Tea meditation with 10 Minutes Self-Reflect

The monthly Fo Guang Shan (FGS) South Island New Zealand tea meditation session continues. This month it was held on the 8th of January, and hosted by the ‘Mahākāśyapa’ group who told the story of this one principle disciple of the Buddha. This session also saw the record highest number of attendees, a total of about 40 members, devotees, friends of FGS, and those of Korean and English heritage.

Group leader Benny Wong talked about Mahākāśyapa life story, from his birth, to how he was ordained into a monk. There is also a famous story about the Flower Sermon, where the Buddha silently held up a flower, and only Mahākāśyapa subtly smiled as he understood the wordless exchange. Another story was the Buddha ordering Mahākāśyapa to share a seat with him in front of the Stūpa of Many disciples, where he then draped Mahākāśyapa in a robe, and thus followed that the dharma transmission was somehow completed. Elsa and Jennifer also elaborated on other interesting titbits about Mahākāśyapa, and his contribution to Buddhism.

During the tea meditation, the practitioners under Venerable Jue Xi’s instructions poured out cup after cup of good tea, with a joyful and grateful heart, making peace with all of the audience. When tasting the tea, everyone also appreciated the “Humanistic of Bohdi” song as sang by Most Venerable Hsing Pei, with classical poetry expressing the dharma, in a language simplistic enough to enlighten one’s self with Buddhist truths, each and every word penetrating the heart and mind and freeing it. Venerable Jue Xi encourages everyone to find themselves even in their busy lives, by not only treating family, colleagues and friends kindly, but also being kind to our own self. Take ten minutes every day to reflect on one’s self, and create inner happiness while exercising some Buddhist dharma.

First time attendee Teacher Ms Zhang Pu says that she likes tea since she was young, and that tea culture was not only a fond part of her childhood memories, but also passion that followed her throughout the years, and something which she has done some extensive research into. However, tasting tea at the temple was different, even though tea is still tea, the flavour was something that one had to personally try to understand. The powerful service of tea was portrayed through a simple tea meditation session, and it led her to feel more grateful, and look forward to the next tea meditation activity next month.