Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

Smiling broadly, Mr. Chen remarks that today there
is no rain, and then inquires, "Did you get any
disease from your wet robes?" He feels the hem of
Bhante's robe but today it is dry. A new tin of a
Chinese jasmine tea was produced and glasses of
steaming green tea made ready.
Bhante quoted someone as having written about
four drinks characteristic of four great religions:
wine is the drink of Christianity, coffee that of Islam;
the Hindu's drink is milk, but Buddhists have tea.
This observation cannot be discussed here; suffice it
to say that the Chinese tea of Buddhism is a clear,
refreshing, astringent drink. These attributes of tea
rather fit with the Buddha's teachings, for they too
are clear; refreshing to those who drink them; and
undisguised by the worldly sugaring, present the
world as it truly is: a bitter drink but wholesome.
For a long time Buddhist monks have used this tea
for shaking off drowsiness during meditation.
Before we begin on today's subject we should notice the
dedication to each chapter. Every chapter will be headed
by the worship of some Buddha or Bodhisattva. The
first is naturally dedicated to Sakyamuni and the Three
Jewels, as these are not only fundamental to the
doctrines of all the schools, but are also the basis of all
the schools, and the basis of all their practices. The
second chapter opens with the homage to the Five
Tathagatas, for it is here that our real talk on meditation
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