A frequently frustrated young man traveled a long distance to Puji Temple and sought out the renowned Zen master Wu Sheng. He lamented gloomily: "Life is always unsatisfactory; living is just barely getting by. What meaning does it have?"
The old Zen master listened quietly to the young man's sighs, then instructed his disciple: "This guest has come from afar; boil a pot of warm water and bring it here." Shortly after, the young disciple brought warm water. The old Zen master picked up tea leaves and placed them in a teacup, then brewed them with warm water. Smiling, he invited the young man to drink tea.
The tea leaves floated quietly on the surface, with slight steam rising from the cup. The young man asked puzzledly: "Why does this precious temple use warm water to brew tea?" The old Zen master only smiled without answering.
The young man took a careful sip. He couldn't help but shake his head and said: "There's no tea fragrance at all."
The old Zen master said: "But this is the famous Fujian tea Iron Goddess of Mercy!" The young man took another sip and affirmed: "Really, there is no tea fragrance at all."
The old Zen master again instructed the young disciple: "Go and boil a pot of boiling water and bring it here." Shortly after, the disciple brought a pot of boiling water. The old Zen master stood up, took another cup, put in tea leaves, poured boiling water, and placed it on the tea table. The young man looked down and saw the tea leaves rising and sinking, with a delicate fragrance lingering, enticing and mouth-watering. As the young man reached for the cup, the old Zen master gestured to stop him, then poured another stream of boiling water into the cup. The tea leaves tumbled even more vigorously, and a richer, more intoxicating tea fragrance wafted up, filling the meditation room. The old Zen master repeated this five times until the cup was full. The cup of green tea, held in hand, emitted a captivating fragrance, and upon tasting, it refreshed the heart and mind.
The old Zen master then asked with a smile: "Do you know, sir, why the same Iron Goddess of Mercy tea tastes so different?" The young man pondered and said: "One used warm water, the other used boiling water—the brewing water is different."
The Zen master nodded: "With different water, the sinking and floating of the tea leaves vary. Brewing tea with warm water, the leaves float lightly on the surface—how can they release their fragrance? Brewing tea with boiling water, repeatedly, the tea leaves sink and float, eventually releasing the charm of the four seasons: the tranquility of spring, the heat of summer, the abundance of autumn, and the clarity of winter. The multitude of beings in the world are no different from sinking and floating tea leaves. Those who avoid wind and rain are like tea brewed with warm water, floating only on the surface of life, unable to steep out the fragrance of life; those who brave the wind and rain are like strong tea brewed with boiling water—only after repeated sinkings and floatings in the vicissitudes of life can they emit such a heart-stirring fragrance!" The young man was thoughtful and deeply ashamed.
Life has many joys; laugh at the world's many worries. In life, one should smile at the ups and downs, living with openness and fulfillment. Because openness prevents getting stuck in dead ends, and fulfillment enables optimistic progress, continuously surpassing oneself in the most down-to-earth way.