Last week, one of my followers on Instagram messaged me to ask about the following lines of poetry
He who desires to know the pure, refreshing flavor of tea
Must be a man of sleeping clouds and creeping stones.
This comes from a poem by Liu Yuxi during the Tang dynasty called "Song of Tasting Tea at West Mountain Temple"
In short, the story is that the monks of the West Mountain Temple served the most fresh tea to their visitors by cutting live tea leaves and immediately brewing them with spring water. They would not allow visitors to take home leaves from the tea because the flavor couldn't match the freshness of having the tea brewed at the temple. Even the Emperor with all his resources would have to travel to the temple if he desired to taste the fresh, pure tea.
I really enjoyed this sentiment because it made me remember that even in today's world of convenience and delivery, etc., the best things in life come from getting out in the world and participating!