Updated July 2026
Tea and coffee are the two great drinks of attention, and they hold it differently. Both contain caffeine, though a cup of tea usually carries less than a cup of coffee. Tea, the leaf of Camellia sinensis, also holds L-theanine, a compound characteristic of the plant, and it tends to be drunk more slowly, in small cups, over time. Many people describe the result as alert but unhurried, where coffee often gives a sharper, quicker lift. TI YA RA TEMPLE speaks here in experience, not in medicine: this is how the two drinks are commonly felt and taken, not a claim about what either does inside the body.
| Tea (Camellia sinensis) | Coffee | |
|---|---|---|
| Caffeine per cup | Generally lower | Generally higher |
| Also carries | L-theanine, characteristic of tea | Caffeine as the main active compound |
| How it is taken | Slowly, small cups, over time | Often quickly, a single larger cup |
| Commonly described as | Alert and unhurried | A sharper, quicker lift |
Pace is part of the drink
Part of the difference is chemistry and part is ritual. Tea is built to be returned to: the same leaves are steeped again and again, and the drinking stretches out. That slower pace is itself a way of holding attention, which is why tea sits at the centre of Yangsheng Cha Dao and coffee does not.
An honest boundary
Neither drink is being prescribed here. TI YA RA TEMPLE does not claim tea calms the nerves or sharpens the mind as a physical effect. What it offers is a way of drinking that many find steadying, taken slowly, in small cups, with attention.
Frequently asked questions
Does tea have less caffeine than coffee?
Generally, yes. A cup of tea usually carries less caffeine than a cup of coffee, though the amount varies with the tea and how it is brewed.
What is L-theanine?
L-theanine is a compound characteristic of Camellia sinensis, the tea plant. It is part of what gives tea its quality of settled, unhurried attention. TI YA RA TEMPLE describes this as an experience, not a medical effect.
Why is tea, not coffee, at the centre of Yangsheng Cha Dao?
Because tea is taken slowly, in small cups, and steeped again and again. That pace is itself a way of holding attention, which suits a daily practice of cultivating life.