What is a Gaiwan Representing For

For westerners, it might be a little hard to use a Gaiwan for brewing tea. If you understand its cultural background, it would be a pleasure of practising it. 

I often say when I hold a Gaiwan, I am holding the universe. People may think I am joking. If you understand it from the cultural perspective, you know I am serious.

Each Gaiwan consists of 3 parts – a lid, a tray and a bowl. The lid represents the heaven, and bowl represents human and the tray represent earth. So actually this is the ancient Chinese philosophy – how we humans behave in between the heaven and the earth, to achieve a status of oneness & harmony. 

According to the Chinese value, we should respect the heaven and take care of the earth, as all in all, we are oneness. This concept of oneness is everywhere in the Chinese culture. No matter in Buddhism, or Taoism or Confucius, the concept of oneness has always been emphasized.   

There is a saying: your body is a smaller universe, and the universe is your bigger body. That means you and the universe are oneness. If you really understand your body, you understand the universe. If you really understand the universe, you also know exactly what is happening to yourself. Your body and the universe work in the same way, as a oneness system. This is the real enlightenment. 

When I talk about the body here, it does mean your physical body, but also mean your spiritual body. The physical part and the spiritual part are oneness, again. Without the spiritual part, the physical body is going to die. Without a physical part, the spiritual body has nowhere to live. 

You and me, are oneness. Theoretically, we are connected and not separated. 

I hope this article is helpful for you to understand the essence of Gaiwan. So every time when you brew a cup of tea with it, you know you are connected with the universe, and charged with full of energy. 

It’s quite interesting and worth of practising.