Tea Meditation and One-Stroke Calligraphy: Fort Bragg Soldiers Experience the Humanistic Beauty of Fo Guang Shan North Carolina

Reported by Yu Chuan, North Carolina, USA

On December 18, 2025, Assistant Professor Hsinni Tsai of the Chinese Department at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center of Fort Bragg, led three soldiers studying Chinese on a visit to Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina. Through a rich and diverse cultural program, the visitors gained deeper insight into Buddhist values and the essence of Chinese culture. Venerable Miao Jou, superintendent of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple of North Carolina, personally welcomed the delegation in the main hall and expressed a warm greeting.

The visit included an introduction to the Jade Buddha Shrine, drawing Dharma words, viewing the One-Stroke Calligraphy works of Fo Guang Shan Founding Master Venerable Master Hsing Yun, and touring Buddhist art exhibitions. Activities also featured transcribing the “Three Acts of Goodness and Four Givings” and participating in a tea meditation experience, allowing the soldiers to encounter the tranquility and depth of Buddhist culture from multiple perspectives.

During the program, Venerable Zhi San shared the animated film The Life of the Buddha, recounting the life of the Buddha. The presentation guided the soldiers to reflect on the wisdom and compassion embodied in the Buddha’s character and consider their relevance to modern life.

In the tea meditation session, Venerable Zhi San guided participants to prepare tea with a calm and focused mind, attentively observing each step of the process before savoring the tea. She explained that mindful awareness through careful, focused actions helps cultivate inner stability, enhance emotional regulation, and improve one’s responses to external circumstances.

One soldier with advanced Chinese proficiency shared—in Chinese—that Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s One-Stroke Calligraphy phrase “A Simple and Detached Life” left a particularly deep impression. He reflected that while life may pursue material abundance, what the heart truly longs for is a simple and free way of living, for in the end, nothing can be taken with us.

Before concluding the visit, the temple presented each guest with a desk card featuring Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s One-Stroke Calligraphy. The visitors randomly drew their own Dharma phrases—such as “Auspiciousness,” “Peace,” and “Meditation”—bringing the meaningful exchange to a harmonious close.