Slow tea, slow life

 　　Plants used to grow slowly, naturally, naturally, without knowing what a morning market was or what a good price was.

　　Streams used to flow slowly, drifting through mountain forests, leisurely going wherever they wanted.

　　Light and shadow used to move slowly; from a tea bud to a cup of tea, it took many steps and many days.

　　Life used to be slow, peaceful and leisurely, with time to enjoy a game of chess on a cicada-singing afternoon, or to spend an evening with a sky full of stars while engrossed in a book.

　　Since when did speed become the resounding rhythm of life?

　　Internet speeds must be fast; mobile phone upgrades are measured in years; trains are accelerating, passenger planes are striving for supersonic speeds; ships and small boats have been phased out, speedboats have become the main mode of transport; fast food is the norm, express delivery is the norm, everything must be done quickly and efficiently. It seems only in this way can we find satisfaction.

　　Work efficiency has inevitably encroached upon a large portion of our living space. We rush between work and home, busy with our careers and lives. Though we complain, we are unwilling to stop our hurried pace.

　　We seem to have become accustomed to being busy, like a natural shackle, something we were born to be bound by. Though we yearn for it, we cannot break free from the hustle and bustle, and are then pushed forward by the crowd.

　　Slowing down has become the call of our hearts. A slow life has become our inner longing.

　　Slowing down is a state, a way of life. We hope to use slowing down to regulate the overly busy pace of life, like a tree, growing naturally, sprouting, turning green, and then providing shade.

　　In this world, tea is slow.

　　The growth of tea trees requires a long time. From sprouting to picking, from roasting to fermentation, from brewing to serving, how much time does it take to reach the hands of the tea drinker?

　　Time, on the path of drinking tea, cannot be rushed. Only through the sedimentation of time can the delicious tea soup be guaranteed! Some say that drinking tea is a kind of spiritual practice, allowing a restless heart to return to peace in the waiting. Drinking tea is a way of living slowly.

　　Life, too, should be slow.

　　A slow life is not a passive decline, but a comfortable and pleasant existence, a period of quiet preparation before taking action. Slowness is the quiet preparation before facing challenges, the confident composure when strategizing.

　　Haste makes waste. Slowness is the accumulation of seemingly insignificant strength, ultimately leading to a natural transcendence through effortless action.

　　The reason for slowness is the fear of being negligent; it's an attitude towards work and a respect for life.

　　Slow tea is slower than slow, more tea than tea itself.

　　Slow life is more life than life itself.