TheBookofTea.docx
- 文档编号:11674210
- 上传时间:2023-06-02
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:46
- 大小:65.78KB
TheBookofTea.docx
《TheBookofTea.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《TheBookofTea.docx(46页珍藏版)》请在冰点文库上搜索。
TheBookofTea
TheBookofTea
KakuzoOkakura
I.TheCupofHumanity
II.TheSchoolsofTea
III.TaoismandZennism
IV.TheTearoom
V.ArtAppreciation
VI.Flowers
VII.TeaMasters
I.TheCupofHumanity
Teabeganasamedicineandgrewintoabeverage.InChina,intheeighthcentury,itenteredtherealmofpoetryasoneofthepoliteamusements.ThefifteenthcenturysawJapanennobleitintoareligionofaestheticism--Teaism.Teaismisacultfoundedontheadorationofthebeautifulamongthesordidfactsofeverydayexistence.Itinculcatespurityandharmony,themysteryofmutualcharity,theromanticismofthesocialorder.ItisessentiallyaworshipoftheImperfect,asitisatenderattempttoaccomplishsomethingpossibleinthisimpossiblethingweknowaslife.
ThePhilosophyofTeaisnotmereaestheticismintheordinaryacceptanceoftheterm,foritexpressesconjointlywithethicsandreligionourwholepointofviewaboutmanandnature.Itishygiene,foritenforcescleanliness;itiseconomics,foritshowscomfortinsimplicityratherthaninthecomplexandcostly;itismoralgeometry,inasmuchasitdefinesoursenseofproportiontotheuniverse.ItrepresentsthetruespiritofEasterndemocracybymakingallitsvotariesaristocratsintaste.
ThelongisolationofJapanfromtherestoftheworld,soconducivetointrospection,hasbeenhighlyfavourabletothedevelopmentofTeaism.Ourhomeandhabits,costumeandcuisine,porcelain,lacquer,painting--ourveryliterature--allhavebeensubjecttoitsinfluence.NostudentofJapaneseculturecouldeverignoreitspresence.Ithaspermeatedtheeleganceofnobleboudoirs,andenteredtheabodeofthehumble.Ourpeasantshavelearnedtoarrangeflowers,ourmeanestlabourertoofferhissalutationtotherocksandwaters.Inourcommonparlancewespeakoftheman"withnotea"inhim,whenheisinsusceptibletotheserio-comicinterestsofthepersonaldrama.Againwestigmatisetheuntamedaesthetewho,regardlessofthemundanetragedy,runsriotinthespringtideofemancipatedemotions,asone"withtoomuchtea"inhim.
Theoutsidermayindeedwonderatthisseemingmuchadoaboutnothing.Whatatempestinatea-cup!
hewillsay.Butwhenweconsiderhowsmallafterallthecupofhumanenjoymentis,howsoonoverflowedwithtears,howeasilydrainedtothedregsinourquenchlessthirstforinfinity,weshallnotblameourselvesformakingsomuchofthetea-cup.Mankindhasdoneworse.IntheworshipofBacchus,wehavesacrificedtoofreely;andwehaveeventransfiguredthegoryimageofMars.WhynotconsecrateourselvestothequeenoftheCamelias,andrevelinthewarmstreamofsympathythatflowsfromheraltar?
Intheliquidamberwithintheivory-porcelain,theinitiatedmaytouchthesweetreticenceofConfucius,thepiquancyofLao-tzu[Laotse],andtheetherealaromaofSakyamunihimself.
Thosewhocannotfeelthelittlenessofgreatthingsinthemselvesareapttooverlookthegreatnessoflittlethingsinothers.TheaverageWesterner,inhissleekcomplacency,willseeintheteaceremonybutanotherinstanceofthethousandandoneodditieswhichconstitutethequaintnessandchildishnessoftheEasttohim.HewaswonttoregardJapanasbarbarouswhilesheindulgedinthegentleartsofpeace:
hecallshercivilisedsinceshebegantocommitwholesaleslaughteronManchurianbattlefields.MuchcommenthasbeengivenlatelytotheCodeoftheSamurai,--theArtofDeathwhichmakesoursoldiersexultinselfsacrifice;butscarcelyanyattentionhasbeendrawntoTeaism,whichrepresentssomuchofourArtofLife.Fainwouldweremainbarbarians,ifourclaimtocivilisationweretobebasedonthegruesomegloryofwar.Fainwouldweawaitthetimewhenduerespectshallbepaidtoourartandideals.
WhenwilltheWestunderstand,ortrytounderstand,theEast?
WeAsiaticsareoftenappalledbythecuriousweboffactsandfancieswhichhasbeenwovenconcerningus.Wearepicturedaslivingontheperfumeofthelotus,ifnotonmiceandcockroaches.Itiseitherimpotentfanaticismorelseabjectvoluptuousness.Indianspiritualityhasbeenderidedasignorance,Chinesesobrietyasstupidity,Japanesepatriotismastheresultoffatalism.Ithasbeensaidthatwearelesssensibletopainandwoundsonaccountofthecallousnessofournervousorganisation!
Whynotamuseyourselvesatourexpense?
Asiareturnsthecompliment.Therewouldbefurtherfoodformerrimentifyouweretoknowallthatwehaveimaginedandwrittenaboutyou.Alltheglamouroftheperspectiveisthere,alltheunconscioushomageofwonder,allthesilentresentmentofthenewandundefined.Youhavebeenloadedwithvirtuestoorefinedtobeenvied,andaccusedofcrimestoopicturesquetobecondemned.Ourwritersinthepast--thewisemenwhoknew--informedusthatyouhadbushytailssomewherehiddeninyourgarments,andoftendinedoffafricasseeofnewbornbabes!
