The Seven Bowls of Tea — Lu Tong

2026-10-31T23:28:00Z

“ The first bowl moistens the lips and throat, the second banishes loneliness and boredom, the third penetrates the deepest recesses of the dry soul, the fourth brings forth a light perspiration that drives away all the grievances and trials of life through the pores, the fifth purifies the bones and body, the sixth lifts us up to commune with the immortals and noble spirits, and as for the seventh bowl... one can scarcely bear to drink it, for feeling nothing with it save a gentle breeze rising from beneath the sleeves, carrying one away flying to paradise.”