For this piece, I invite you to prepare a hot or cold drink of your choice. It would be excellent if you could immerse yourself in the ancient times of China, where mystery, spirituality, and medicine converge to create two of the most well-known legends about the origin of tea.
In this edition of Sagas & Tales, we will talk about Shennong and how his life had an unexpected encounter with tea. This encounter led to legends that seek to explain the origins of tea. It's worth mentioning that every country has its own stories about how tea came to be.
Shennong, known as the Divine Farmer, is credited with inventing essential tools for farming, like the hoe, and laying the foundations of traditional Chinese medicine. Shennong is one of the Three August Ones of China.
For a bit of context, the Three August Ones were the earliest rulers of China and are considered mystical figures. They are known for laying the groundwork of Chinese civilization and establishing its political and social structure before the first dynasty. They are considered mystical partly because they are believed to have lived for centuries — for example, Shennong is said to have lived around 5,000 years. There are many interpretations of who they were and what they achieved, but they were most likely real people who, thanks to their extraordinary physical and mental abilities, made significant advancements. Over time, stories and legends were created around them.
Shennong was known for his strict hygiene and constant quest to stay healthy. It is said that he always drank a cup of boiling water. His passion for health led him to personally test various natural elements, from leaves to poisons, in order to create treatments. He classified jades, stones, herbs, woods, animals, fruits, vegetables, and grains into three categories: superior, intermediate, and inferior, each with warnings and instructions for use. For instance, Shennong treated blood clots or insufficient lactation using a wingless cockroach. If you want to learn more about these ancient treatments, refer to the book Shennong Ben Cao Jing. However, it's important to note that if you choose to research these treatments, do so with the intention of understanding how certain illnesses were regarded and treated in ancient times. You should never attempt to replicate these treatments, as there are reports of health enthusiasts trying to follow ancient Chinese medicine practices, often with disastrous results. This caution is crucial to remember and can help us make informed decisions about our health.
To better understand Shennong's approach to health, we can delve into one of his principles regarding treatments: "One should base [the treatment of disease on its primary pattern which may then have variants. These variants can be likened to branches and leaves. Then it is proper to make a prescription in accordance with the signs they show." (Yang, 1998, XVI). This concept, as you can see, isn't far removed from modern medicine, which is why Shennong had such a significant impact on traditional Chinese medicine. Understanding this connection can be enlightening and can help us appreciate the depth of knowledge that ancient civilizations possessed.
Now that you know more about the Divine Farmer, I can tell you about his unusual encounter with tea. But first, let me clarify that if when you think of tea, you picture neat rows of square-shaped bushes about one meter tall, that's due to modern cultivation and care techniques. In Yunnan Province, ancient Gu Shu tea trees stand between 7 and 10 meters tall.
With that in mind, imagine Shennong — known for his hygiene and search for natural remedies — in the middle of a field boiling water for his routine cup of boiling water. Suddenly, a breeze passes by, carrying with it a few green leaves that, by chance, fall into the water. Witnessing this, instead of discarding the water and starting over, Shennong says, "What heaven sends brings harmony to our soul." And, true to his nature of testing everything, he drinks this unusual golden-colored elixir. This is how the legend of tea's origin in China begins. This discovery was not in vain, as in the following years, tea became used as a bitter medicinal herb and was gradually adapted to various social circumstances, undergoing different preparation methods across dynasties — from being powdered, boiled for long periods, and even used as a cooking ingredient, all the way to what it is today.
While this is only one of the many stories about the origin of tea, we can say that tea has always been closely linked to spirituality, health, and hospitality since ancient times. It's something we should seek to learn, understand, apply, and improve upon in our daily lives. Not out of routine, but to capture its essence, which aims to take us beyond just a cup. It helps to forge lasting, genuine connections when drinking it. You shouldn't just drink it mindlessly — you should drink it with feeling, as a Russian proverb says: "Tea is not vodka — you can't drink a lot."
Until next time!
Satoricha ~
References:
Yang, S. (1998). The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica: A Translation of the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. Blue Poppy Press. https://komornlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/The_Divine_Farmers_Materia_Medica-Shen-Nong-Ben-Cao-Jing.pdf\