The Way of Tea

It was definitely our intention from the very inception of Gong Fu Tea to provide not only fine teas and wares to our clientele, but to impart an appreciation for tea as a part of a rewarding way of life. In this view, tea becomes a simple ingredient that, when combined with other healthful choices and a slight change in perspective on the world, can help an individual to truly cherish their place in relation to others and to their environment. Perhaps Okakura Kakuzo, in his classic The Book of Tea, states this phenomenon best as he describes this "religion of aestheticism" – Teaism: "Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order. It is essentially a worship of the imperfect, as it is a tender attempt to accomplish something possible in this impossible thing we know as life."

It would seem that the world we live in today could easily be described as hectic. There are many demands on our time, and it is very easy to begin to feel "over-programmed." Of course, our individual conditions are very much the result of our own choices.