On March 13, nine NSLI-Y Taiwan Academic Year 2014-2015 students took a tour of Fo Guang Shan monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan and headquarters of one of the largest charity organizations. There, the students had the unique opportunity to learn more about the religion practiced by the majority of Taiwanese and one that is a central part of Taiwanese culture.
A tour guide, who spoke mostly in Chinese, led the group around the vast monastery grounds. The students learned about Fo Guang Shan's founding in 1967, as well as Buddhism's message of sacrifice, selflessness, charity, and kindness. "I wasn't sure what to expect," admitted NSLI-Y student Anel, "but I was pleasantly surprised. This experience was really interesting and so different from anything I'd experienced before!"
The highlight of the trip was the tea ceremony that the students participated in at the end of the tour. The students sat at wooden tables set with teacups, ceramic teapots, and bamboo utensils. A monk led the students in Chinese through the slow, meditational process of steeping, dividing, and sipping many cups of tea. The ceremony ended with the monk sharing his words of wisdom as to how the tea ceremony symbolizes the process of overcoming challenges and having one's heart become as clear and sweet as the water that is poured at the end of the tea ceremony.
