Ever said, “Now THAT’S my cup of tea,” or “Definitely NOT my cup of tea!” A “cup of tea” is an expression used to describe something we like, or even feel passionate about. WE can also talk about it in a negative context. Interestingly though, tea is a metaphor for our spiritual journey. It has an uncanny ability to strengthen one’s spirituality as well as gladden the heart.

Thich Nhat Hanh, the Cambodian Buddhist monk said, “We are most real when we are drinking tea.” So what is your cup of tea? What does it mean to “have” a cup of tea and to “drink” that cup of tea?

There are more than 20,000 benefits that can be attributed to this plant. It can eliminate fatigue, alleviate stress, bring harmony and a sense of connectedness, as well as countless other benefits. Yet, it’s the inner story, asking ourselves “what does tea mean to me?” that is so meaningful.

Think about the history of tea, the events that have taken place over a simple cup of tea. Growing it, selling it, cutting business deals, arranging marriages, choosing songs and readings for funerals while imbibing. In America we have a Boston Tea Party as part of our fight for freedom!

Sometimes it seems this planet is turning into one big Mad Hatters Tea Party and we are like Alice, just wanting to get up and leave saying “It’s the stupidest tea-party I ever was at in all my life!”

Tea has been infused into rituals and ceremonies in every facet of the human condition, governmental business, and even considered a gift from the gods. It embodies spiritual energy, has helped shaped an international market for centuries, and smoothes the path of any conversation. Bring to mind the last time you shared a cup of tea with someone. You likely found yourself relaxed, patient and serene, and possibly moved to bare your soul a little bit more.

It is ONE plant that does all this. Tea doesn’t come in a variety of plants, there is one plant that grows around the world, yet it is responsible for this incredible assortment of experiences. Just one plant. It’s how the tea is processed and where it is grown that makes the different kinds we know.

Is this not also true of things in our life that are our “cup of tea?” There is one Principle we use to express the infinite diversity of our passions and gifts. There is one Divine Idea from which all divine ideas are expressed and made manifest. To have a cup of tea, is to acknowledge the divinity you are, to acknowledge your Divine Identity. To taste a cup of tea, is to begin the journey of finding ways to move beyond our contemplative nature and to begin creating your world. Finally to drink a cup of tea, is to embody your most noble self in connection to the world – move outside yourself and be in action, contributing to what the world needs most – your Divine Nature.

To have a cup of tea, taste it and drink it, is something we do together. Remember, it smoothes the path of conversation, it opens us to bare our souls. It enlivens us and calls us to love more than we imagined we could, because that is, after all, everyone’s “cup of tea.”

This column was originally published in the January/February 2021 issue of Unity Magazine; www.unity.org.