Bowl Tea

If there were one book on tea that you needed, this is it.

More than thirty years of practice, received and lived, gathered into one book. Everything you need to begin, and to keep returning to, in the simple way of bowl tea.

The front cover of Bowl Tea by Wu De

“Bowl, leaves, heat and water... That is the essence of Cha Dao.”

Wu De
A reader turns the pages of Bowl Tea beside a bowl of tea
Why this book

A way of tea you can come home to

A few leaves, hot water and a bowl. Nothing to prove, and nowhere to get to. It is a first step that is never outgrown.

“Bowl tea is simple and subtle. It doesn’t offer great discoveries, ‘ah-ha!’ kind of truths; it offers the kinds of truth that you feel like you have known all along.”

For generations, these teachings have passed from teacher to student by sitting together, sharing tea and listening. Drawing on more than thirty years of practice, Wu De spent seven years writing this book. What once took years of searching, for the right teachers and the right tables, is gathered here in one place.

It is not a how-to manual, nor a replacement for your own practice. It is an invitation to sit down with a bowl and begin.

What’s inside

Four parts, one practice

472 pages, written for beginners and seasoned tea lovers alike.

I

Bowl Tea

A few leaves in a bowl, training and knowledge, the first bowl, meditative tea and the long history of leaves in a bowl.

II

Tea Ceremony

How bowl tea grew into ceremony, an approach to tea ceremony, sidehandle teapots, and guides to the leaves in a bowl and sidehandle ceremonies.

III

Leaves, Water & Fire

The leaf, ten qualities of a fine tea, maps for exploring the tea world, Cha Qi, and Water and Fire as the mother and teacher of tea.

IV

A Life of Tea

Chaxi as a living mandala, bowl tea and gongfu tea, the beginner’s mind, life as practice, humilitea, and coming full circle.

The opening spread of Leaves, Water and Fire beside a bowl of tea
Part Three opens with Leaves, Water & Fire
An open spread of Bowl Tea with text and a photograph of tea leaves
Text and photography throughout
About the author

Wu De

My name is Wu De and I love tea. I love everything about it, from the history to the science, the art to the spirit. Our work is to share tea that inspires a love for Nature, to promote tea farmers that are working sustainably in harmony with their environments and to explore the vast and rich world of tea lore through writing, translating, filming courses and building spaces for in person learning. I am also inspired by tea’s ability to be a useful part of self-cultivation and to change lives and open hearts. When our hearts are open, we find a common, loving space where listening is primary and our disputes with one another dissolve.

Through tea, we make friends—lasting friendships with our selves, with others and with Nature. At Global Tea Hut, I work on the magazine as an editor and do my best to keep learning and sharing what I learn through courses, online and in person. I hope we can drink some tea together one day soon.

In person this November

Meet Wu De in the US

A limited number of the first copies are with Wu De at his November events. Each copy from the book desk comes with a commemorative print.

November 7–13
Village Tea Hut
Orange County, California
November 15–22
Ojai Tea Hut
Ojai, California
Explore event dates
Join the list

Be the first to receive Bowl Tea

The first copies are with Wu De in the US this November. Leave your email and we will write to you as soon as Bowl Tea is ready to order.

We will write to you when the book is ready, along with our letters from the tea table. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Bowl Tea on a bamboo mat beside a bowl of tea and a dish of leaves
Questions

Good to know

When can I order a copy?

Not just yet. Leave your email above and you will be the first to hear when Bowl Tea is ready to order.

Is this book right for me if I am new to tea?

Yes. It is written for beginners and seasoned tea lovers alike, and begins with the simplest practice: a few leaves in a bowl.

Is it a how-to manual?

No. As Wu De writes, “This book is round like a bowl.” It circles the heart of the practice rather than listing steps to memorise.

Can I get a copy at Wu De’s events?

Yes, while they last. A limited number of copies are at the book desk at Village Tea Hut (November 7–13) and Ojai Tea Hut (November 15–22).

Do you ship internationally?

Yes. When Bowl Tea is ready to order, we will ship it worldwide from Taiwan.

One book. One bowl.

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