The Masters

Liu was not accepted. He was always the different one. His whole family was very Buddhist, but he didn’t agree. He didn’t want to be religious at all. He thought it was useless and wouldn’t get him anywhere. His family thought that he was like them. They wanted him to be a monk so he didn’t have to pay taxes. Little did they know, he was nothing like them and he would never be a monk.

When they did find out about how he felt, they were embarrassed. They were also angry. They thought that he was stupid. So stupid that he didn’t deserve to be part of their family. So they cast him out, with a few possessions, some millet (his favorite food), and the wool clothes on his back. He was so angry that he took it with stride. He thought they didn’t appreciate him, and he was right. He had always wanted to make things, to be an artist or craftsman or something like that. So he set out.

What should he make? He had heard that a place where tea was made was close by, and started walking to it. After the long 5-day trek, he finally arrived. He was so tired he felt like he would collapse of fatigue. The master of tea was very accepting of everyone, and took Liu under his wing. The master showed Liu all these amazing things about tea, all the work it took to harvest the plant, the way they were left out to wither, and the rolling. Oh, Liu loved the rolling. All the patience it took to crush the leaves just right so the flavor comes out to the air, it was amazing. And it started to smell like tea, that amazing, delicious smell that he used to have all the time at home! But home was gone now. No matter what, he was glad it wasn’t just medicine anymore.

This master also taught him about the origin of tea. Apparently, once a man named Shennong was sitting under a tree. He was thirsty, so he boiled up some water to drink. When he was about to drink it, some leaves fell in. The result smelled delicious, and Shennong (name meaning “the divine farmer”) was intrigued by the fragrance and decided to drink some. He thought it was delicious and shared it with the world.

Liu loved the master as well, that kind old soul who had told him every little detail about tea production. He was quite old, but he could make the best tea. His kindness enveloped you and made you really happy. His warm smile and nice, soft voice would make you feel like tea production was the most exciting thing in the world!

But there was something wrong. Liu just didn’t really feel like tea was for him. It kind of felt wrong just doing it. So he decided to leave. He was very sad, but not nearly as sad as the master. The master had took him in and acted as if Liu was his own son. But now he was leaving. So Liu packed his stuff, said his goodbyes and was off.

The tea master had pointed him in the direction of a paper factory. When he made it to the paper factory, he was greeted by a much younger master. This one had inherited the title from the old master, who had recently died. The young master was very happy all the time, and gladly showed Liu the process. Liu loved beating the mix with the hammer then dipping in the mold. The satisfaction each time the hammer went down was immense.

The master was a happy young man, who loved to smile and teach. The way the instructions easily flowed out of his mouth was amazing. He taught so well and wanted the world to know. He said he had mastered the art in a few months, and that Liu was incredibly fast already.

But again, something was wrong. He didn’t really feel at home. So again, he set out. The paper master was again sad, but was better at hiding it. He said his smiling goodbyes to each worker. Sadly, he didn’t know the location of any other factories. So Liu just started to wander.

Liu, sad that he had nothing left to do, sat down against a tree. He thought about all he had done, all he had learned. Then, it hit him. ‘It’, in this case, was a branch. Of a tree. He was badly injured. Then, someone found him. Liu never did learn his name or really see his face well. He hauled the tree off of him, helped him, and left. Though before he left, Liu remembered him saying one thing: “I am always with you.”

Liu thought about what had happened. His first thought was how evil trees were. Then he decided he would go back and see his family. He realized that they only wanted the best for him. He would try to convince them that Buddhism was not the path he wanted to follow. He wanted to be a craftsman. Maybe he would open up his own place, where he would make something. So Liu went back home and told his family. It turns out they had been worried sick about him. Then he said farewell to them again, promising he would visit, and set out to open his own place. A place where he would find people who could make everything and give them the materials they needed.

That is the story of Liu Gao, a chinese man who lived during the Tang dynasty, was cast out, and found his calling.