The Japanese Tea Legend

Though similar to the legend from India, the Japanese legend is a little different and somewhat more dramatic.

At the end of three years meditation, Bodhi-Dharma fell asleep and dreamed of all the women he had ever loved. When he awoke, he became furious with himself for his weakness. He ripped off his eyelids and buried them. Returning to that place sometime later, he found that his eyelids had taken root and had grown into a bush. He took some leaves from the bush and chewed on them. He found that chewing the leaves could keep his eyes open. As he recounted the story to his friends, they began to gather the seeds and plant them. Thus began the cultivation of tea.

In yet another version, he is said to have fallen asleep seven years into his nine years of wall-gazing. The ill-tempered monk became angry with himself and cut off his eyelids to prevent it from happening again. As his eyelids hit the floor, the first tea plants immediately sprang up. The beverage derived from this plant would provide the stimulant to keep students of Buddhism awake during their meditation.

Tea Legends
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