Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-24
THAT do Americans see in cup of tea than
w refreshment and five o'clock chat? Or, per-
hans in the leaf dregs their fortunes?

w refreshment and five o'clock chat? Or, per
haps in the leaf dregs, their fortunes?
To the Chinese and Koreans the beginnings OF the
universe reappear in miniature when they rotate the
last of the liquid before draining the cup. Against these
symbols of quiet and motion, in white ceramics and
Der brown liquid they behold the initial forces
positive and negative at work in the making of worlds
Behold on the flag of Korea this emblem! What seems
to be two perpetual revolution each striving
theother, is the graphic symbol of creation.
To the Korean mind night and day. the masculine and
feminine elements OF nature, whence proceed all things
are here pictured in miniature One dark blue and the
other reddish yellow represent heaven, the male
element and the earth, the female element great
mother Across the the heavens to clasp the
earth, while the land rises up in lofty mountains to
hold the heavens in its embrace thus making harmony,
beauty, and the eternal fitness of things.
On oriental art one will recognize these symbols,
d1scernble in the teacup, in a thousand decorative
forms but the Koreans the first to make of them
a national flag The Japanese add third, making
threefold SYMBOL which to them represents Heaven,
Earth and Man, thus introducing the offspring of the
cosmc pair. Not only do they stamp etch, embroder,
lacquer and carve the emblem every sort of plastic
material but notably do they mold it in the clay of the
end tile final of their houses thus tipping with
celestial emblem the rooftree of the family. In their
manifold mysticism, this ceramic ornament points to
Earth the mother and Man the child, whose happiness
consists in loyalty and obedience to the great parents
Yet all these come out OF teacup and from the last
mouthul of the liquid. Verify ends meet!
Though we inclined to associate both China and
tea with the beginning of the universe yet the Chinese
went long time without sip of bohea. Nowhere in
their VOumnOuS literature is any mention OF the SHRUBS
leaves used infusion, until A. D. $50. Nowadays
many countries claim the birthplace of the Thea
.Sinenss did Greek cities that of Homer. Assam,
however, seems to have been its first home. Though
usually the height of yardstick, the tea plant may be
grown to become tree eighteen feet in altitude
Botanicaly it is the Queen of the Camellas for the
pearl white and the blood red flower named after
the German missionary, Kamel relatives.
The two plants dress nearly alike that their leaves
the same in color, gloss, and form.
1t certain that tea not generally drunk in China
until the eighth century In Japan it introduced in
A. D. S05, by the famous Buddhist saint Dengyo. This
pilgrim beyond seas, who had talked with HISTORIAN
Christians in China and sat under the teachings of the
most famous sages from India, introduced sect
and the rite of Buddhist baptism While abroad he
heard of cup that worked magic Its beverage could
keep the monks awake during their midnight devotons
Evidently the average prayer meeting in that day,
well in ours needed tea AT any clear that