古琴、梵唄與茶寵 Guqin, Chanting and Tea Pet

去跟古琴老師拜年。雖然半年多沒上課，不過一日為師，終生為父，禮數不能缺，何況鄭老師從杭州來到上海過年！師尊都來至家門口，就更得去拜見。

喝茶、聽老師彈《梅花三弄》（難為他大過年的，聽我們那折騰半年還殘缺不全的梅花，最後只得親自撫琴……），還叨擾老師親自下廚為我們炸春捲！師父、師父，真的覺得老師把學生都當自家人一般。於是下午點心吃得飽飽，晚餐都略去。

It was a beautiful day. We went to visit our Guqin teacher to say Happy New Year. As always, a great pleasure to see the teacher. Though I heard that he was not well because of teaching too many students at the age of over 70, but he appeared quite alright. We drank tea, chatted a bit and then he even cooked some spring rolls for us as snacks. Of course, the best part is to hear him playing.

（能親身聽到這樣的琴音，太幸福了
Just imagine I can hear this in person…what a blessing…http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/i2kHt04Q6Q0/  ）

***

從師宅出來，因為自我感歎現在真的生活愈趨簡樸，以往可以日日按摩院報到，現在從印度回來後，還不曾在上海按摩過，所以決定和琴友一起去按摩。

按摩時，放上我在尼泊爾時所錯過的梵唄古琴音樂會錄影，太精彩了！身體放鬆，心靈受到滋養。

Then we went to have massage while playing a DVD of a concert that I missed while being in Nepal. It was a duet of Choying Dolma and another Guqin master, Mr. Cheng Gong Liang. Such an amazing performance! Massage for the body; this music for the mind!
( Skip the introduction. The solo chanting starts at 03’30’’, following by Guqin solo, and then the duet)

成公亮老师与琼英卓玛:《心与灵——梵呗与古琴音乐会》

（跳過介紹，從3:30秒開始演出。先是瓊英卓瑪的演唱，接著是古琴，最後是合奏。）

http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMzQxNzYwODc2/v.swf
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzQxNzYwODc2.html?firsttime=218 

跟朋友歎到，終於第一次聽見成老師彈琴。唐琴“秋籟”的音色韻味，圓潤綿長，果然極其不凡。早上另一友人攜兒來訪，才跟他們解釋說放在我茶盤上的奇怪東西是我的茶寵。小孩子還指著那張迷你紫砂“秋籟”問，這個也是茶寵嗎？沒想到晚上就聽到“秋籟”之音。

朋友馬上白我一眼。

“那哪是茶寵！人家紫砂師父做那小秋籟，是做紙鎮用，就你拿去做茶寵！”

當場愕然。怎麽完全不記得拿到這個小寶貝時，師兄有說是拿來做紙鎮的？……

I was exclaiming what a day! Just in the morning, another friend came for a visit with her kid. They were asking what are those funny things on my tea tray and I explained those are my tea pets (made of pottery clay, the texture can grow smooth and develop shimmer and tea fragrance when nourished with tea). The kid actually asked whether the mini Guqin QiuLai is really a tea pet, and now in the evening, finally, for the first time, I heard Mr. Cheng playing QiuLai (the name of one Guqin instrument dated back to the Tang dynasty. These precious Guqins usually have their own individual names).

Immediately my friend rolled her eyes. “That miniature Qiulai (limited edition, of course) was not made as a tea pet. The pottery master made it as a paper weight…”

Oops, I honestly can not recall anyone telling me it should be a paper weight when receiving this gift. Anyway, I am not doing big calligraphy or painting nowadays so will keep my mini Qiulai as tea pet for the time being.

無論如何，我先養著，等哪天開始寫大字或畫畫時，再正位來作紙鎮。

我的三隻茶寵 My 3 tea pets：

1. 第一隻是恬然自得的水牛，已經養的金沙閃閃了 / a buffalo, the oldest pet which already grew beautifully shimmering as if some gold sands spilt over it

2. 第二隻就是小“秋籟”，是成老師上面那張琴的縮小版 🙂  去年收到的禮物，現在聽過“秋籟”的聲音後，更愛這小秋籟了。
The mini Qiulai, crafted after the Guqin played in the video above

3. 第三尊是今年新請的小佛頭。逛茶城時，看著面相好，就請回來。原先略微忐忑，擔心放在茶盤上澆茶，是否有些不敬。澆的時候突然聯想到在黃梅五祖寺看方丈帶信眾做一個浴佛法會，於是現在喜滋滋的，每次泡茶前，都先恭敬“浴佛”一番，方再品茶。一切皆可轉為修行。

The 3rd one is new, just got it before the Chinese New Year at the wholesale tea market. A beautifully made Buddha head. At first I was wondering whether it might be disrespectful, but when I poured tea over this Buddha, it reminded me of a Buddha-bathing ritual I saw at the monastery of the 5th Zen Patriarch. Now whenever I make tea, I will “bath the Buddha” respectfully and joyfully, then taste my tea. Indeed you can turn every act into practice.