A Western monk living and preaching the way of tea in Taiwan? I had to investigate further. I studied anthropology and religious studies (Wu De himself majored in anthropology and philosophy), and I currently have a growing interest in tea. My initial reaction to all of this was one of intrigue. Many of them are “living teas,” which means they are seed propagated and grown without irrigation or agrochemicals under biodiverse conditions (as opposed to being cloned from a cutting and monocropped, as most of the tea in the world is). The teas mailed out my Global Tea Hut are all organic and contributed by farmers that practice environmentally friendly growing methods. In Facebook tea geek groups, he’s either highly respected, or criticized for cultism, cultural appropriation, combining religion with something that is inherently not religious, and being “woo-woo”. The non-profit organization was founded by Wu De (無為海), a native of rural Ohio who has lived and studied meditation in Asia for much of his life, and has devoted the last 25 years to zen (禪 ‘chan’ in Mandarin) and the art of cha dao (茶道), or “skilled tea making.” The contributions help to maintain their center, which could be described as a tea-oriented zendo that hosts international visitors, offering free lodging, guided meditations, and tea seminars. I signed up as a monthly contributor, whereby I make a monthly donation of (a minimum of) US$20, and I receive a tin of their tea of the month, a gift, and a copy of their magazine, Tea and Tao. Global Tea Hut and the Tea and Tao Magazine
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