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Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest qualities. We have good and bad teas, as we have good and bad paintings - generally the latter.
Okakura Kakuzo
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Tea, like art, requires skill and mastery to reveal its best qualities.

Okakura Kakuzo compares the preparation of tea to the creation of art, asserting that both require a master to unlock their fullest potential. Just as paintings can vary in quality, so too can teas, indicating that the appreciation and execution of both necessitate expertise and discernment.

Themes

TeaArtMasteryQualitiesPainting

In practice

Example use cases

I often share the quote about tea being a work of art during my tea-tasting workshops.

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The ancient sages never put their teachings in a systematic form. They spoke in paradoxes, for they were afraid of uttering half-truths. They began by talking like fools and ended by making their hearers wise.
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