回顧與前瞻馬來西亞佛教：第一屆馬來西亞佛教國際研討會論文集=Retrospective and Perspective of Malaysian Buddhism: Proceeding of the 1st International Conference on Malaysian Buddhism
Ji Cheng named himself as “tea-sipping monk” and believed that the principle of tea and Chan can be connected and propagated. He wrote more than 40 proses on tea over the last 20 years with strong proposition for “tea and Chan are of one and the same taste”. This paper uses the thought of “tea and Chan are of one and the same taste” to examine Ji Cheng’s expression on “tea and Chan are of one and the same taste”. This paper also divides his writings on tea into early and later phases to investigate two aspects: Firstly, to study his situation on learning the art of tea, including what he has learnt from teapot maintenance, making tea and sipping tea for balancing the body and mind; how he has expressed daily life’s common sentiment with tea; and finally how the “place of having tea” has become his poetic home for life-long refuge. Secondly, to examine his proses on tea matter. The research discovered that there was no concrete experience and opinion on “tea and Chan are of one and the same taste” in the early phase of his writing. Ji Cheng likes to drink tea, which also make him buy and maintain the teapots, which caused some criticism from others. Hence the proses at this stage were written with the purpose of explaining himself. The proses have the characteristic of point of view, argument, and demonstration. Simulation and rhetorical question were uniquely used in the proses. They were imbedded with satires and humour which are in contrast to his great number of proses which were rather plain and meant for preaching. In the latter phase of tea matter writing, Ji Cheng has pointed the way on how to achieve “tea and Chan are of one and the same taste” and has managed to have a sound grip on the concept. Chan’s language and Chan’s gong’an were frequently used in the writings. He expresses his emotion and argument flatly and volubly. Ji Cheng’s propaganda on “tea and Chan are of one and the same taste” manifests a heritage of a Chan monk from the Chan sect of Buddhism.
