Buddhist Laymen and Tea during the Tang Dynasty
The Spring series of Buddhist studies seminars continued on April 12th with a talk by James Benn from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. (Download the full audio podcast below.) James' talk detailed one aspect of a much larger project with which he is involved that examines the cultural and social history of tea in China. This project has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. On Thursday night Prof. Benn spoke on the development of a tea-drinking culture in the Tang dynasty, and the important role that Buddhist laymen (the sources unfortunately make little mention of women's contribution) played in that process. James joked that his appearance began a series of “basement lectures” here at Columbia, but the cramped quarters were easily forgotten once he had gotten into his talk.
The rise of tea as a socially acceptable and often prized beverage in China happened in a historically brief period of time, what James referred to as a “tea craze” that occurred in the 8th century. Whereas alcohol had been the traditional drink of choice when it came to entertaining friends, making ritual sacrifices or to be enjoyed while composing poetry, the brewed drink that originated in Sichuan province suddenly became a popular substitute. Tea was strongly associated with Buddhism, as both clergy and lay followers were expected to follow the precept against ingesting intoxicants and were thus motivated to replace alcohol as a beverage; James was quick to point out the often overwhelming effects of strongly caffeinated tea, arguing that it was an acceptable stimulant that helped ardent Buddhists in their all-night meditation binges. Tea was also able to serve as a social lubricant between the Buddhist clergy and secular officials; Buddhists could offer their influential and educated guests a beverage which they could all appreciate and enjoy. Laymen who were strict in following their precepts could also compose poetry while drinking tea, and gain pride in their connoisseurship of rare and expensive types of tea.
It is interesting to note, however, that James found little mention of Lu Yu, the author of the /Chajing/ (The Classic of Tea) within Buddhist historiography. Indeed the Buddhists, while strongly associated with tea from its initial period of popularity, never monopolized the cultural and social meanings of the beverage within Chinese society. The talk also related a composition that describes a dialogue between Mr. Tea and Mr. Alcohol over which is the superior drink, an argument which is eventually won by a surprise third contestant. James also outlined the importance of tea in Tang poetry as well as the evidence of the type of material culture that developed around the popular drink. If this talk on Tea and Buddhism in China is any indication, then the finished project will certainly be a wide-ranging and important contribution to our understanding of China's cultural history.
Click here for podcast by James Benn >>
See lecture hand-out >>
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Gregory Scott is a first year PhD student in the department of religion at Columbia University. He researches the history of modern Chinese Buddhism and Buddhist historiography. He enjoys tea..
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