佛祖歷代通載 14.48

14.48

（癸未）　隱士陸羽卒。羽字鴻漸。初為沙門得之水濱畜之。既長以易自筮得蹇之漸。曰鴻漸于陸。其羽可用以為儀。乃以陸為姓氏。名而字之。師教以旁行書。答曰。終鮮兄弟而絕後嗣。得為孝乎。逃去為優人。天寶中。太守李齊物異之授以書。貌侻陋口吃而辨。上元中隱苕溪。與沙門道標皎然善。自號桑苧翁。闔門著書。召拜太子文學。不就。嗜茶著茶經三卷。言茶之原之法之具尤備。天下益知飲茶矣。時鬻茶者至陶羽形置突間祀之為茶神。初開元中有逸人王休者。居太白山。每至冬取溪氷敲其精瑩者煮。茗共客飲之。時覺林寺僧志崇取茶三等。以驚雷笑自奉。以萱草帶供佛。以紫茸香待客。赴茶者至以油囊盛餘滴以歸。復有常伯熊者。因慮仝茶詩。深信飲茶之益。乃取羽之論。復廣著茶功。御史李季卿宣慰江南。知伯熊善煮茶召之。伯熊執器而前。季卿為再舉杯。時又有舉羽者召之。羽野服挈具而入。季卿不為禮。羽愧之更著毀茶論。其後尚茶成風。致回紇入朝驅馬市茶焉。

(Guiwei [803 CE]) The hermit Lu Yu passed away. Yu's courtesy name was Hongjian. Originally, a śramaṇa found him by a riverbank and reared him. When grown, he divined by the *Yijing* for himself and obtained the hexagram *Jian* transforming to *Jian*, which read: 'The wild goose gradually advances to the land; its feathers can be used for ceremonial dance.' Thereupon he took Lu ('land') as his surname, and named himself [Yu, 'feather'] and gave himself that courtesy name [Hongjian]. The master taught him horizontal-script Indian texts, but he replied: 'If I end with few brothers and sever descendants, can this be deemed filial piety?' He ran away to become an entertainer. During the Tianbao era, the prefect Li Qiwu recognized his uniqueness and presented him with books. His appearance was coarse and plain, and he stammered yet was eloquent. During the Shangyuan era, he lived in seclusion at Tiaoxi, befriending the śramaṇas Daobiao and Jiaoran. He styled himself 'Old Man of Mulberry and Ramie.' He shut his doors to write books. He was summoned and appointed Erudite of the Crown Prince's Household, but did not accept. Being fond of tea, he authored the *Tea Classic* in three scrolls, detailing the origins, preparation, and utensils of tea with utmost completeness, so that the world became all the more aware of tea-drinking. At that time, tea sellers went so far as to mold ceramic figurines of Yu, placing them between the stoves and sacrificing to him as the Tea God. Earlier, during the Kaiyuan era, there was an eccentric recluse named Wang Xiu living on Mount Taibai. Whenever winter came, he would take stream ice, chip away the clearest and most lustrous parts, and boil tea to drink with his guests. At that time, the monk Zhichong of Jueling Temple classified tea into three grades: he used 'Thunderclap Smile' for his own consumption, 'Daylily Ribbon' to offer to the Buddha, and 'Purple Fleece Fragrance' to entertain guests. Those who attended his tea gatherings even used oiled bags to collect the remaining drops to take home. There was also Chang Boxiong, who, inspired by Lu Tong's tea poems, deeply believed in the benefits of tea-drinking, and based on Yu's treatise, further expounded broadly on the virtues of tea. When the Censor Li Jiqing was inspecting Jiangnan on imperial mission, he learned of Boxiong's skill in brewing tea and summoned him. Boxiong stepped forward holding his utensils, and Jiqing raised his cup twice for him. At that time, someone also recommended Yu, and he was summoned. Yu came in rustic dress carrying his gear, but Jiqing did not treat him with courtesy. Yu felt humiliated and furthermore composed the *Treatise Demolishing Tea*. Thereafter, the custom of esteeming tea became widespread, even leading the Uighurs to come to court driving horses to trade for tea.