徑山古茶園

阮忠訓 黃林生

“徑山茶宴”是我國古代獨特的茶宴習俗的存續，因誕生于南宋都城臨安府（今杭州）余杭縣徑山萬壽禪寺而得名，它起源于唐代中期興起的茶會茶社，在宋元時期的江南禪院盛行一時，流傳迄今已有長達1200余年的歷史。

徑山為浙西天目山的東北余脈，因有路徑可通天目山而得名，雄偉峻拔，氣勢非凡，蘇東坡有“勢若駿馬奔平川”之句。徑山群峰羅立，古木參天，翠竹掩映，四季青翠，風景宜人。早在唐天寶元年（743），法欽禪師就在這里結廬開山，種茶供佛，從此徑山成為絕勝覺場、名茶產地。在南宋時，徑山寺被朝廷敕封為御前皇家功德院，評定為江南禪院“五山十剎”之首，殿宇輝映，樓閣林立，僧眾三千，時有“東南第一禪院”之稱。歷代無數高僧、墨客、茶人、學者、權貴、名流無不心向神往，留下許多名篇華章、軼事佳話，造就了融名山名寺、高僧名士、禪學茶藝、詩文書畫于一體的徑山文化。

唐朝中期以后，得陸羽《茶經》推波助瀾，烹飲之風大行天下，禪僧、士林、宮廷的茶宴、茶會、茶社開始興起。到宋代，北苑團茶作為皇家貢茶名冠天下，飲茶法從唐時“烹”為主變為“點”為主，“分茶” “斗茶”之風盛行朝野市井。隨著禪宗臨濟宗在江南地區的興盛和佛教的世俗化，禪院在僧人坐禪修持、僧堂儀規和接待檀越、交結信眾過程中，無不依普請之法參用茶事，茶宴、茶會、茶禮融入僧堂生活和禪院清規，成為禪僧必修課和基本功，徑山茶宴應運而生。

自唐代徑山寺開山祖欽師植茶采以供佛，徑山茶宴就初具雛形。據嘉慶《余杭縣志》記載，徑山“開山祖欽師曾植茶樹數株，采以供佛”，這就是徑山茶宴的起源。當時禪僧修持主要方法之一是坐禪，要求清心寡欲，離塵絕俗，環境清靜。靜坐習禪關鍵在調食、調睡眠、調身、調息、調心，而茶提神醒腦、明目益思等功效，正好滿足了禪僧的特殊需要。于是飲茶之風首先在禪僧中流傳，進而在茶圣陸羽、高僧皎然等人的大力倡導下在社會上普及開來，“茶道大行，王公朝士無不飲者”。陸羽當年考察江南茶事時，就曾在徑山東麓隱居撰著《茶經》，至今留下“陸羽泉”勝跡（在今雙溪）。

宋元時期，徑山茶宴作為普請法事和僧堂儀規被嚴格規范下來，并納入《禪苑清規》，臻于禪門茶禮儀式和茶藝習俗的經典樣式，并發展到鼎盛時期。到了宋代，品茗斗茶蔚然成風，制茶工藝、飲茶方法推陳出新，茶會茶宴成為社會

徑山古道

The inscription on the wall marks an ancient Jingshan path

徑山寺新貌 A view of restored Jingshan Temple

in the south of the Yangtze River Delta during the Song (960-1279) and the Yuan (1279-1368).

Master Faqin came to Jingshan in 743. He built himself a shelter, started a tea farm, and practiced Buddhism. From the very begin-ning, tea was an integral part of the masters Buddhism practice. The temple came into being and the reputation spread. During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), it was designated as the tem-ple for the royal house and called Jingshan Wanshou (meaning Lon-gevity) Zen Temple. It was officially designated as the number one of the ten Buddhist temples in the south.

Tea was more than a way of life since day one with Master Fa-qin. Zen monks needed to sit and meditate for a long while. A cup of tea helped them calm down and sustain their energy for keeping concentrated on their spiritual inquiry. Tea sipping became popular first among Zen monks. This practice became widespread with the promotion on the part of Lu Yu, who wrote Book of Tea. During one of his field studies across Zhejiang, he stayed near Jingshan Hill.

Tea evolved to play a central part in the Buddhism practices at Jingshan Temple. A set of complex tea rituals was developed and integrated. Monks needed to master the tea-related commandments and daily routines. Tea rituals were also developed to entertain visiting monks, pilgrims and disciples. Over centuries, initial rules concerning tea at Jingshan Temple grew into “Commandments of the Zen Temple”, stipulating procedures and a complete list of dos and donts concerning how tea rites should be observed and con-ducted at the temple. This set of tea rites went to Japan and grew into the Sado or the way of tea, developed and perfected by monks of Rinzai Sect in Japan.

In the past, the tea party was held at Bright Moon Hall for visit-ing VIPs such as court ministers, nobles, venerable monks, and celebrated scholars. Such a ceremonious reception differed in scale and process from those held by and for monks at the temple. At a reception for secular VIPs, monks acted as hosts and VIPs guests. They sat separately according to a seating plan developed and abided by at the temple. On some occasions, however, guests and seculars could be mixed in seating.

Ordinary tea parties were small in scale and did not qualify to be held at the Grand Brightness Hall. Tea could be served at Zen rooms, guest rooms and monks dorms.

Bright Moon Hall is spacious with large windows. The simply furnished hall opens to a view of shady trees, peaks and the sky, creating a sense of serenity and majesty. In front of the hall is a small pond dug by a monk hundreds of years ago. □