A STORY ABOUT 喫茶去【KISSAKO】；Literally means 〝Well, please have some tea“.
In the age of 唐【TOU】 of China in 8C, two monks of Zen Buddhism came to see趙州-和尚【A Virtuous monk CHOU SHYUU 】（778-897）.
Mr.Chou Shyuu asked one monk, “Have you ever been here?” and the monk said “Yes”.
Then, Chou Shyu said “ Well, have some tea”.
Next time, Chou Shyuu asked the other monk “Have you ever been here?” And the monk said “No. It’s my first time”. Then, Chou Shyuu said “ Well, have some tea”.The owner of the temple who saw these asked Chou Shyuu “Why do you say the same thing to the person who came once and the one who came the first time?”.Then, Chou Shyuu said “Mr.!” The owner answered “Yes!”. Then, Chou Shyuu said “Well, have some tea”.
How do you think of it?
It is one of 禅問答【ZEN-Mondou ( ZEN Buddhism Questions and Answers)】.
A master asks something about kind of you know, philosophical, to his disciples.
Then, the answer was enough, the master get to know his disciple has reached an enlightenment.
The disciple get 印可【INGA( Certification of Enlightenment)】from the master after he passed the last examinate question.
It might be curious that the master only say the same thing to other persons who’s situations are different each.
It has been difficult to even Japanese persons and there are many ways to understand.
One says:
Everyone need 修行【SHUGYOU(Training for getting an enlightenment)】more.
喫茶去【KISSAKO】 also literally means ”Just have some tea and leave”.喫茶【KISSA】means “Drinking some tea” and 去【KO】means “leave”. So, it doesn’t mean in casual meaning, only just having some tea, but also having rather strict meaning.
Another says:
The monk 趙州【CHOU SHYUU】 says the same thing to every ones who are in different situations, because he meet everyone without any prejudice.
If you judge someone from past experiences, you can not see him now.
Like other ZEN word 一期一会【ICHIGO-ICHIE】: One Time-One Meeting, even if you meet someone many times, the situation and mind are different each time. You can not meet someone at the same way. SO, enjoy the moments of your meeting every time, from the deep of your heart and all of your senses.
Drinking tea in ZEN way is one of the ways to be mindfulness without any dust of your heart.
Then, you can say 喫茶去【KISSAKO】to every-one: acquaintances, meeting for the first time, and someone who is wondering about something, so on.
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