Tea, Chan, and Wisdom: CoP Sets Sail at Hsi Lai Subchapter ｜禪話茶語 「共修社群」啟航西來
【By Hsi Young Ching from BLIA LA Chapter】The monthly “Community of Practice” (CoP) event organized by the Hsi Lai Subchapter of Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Los Angeles Chapter, made its debut on September 28 at the Assembly Hall of Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Hsi Lai Temple. A total of 22 English-speaking members, family, and friends attended. Each event focuses on different topics, and this time, the theme was “Tea Meditation & The Buddha’s Teachings.”
Venerable Zhi Xing, the Guiding Venerable of the Hsi Lai Subchapter welcomed everyone and provided guidance on cultivating mindfulness and concentration through tea meditation, encouraging participants to apply Buddhist wisdom in their daily lives.
Following a session of sitting meditation, participants embraced the role of tea meditation practitioners, engaging in the art of tea preparation. With every step, they learned how to slow down and calm their minds. They tasted three kinds of tea—Da Hong Pao Oolong, Wuyi Shan Fruity Cinnamon Oolong Rock Tea, and White Tea—each brewed using different techniques and times, which produced distinct flavors. The tea-sharing practice also fostered a spirit of community.
Logan Guilbert-Neal led a reading from the English translation of Pick it Up! Chan Stories to Inspire by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founding master of FGS Buddhist Order, focusing on the chapter “The Tea Cup Has Died.” The story recounts how Chan Master Ikkyu accidentally broke his master’s beloved tea cup and the Chan lesson hidden within the phrase “the tea cup has died.”
After encouraging the group to listen mindfully and reflect in silence, Logan facilitated a discussion, allowing participants to share their insights on accepting impermanence, letting go of attachments, and responding to mistakes.
Ching Pan shared her experience of completing four puzzles, each with a thousand pieces, day and night. She explained that because she was so fond of the puzzles, she worried that whoever inherits them in the future might just leave them gathering dust in a storage room. As a result, she jokingly considered specifying in her will that the puzzles should accompany her during cremation. This lighthearted reflection on attachment brought laughter to the group.
Patricia Nathali shared her regret over losing a ring with deep sentimental value and explained how applying Buddhist principles helped her avoid getting too caught up in the negative emotions of the loss.
The balance in parent-child relationships also became an extension of the discussion on attachment. The couple Hendra Taruli and Henny Ciawi, parents of two, shared their desire to support their children’s growth by being a source of strength behind them, rather than overprotective “helicopter parents.” Their insights resonated with and were well-received by the group.
禪話茶語 「共修社群」啟航西來
【洛杉磯協會 潘青霞 報導】國際佛光會洛杉磯協會西來分會的每月「共修社群」(Community of Practice, CoP) 活動，於9月28日在佛光山西來寺海會堂首度登場，共22位英語會員及親友參與。每次活動的內容不一，本次主題為「禪話茶語」(Tea Meditation & The Buddha’s Teachings)。
輔導法師知行法師開場開示，期望眾人透過茶禪的修持，培養覺知力與專注力，並將佛學智慧融入生活。
禪坐結束後，眾人化身為茶禪行者，體驗泡茶的過程，在每個步驟學習如何不急不徐，沉澱身心，品味三種茶葉—大紅袍烏龍、武夷山花果香肉桂岩茶、及白茶。隨著不同手法與泡茶時間的變化，茶湯風味各異。眾人互相奉茶，從中學習分享的精神。
Logan Guilbert-Neal導讀佛光山開山祖師星雲大師的著作《星雲禪話》英文譯本的篇章〈茶杯已逝〉，講述一休禪師無意間打破師父心愛的茶杯，並探討「茶杯已逝」這句話所蘊藏的禪機。他請眾人靜心聆聽並閉目沉思，片刻後，Logan帶動討論，眾人分享經驗，探討如何接受無常、放下執著，以及在犯錯後應有的心態。
Ching Pan 分享了她日以繼夜拼好四幅各含一千片的拼圖，因為她非常喜愛這些拼圖，擔心日後繼承拼圖的人可能只會將它們放在倉庫積灰，於是突發奇想，考慮在遺囑中註明，讓這些拼圖成為自己火葬時的陪「燒」品，這個關於「執著」的分享引來了眾人的歡笑。
Patricia Nathali 則分享了她遺失一只有重要情感價值戒指時的懊悔，並談到她如何運用佛法義理，幫助自己不因失去而過度沉溺於負面情緒中。
親子關係的平衡也是「執著」的一個延伸討論主題，夫妻檔 Hendra Taruli 和 Henny Ciawi 育有一子一女，他們表示希望能陪伴孩子成長，成為支持孩子的力量，而不是過度保護的「直升機」父母，他們的分享獲得了眾人的共鳴與肯定。
Photos by Hsi Young Ching（攝影：潘青霞）