Nay,wehadsomethingworseagainstyou:
weusedtothinkyouthemostimpracticablepeopleontheearth,foryouweresaidtopreachwhatyouneverpracticed.
Suchmisconceptionsarefastvanishingamongstus.CommercehasforcedtheEuropeantonguesonmanyanEasternport.AsiaticyouthsareflockingtoWesterncollegesfortheequipmentofmoderneducation.Ourinsightdoesnotpenetrateyourculturedeeply,butatleastwearewillingtolearn.Someofmycompatriotshaveadoptedtoomuchofyourcustomsandtoomuchofyouretiquette,inthedelusionthattheacquisitionofstiffcollarsandtallsilkhatscomprisedtheattainmentofyourcivilisation.Patheticanddeplorableassuchaffectationsare,theyevinceourwillingnesstoapproachtheWestonourknees.UnfortunatelytheWesternattitudeisunfavourabletotheunderstandingoftheEast.TheChristianmissionarygoestoimpart,butnottoreceive.Yourinformationisbasedonthemeagretranslationsofourimmenseliterature,ifnotontheunreliableanecdotesofpassingtravellers.ItisrarelythatthechivalrouspenofaLafcadioHearnorthatoftheauthorofTheWebofIndianLifeenlivenstheOrientaldarknesswiththetorchofourownsentiments.
PerhapsIbetraymyownignoranceoftheTeaCultbybeingsooutspoken.Itsveryspiritofpolitenessexactsthatyousaywhatyouareexpectedtosay,andnomore.ButIamnottobeapoliteTeaist.SomuchharmhasbeendonealreadybythemutualmisunderstandingoftheNewWorldandtheOld,thatoneneednotapologiseforcontributinghistithetothefurtheranceofabetterunderstanding.ThebeginningofthetwentiethcenturywouldhavebeensparedthespectacleofsanguinarywarfareifRussiahadcondescendedtoknowJapanbetter.WhatdireconsequencestohumanitylieinthecontemptuousignoringofEasternproblems!
Europeanimperialism,whichdoesnotdisdaintoraisetheabsurdcryoftheYellowPeril,failstorealisethatAsiamayalsoawakentothecruelsenseoftheWhiteDisaster.Youmaylaughatusforhaving"toomuchtea,"butmaywenotsuspectthatyouoftheWesthave"notea"inyourconstitution?
Letusstopthecontinentsfromhurlingepigramsateachother,andbesadderifnotwiserbythemutualgainofhalfahemisphere.Wehavedevelopedalongdifferentlines,butthereisnoreasonwhyoneshouldnotsupplementtheother.Youhavegainedexpansionatthecostofrestlessness;wehavecreatedaharmonywhichisweakagainstaggression.Willyoubelieveit?
--theEastisbetteroffinsomerespectsthantheWest!
Strangelyenoughhumanityhassofarmetinthetea-cup.ItistheonlyAsiaticceremonialwhichcommandsuniversalesteem.Thewhitemanhasscoffedatourreligionandourmorals,buthasacceptedthebrownbeveragewithouthesitation.TheafternoonteaisnowanimportantfunctioninWesternsociety.Inthedelicateclatteroftraysandsaucers,inthesoftrustleoffemininehospitality,inthecommoncatechismaboutcreamandsugar,weknowthattheWorshipofTeaisestablishedbeyondquestion.ThephilosophicresignationoftheguesttothefateawaitinghiminthedubiousdecoctionproclaimsthatinthissingleinstancetheOrientalspiritreignssupreme.
TheearliestrecordofteainEuropeanwritingissaidtobefoundinthestatementofanArabiantraveller,thataftertheyear879themainsourcesofrevenueinCantonwerethedutiesonsaltandtea.MarcoPolorecordsthedepositionofaChineseministeroffinancein1285forhisarbitraryaugmentationofthetea-taxes.ItwasattheperiodofthegreatdiscoveriesthattheEuropeanpeoplebegantoknowmoreabouttheextremeOrient.AttheendofthesixteenthcenturytheHollandersbroughtthenewsthatapleasantdrinkwasmadeintheEastfromtheleavesofabush.ThetravellersGiovanniBatistaRamusio(1559),L.Almeida(1576),Maffeno(1588),Tareira(1610),alsomentionedtea.Inthelast-namedyearshipsoftheDutchEastIndiaCompanybroughtthefirstteaintoEurope.ItwasknowninFrancein1636,andreachedRussiain1638.Englandwelcomeditin1650andspokeofitas"ThatexcellentandbyallphysiciansapprovedChinadrink,calledbytheChineansTcha,andbyothernationsTay,aliasTee."
Likeallgoodthingsoftheworld,thepropagandaofTeametwithopposition.HereticslikeHenrySaville(1678)denounceddrinkingitasafilthycustom.JonasHanway(EssayonTea,1756)saidthatmenseemedtolosetheirstatureandcomeliness,womentheirbeautythroughtheuseoftea.Itscostatthestart(aboutfifteenorsixteenshillingsapound)forbadepopularconsumption,andmadeit"regaliaforhightreatmentsandentertainments,presentsbeingmadethereoftoprincesandgrandees."Yetinspiteofsuchdrawbackstea-drinkingspreadwithmarvellousrapidity.Thecoffee-housesofLondoninthe
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- TheBookofTea
![提示](https://static.bingdoc.com/images/bang_tan.gif)