Monday 11 March 2013

an experiment

‘Drink your tea slowly and reverently,
as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves
– slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.’

Thich Nhat Hanh
John Wrangham, London 1830-1831

MrsM has been recharging her batteries
by reading the blog zenhabits
and was very inspired by this post

Leo says...
'Yesterday I had tea with a Daoist tea monk
who said for tea to change you,
you have to create a sacred space
in your heart for the tea.

Elkington & Co., Birmingham, 1857

MrsM reads on...
Imagine that space for a moment.
How does it feel?
What can reside in that sacred space?
How different is it from mechanically drinking tea,
without paying attention to it?'

Christopher Dresser , Sheffield 1879

MrsM is impressed by this concept
and wonders if she can apply it
to other aspects of her life.
Andrew Fogelberg, London 1778-1779

She tries replacing the word 'tea'
with the word 'ironing'.
Konoike, Yokohama 1890-1895

Early indications are not promising.

*****

all images
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
many thanks to the Victoria and Albert Museum
for their enlightened policy on digital images

12 comments:

  1. I read the post too, just now.
    It does say "You can do that for anything, not just tea."
    But then it continues: "Anything that’s important to you."
    That might explain the unpromising prospect, ironwise. It is just not important.
    Thanks for the smile on a cold and snowy (again!)mondaymorning.
    Andrea

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  2. You bring me back to the V&A every now and then ...

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  3. Oh but I love ironing--I find it very meditative. Sadly the same does not apply to cleaning bathrooms... K x

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  4. I almost choked on MY (ginger) tea when I read your last sentence. :-)
    Corinne

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  5. I read that too - how strange. Also his article about motivation. Always makes sense at the time but fail to remember to apply it in real life.

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  6. I am off to experiment with cleaning TinySmall's bedroom. I'm not hopeful about that either.

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  7. We all knew that that wouldn't work, didn't we?

    I always make my tea in a pot but it is nowhere near as beautiful as those you displayed. I always drink my tea in one place too and contemplate the day.

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  8. I might start drinking tea if I could have one of those teapots - I only drink it when it would be impolite not to, and someone else has made it!

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  9. I have a sacred space in my heart for Thich Nhat Hanh.

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  10. Liz in Missouri (USA)March 11, 2013

    I have to be very careful because I have this compulsion to collect teapots. I think they are so lovely, and there is just something about a quiet cup of tea poured out of a beautiful pot that creates a special magic.

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  11. I don't think any of the Chinese, Japanese or Tibetan meditations mention creating a sacred space through ironing at all - and frankly I can completely understand that!
    Mindful tea drinking on the other hand I can totally go with.
    But I look forward to your experiments with eager anticipation - good luck. :-)

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  12. sacred tea. I am like that.

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