中華茶道的標準美學

文/五花肉

中華茶道的標準美學

文/五花肉

Aesthetics of Standards in Chinese Teaism

中華茶道包含“環境、茶藝、禮法、修行” 四大要素。被譽為茶僧的唐代著名詩人皎然在《飲茶歌誚崔石使君》中寫道：“三飲便得道，何須苦心破煩惱” 。在文人雅士的心中，茶道，猶如人生之道，品茶，就是品味人生。

Environment, tea art, rite and cultivation are four important elements in Chinese teaism. Jiao Ran, a poet of Tang Dynasty, also known as the tea monk, wrote in Tea Drinking Song: Entertain Mr. Cui Shi that you will achieve enlightenment after drinking tea for three draughts and there is no need to break up the affliction so painstakingly. As regards to most ref i ned scholars, teaism is just like the way of life, and savoring tea is the way of perceiving the truth of life.

環境清雅幽靜

Elegant and Peaceful Environment

中華茶道非常重視品飲環境，通過構建飲茶的意境空間，謀求與自然的和諧統一。不管是自然環境還是人文環境，清雅幽靜都是約定俗成的基本標準。

Chinese teaism attaches a great importance to the environment for savoring tea. By constructing an artistic conception space for tea drinking, Chinese teaism strives to create harmonious savoring environment with nature. No matter natural environment or humanistic environment, elegant and peaceful environment is the basic conventional standard.

唐代崇尚自然主義，詩僧皎然曾與茶圣陸羽把茶共敘，“九日山僧院，東籬菊也黃。俗人多泛酒，誰解助茶香。”寥寥數語勾畫出二人在寂靜的寺院，伴著菊花的清香，品茶論道的優雅氛圍。

In Tang Dynasty, naturalism was greatly advocated. Monk poet Jiao Ran once chatted with Lu Yu over teacups, saying on the day of Double Nine Festival, inthis monastery, I see the yellow chrysanthemums under the east fence bloom. Most secular people indulge in wine instead of savoring tea .These few sentences ref l ect the elegant atmosphere where they savored tea and had a conversation in a silent monastery emerged in the faint scent of chrysanthemums.

宋代開始流行布置精巧的茶室，“插四時花，掛名人畫”成為當時的標準配置。到了明代，對茶室陳設布置的標準要求更加精細。據《長物志》記載：“構一斗室，相傍山齋，內設茶具，教一童專主茶役，以供長日清淡，寒窗兀坐，幽人首務，不可少廢者” 。

Delicate decorated teahouse became popular in Song Dynasty. Four season flowers and paintings of celebrity were the standard teahouse decoration at that time. Since Ming Dynasty, the requirements for the teahouse’s display and decoration became more elaborate. Treatise on Superf l uous Things writes: a hut furnished with tea wares near mountainous dwelling and a boy servant serving tea during the chatting time all day long, are the essential af f airs for the hermits.

茶藝返璞歸真

Tea Art Gets Back to Basics

茶藝是中華茶道的重要組成部分。歷史上曾先后形成三類茶藝，唐代煎茶、宋代點茶和明代泡茶。

Tea art is an important component of Chinese teaism. Three tea art forms were successively developed in the history—Jiancha (brewing tea powder and water together) in Tang Dynasty, Diancha (grinding tea from pressed form and stirring it up with hot water) in Song Dynasty and Paocha (drinking the infusion) in Ming Dynasty.

煎茶工藝繁雜，茶器組合陣勢龐大，包括“炙茶、碾末、取火、選水、煮茶、酌茶”六個標準流程。點茶則明確了斗茶的具體要求和評判標準，蔡襄《茶錄》有云，“茶少湯多則云腳散，湯少茶多則粥面聚。以水痕先者為負，耐久者為勝”。明代開始廢團茶、興散茶，直接導致了茶藝的劃時代變化，以沸水沖泡葉茶的泡飲法開始興起，并流傳至今。

The process of Jiancha is complex, which requiresa huge tea set combination, including six standard working procedures: roasting, grinding, fire making, water selecting, boiling, and drinking. Diancha has def i ned the specif i c requirements and judgment criteria for Doucha (tea competition). Cai Xiang mentioned in The Record of Tea, less tea with more water will cause the tea scattered on the water; less water with more tea will make the tea intertwine. If water mark appears first, one will lose the tea competition. In Ming Dynasty, loose tea took up group tea’s place, leading to the epoch-making change in tea art that the method of brewing loose tea with boiling water was emerging and maintained up till now.

禮法體系嚴謹

Rigorous Rite System

除了環境和茶藝，中華茶道還格外注重禮法，“侯湯有老嫩之辨，投茶有上下之分”， 追求禮儀具備、體系嚴謹。

Apart from the environment and tea art, Chinese teaism especially takes emphasis on rites. The water can be divided into old and fresh, and tea can be casted from higher and lower direction, which is a great reflection of the pursuit of complete etiquette and rigorous system.

“夫珍鮮馥烈者，其碗數三，次之者，碗數五。若坐客數至五，行三碗。至七，行五碗。若六人已下，不約碗數，但闕一人，而已其雋永補所闕人” 。從陸羽的《茶經》可見一斑，這也是中國乃至世界現存最早、最完整、最全面介紹茶的一部專著，被譽為茶葉百科全書。

For the most exquisite tea, the essence should manifest in three bowls. When one pot makes five bowls, the tea does not taste as good. But if you can be satisf i ed with a compromise in quality, f i ve bowls are permissible. If you have f i ve guests, it is better to serve three bowls of tea for them to share. If you have seven guests, then make five bowls and pass them among the guests. If you have six guests, then make f i ve bowls and use the hot water basin as the sixth. If a guest is missing from your gathering, then spirit of the tea must take their place. This paragraph can be found in The Classic of Tea written by Lu Yu, which is the earliest and the most comprehensive tea treatise in China even in the whole world. Therefore, The Classic of Tea is also known as the encyclopedia of tea.

結 語

Conclusion

“品茗談天地，賞花語人生”。中華茶道源于生活又高于生活，一茶一具都契合標準之美，飽含人生智慧，在歷史的長河中歷久彌香、源遠流長。Savoring tea and appreciating f l owers over teacups are the ideal life of people.Chinese teaism derives from life yet above life. Every tea leaf and tea set comfort to standard aesthetics and contain life wisdom. As time pass by, Chinese teaism reflects the charm of thousands of years while emanating the fragrance of soul.

（支持單位：上海市質量和標準化研究院）