Drinking Tea Probably Goes Through Three Stages, Which One Are You At?

Previously, I made three videos about the three stages of drinking tea, with links at the bottom. Now I have new understanding, so I'll add a simple written version.

1. Tea is just tea.

Tea is for drinking. If you like green tea, just brew it in a large cup, or use a gaiwan or pot. One gaiwan, one pot, buy a few liang of tea leaves whenever you like. If you like it, buy more; if not, switch to another tea next time. If you like pu'er, you can pry the cake, brew with a gaiwan, and distinguish raw from ripe – that's enough. You don't need to know too much. If you think a tea tastes good, buy a couple more cakes; if not, give it away. This stage is the most economical and doesn't take much time.

2. Tea is not tea.

When you start talking about tea culture, start selecting tea based on ecology, paying attention to tea's activity and body sensation, whether it's a blue-and-white gaiwan, whether it's an original ore pot, whether the water is spring water, whether the tea space is artistic enough, how to brew the tea properly... At this point, tea is no longer tea; it's everything you need related to tea.

At this stage, you start to enjoy listening to various stories, many of which are false, various legends, most without roots. Like the story of Mansong in Pu'er tribute tea – it's all made up, but many people like it, and companies promote it. Now the story is almost becoming true.

You start attending various tea gatherings, wearing tea-person clothes, visiting various tea masters and gurus, even organizing your own tea parties. You buy a bunch of tea books that are more than 50% repetitive, like incense, flower arrangement, beautiful tea mats, and beautiful tea artists...

Congratulations, you start spending a lot of money. Attend various trainings – tea, incense, utensils, flowers, aesthetics – go to tea mountains, buy famous tea sets, buy water that costs hundreds per barrel, buy tea made by famous makers, renovate tea rooms, choose tea tables...

Tea is not tea, money is not money.

3. Tea is still tea

Light boat has passed ten thousand mountains; push aside the clouds to see the sun and moon.

After drinking a lot of tea, meeting many tea people, visiting all the tea mountains, having several rooms full of tea and a cabinet full of famous pots, you start to feel tired. With a cabinet full of pots, the one you like to use might still be that white porcelain gaiwan. With a room full of tea, you only like to drink a few kinds. You start to do subtraction, not attending social tea gatherings.

You start to enjoy drinking tea quietly alone. The incense box is covered in dust, you don't flip through tea books anymore, many teas are sealed and stored, some are given away...

Tea is tea, but you are no longer the same person you were before.

Video link: Three Stages of Drinking Tea