Reconnect and Reenergize through Stones & Tea

摘要

Bai Juyi (772-846) also known as Po Chii-i, was a scholar-official, great poet and a lover of both tea and Chinese fantastic stones. In the excerpt below from his poem Having climbed the Incense-burner peak, he describes his longing to escape day-to-day worries: Far, so far, the Incense-burner peak! In my heart memories of what I have seen and heardAll year detained by official business; But today at last, I can go again (...) In today's hyper-busy society many of us share Bai Juyi's desire of retreating to nature. We struggle to get away, yet what can those of us who lead an urban existence do? One way, as practiced by Chinese scholars through the ages, is to connect with nature through stones and tea. Through stone and tea appreciation, we too can climb the Incense-burner peak - without leaving our homes.