In both the Japanese and Chinese tradition, which mythological sage from India discovered tea?

In both the Chinese and Japanese tradition, the discovery of tea is credited to the Indian sage named Bodhidharma, (Japanese- Daruma) the founder of Zen Buddhism. He was a legendary Buddhist monk.

There are variations to the story that has been passed down over the centuries. One is that Bodhidharma traveled from India to China to spread his new doctrine and founded the Shaolin Monastery in southern China (Shorinji to the Japanese). According to Chinese legend, he began the physical training of the monks of Shaolin Monastery that led to the creation of Shaolin kung-fu.

Another legend accounts his failure to make a favorable impression in South China and as a result, he either was refused entry to the monastery or was ejected after a short time; he then lived in a nearby cave where he meditated while sitting and facing the wall for 9 long years. At the end of that period, his legs had withered away and just as he was on the verge of reaching enlightenment, he fell asleep. Enraged at missing this final step, he ripped off his own eyelids and threw them to the ground. From these eyelids a bush grew, the tea plant.

Tea is still one of the world’s most popular preferred beverage, first consumed by Chinese monks to aid in meditation preventing them from falling asleep and by those who value its medicinal qualities. It quickly became popular as a preferred beverage, especially in Japan.