『茶神傳』에 나타난 通攝的 東茶意識

Abstract

There is ultimately one truth in the diversity of overall tea culture: fusion of metaphysical values of tea and its physical utility. Knowing is not separate in the tea awareness. When both the parties are in mutually supplementary relations and strike harmony between their respective unique roles, they can finally have access to the true values of tea. The tea awareness of Chouiseonsa(草衣禪師, 1786~1865), who is called the master of tea ritual philosophy in the nation, can be defined as "consilient Eastern tea awareness(東茶意識)" as it reveals the philosophy of great harmony in the middle of recognition of relative heterogeneity or the philosophy of combining tea life and ascetic life into one and letting the elements of both live in it. His Dashinjeon(茶神傳) depicts the real worth of Korean tea and tea culture in and outside the tea life, covering the general conditions for the growth of tea trees, specific methods of making tea, how to choose and regulate water and fire, details about how to make and drink tea, and key factors of the right tea ceremony. The "Deity and Energy(神氣)" awareness proposed by Choui(草衣) is the crystal of the highest level between tea and the spiritual essence inherent in it. When one penetrates metaphysical "Energy(氣)," a physical method of making tea, with Seong(誠) and spreads the outcome evenly to physical "Deity(神)," there can be mutual harmony between Deity and Energy. It represents a contact point equipped with tea deity(茶神) and makes the base of consilient tea awareness of Choui. When the boundaries break down between Deity and Energy, objectivity and subjectivity, and metaphysical and physical with the essence of tea, they flow through as one, which was tea deity that Choui tried to convey.