What about tea?

Tea--it has spread around the world. For some, it is the daily drink, several times a day. For some it is a hobby, or art appreciation. I grew up thinking tea was something in a bag that you have when you don't want coffee. Living in Japan and drinking the wonderful tea here has certainly given me a deeper perspective on it.

'I am awake'--this is one of my favorite quotations. I don't even know if this is from a sutra or what. But it is such a concise statement, instruction, description the Buddha gave us. Awake? The Buddha woke up and we can do the same. Are we asleep now? I guess our delusions are like being asleep. When we are asleep, our dreams seem so real, until we wake up. When we really 'wake up,' our delusions will crumble like the phantoms of our dreams. So simple, yet so difficult. Maybe a cup of tea will help.