’ve excerpted as reading notes to share with fellow tea lovers. Here are five reasons why you should fall in love with tea.
American psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed the "Hierarchy of Needs" theory, which categorizes human needs into five levels: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Tea happens to fulfill all these needs.
1. Physiological Needs
From a physiological perspective, tea quenches thirst and refreshes the mind. The nutrients in tea also offer healthcare and well-being benefits. Most importantly, it brings calmness and inner peace, as the saying goes: a happy mind keeps illness at bay. Drinking tea hydrates the body, fulfilling a basic physiological need.
2. Safety Needs
From a safety perspective, ancient legends tell of Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs and using tea to detoxify. This highlights tea’s inherent properties to dispel stagnation, prevent illness, and promote wellness. A healthy body and peaceful mind leave no room for worries about safety.
3. Love and Belonging Needs
From the perspective of love and belonging, tea plays a vital role in social interactions. Phrases like "making friends over tea," "using tea instead of wine," and "serving tea as a gesture of respect" highlight its importance in fostering connections.
In modern social interactions, cigarettes, alcohol, and tea are almost unavoidable. However, as society evolves and health awareness grows, smoking—harmful to health—may fade from social customs. Similarly, strict drunk-driving laws may reduce alcohol’s role. Tea, on the other hand, remains unaffected. With its elegant, healthy, and noble qualities, tea enhances social interactions and provides emotional grounding.
4. Esteem Needs
From the esteem perspective, serving tea to a visiting friend conveys respect. While offering a cigarette or alcohol might be declined due to personal preferences, tea is universally acceptable. Even if someone isn’t a tea lover, they can still enjoy it. This simple act carries profound respect within a small cup.
5. Self-Actualization Needs
The greatest fulfillment and need for humans lies in self-actualization.
Tea offers aesthetic pleasure, creates an elegant ambiance, and embodies philosophical principles. Tea drinkers embrace simplicity and tranquility, free from worldly pretenses, embodying the concept of "selflessness." It helps cleanse the mind of clutter, fulfilling the highest level of human need—not through material possessions but through inner peace and harmony.
These five levels of fulfillment are the reasons why you should fall in love with tea. In life’s journey, we constantly seek ways to achieve physical and mental well-being. Tea, with its health benefits, serenity, elegance, and nobility, is the perfect choice to meet these needs.