Ode to Ninghong Tea
ninghongcha
Heaven bestowed "Ninghong," world-famous, the premier black tea, performing unique feats. Originating from antiquity, its fame flourished in the Qing Dynasty. From Xiushui, Jiangxi, anciently called Ningzhou, the backbone of glorious Jiangxi, upstream of the Xiu River. Embraced by the Mufu and Jiuling mountain ranges; supported by Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi provinces; surrounded by Jing'an, Fengxin, Yifeng, Tonggu, Pingjiang, Tongcheng, Chongyang, and Tongshan; a single red dot amidst Changsha, Wuhan, and Nanchang. Stars surrounding the moon, a pearl connecting dragons, a fortunate land.
The sacred canon of Chinese medicine, the "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon," proclaims the heavenly way, the procession of the five stars, suppressing evil and bestowing kindness, upright and balanced. Good mountains, good water, good folk customs; good people, good land produce Ninghong. The ancient wonder-book "Classic of Mountains and Seas" recounts, "Shennong tasted a hundred herbs, was poisoned seventy-two times in a day, and was relieved by tea." Tea benefits the globe, quenches thirst. At the peak of beverages, it has not lost its nature. The seventy-two poisons correspond to the hexagram "Mountain over Lake" (Shan Ze Sun), symbolizing human illness. Its inner trigram is "Earth over Thunder" (Di Lei Fu), the first yang arising, revival of body and mind. The hexagram "Mountain over Lake," "relieved by tea," transforms into "Lake over Mountain" (Ze Shan Xian), originating profit and smooth progress. Xian is the heavenly pond, water residing at the peak, nurturing all things, selflessly descending. Tea is a great medicine, the crystallization of sage wisdom. Those who lose it are foolish; those who gain it have enlightened minds. The hexagram "Mountain over Lake" comes from ancient sages, not revealing heavenly secrets, aiding all beings.
The heart is the monarch, ruling spirit and consciousness. The narrow heart is seen as an organ; the broad heart cannot be described, inconceivable, like not discussing ice with summer insects. The unsaid saying: the heart is emptiness. Unborn, undying, not increasing, not decreasing, not defiled, not pure. All beings share one heart, hearts interconnected. When the heart is peaceful, the organs are at ease, the world is tranquil. The wise unify; the foolish cling to form. Follow the four seasons, adapt to cold and heat; harmonize joy and anger, dwell peacefully with a balanced heart. When these two correspond, yin and yang balance, firmness and flexibility complement, achieving great health preservation. Clinging to the organ loses the heart; losing the heart harms the form. Deviating from the classics and betraying the path, imbalance leads to end. The "Ning" in Ninghong: under the heart, vessel calm, Ding fire gently warms, yin steams unmoving. "Hong" is the heart fire, belonging to the五行 (Five Elements). Ninghong pacifies the heart, nourishing the monarch's tea. Tea calms the organs, resolves stasis, purifies blood. Tea soup enters the stomach, yang rises in the spleen, generating flesh qi, body and mind lightened. Tea reaches the small intestine, heart yang rises, the monarch clear and bright, all officials thrive. Extending to the large intestine, lung descent is effective, the chancellor performs duties, officials diligent.
The hours of Wu (午) and Xu (戍) are most efficacious for nourishing the heart. Boiling water brews the tea, soup color blood-red, sip by sip enters the mouth, pause briefly between teeth. The kidneys govern bones and marrow, tooth warmth connects to bones, bone connection awakens marrow, marrow awakening clarifies the spirit. The monarch wise, ministers tranquil, the person lives peacefully. Wu hour purifies the heart; Xu hour clears evils. Wu and Xu hours, inner and outer shine together. In a human lifetime, the heart governs wisdom-life. If the monarch is balanced, a hundred years evergreen; if the heart is base, youth's path ends. The essence of health preservation: empty the mind of attachments. The difficulty of nourishing the heart lies in obscurity; the simplicity of nourishing the heart: a cup of Ninghong. Doubt distances, faith draws near, all is destined. The sage's teaching: what you do not desire, do not impose on others. Composing this ode to Ninghong, the great path's practice, simplifying complexity, compassion connecting all beings.
—Written at the Spring Equinox, year Yi Wei (2015). Note: Wu hour is approximately 11:00–13:00 Beijing Time in the Beijing area; Xu hour is 19:00–21:00. Calculate time difference for areas outside Beijing.