As I understand it in my declining years,

There are two sorts of practitioners

Who may be given weak tea.

Type one is those who are first

Starting out in practice of meditating

About themselves and the world; --

When they are thirsty they truly desire

To get into the practice,

But they are not yet ready

To drink strong tea for concentration.

Therefore, a master will use

More polite speech to comfort

Or encourage them, making them

Feel at ease and willing to try continually.

Type two correlates with all those who,

After drinking the bitter or strong tea

And not getting much result subsequently,

May be in danger of losing their resolve

Or falling back in the way of regress --

For them, weak tea is the best remedy.

Yet there are also some men who can

Suddenly put down all attachments

While drinking strong tea --

It works by giving them a shock.

Some are able to attain this grade

By even drinking weak tea,

But in such situation it can only be

A very gradual (but sure) progression

Of getting the final realization.