Tea Meditation is a unique cultivation method that involves tea ceremony and mindfulness meditation. On August the 1st and 8th, the BLIA Auckland YAD invited the President of BLIA Sub Chapter 3, YuLing Gu, to guide and demonstrate to the YAD committee members on how to be a tea meditation practitioner.
The committee members, Edwin, Kyle and Thomas, acted as practitioners for the first time. After practicing a few times, they presented the art of tea meditation to fellow YAD members. Through the whole duration of the tea ritual, from the flower offering to the aftertaste of tea they showed a sense of being calm and focused. “The transformation of seeds becoming tea leaves requires sowing, planting, harvesting and different processes, and lastly mixing with good water to make a delicious cup of tea. Although external circumstances are ever-changing, tea meditation can help to quiet the thoughts of the mind, which is the practice of Chan in our life.” Thomas shared.
The experience accumulated from the volunteering service in the Temple enables the public to understand the teachings and practices from Venerable better. Yao Chang, the Vice President of BLIA-YAD 1, said that compassion is a kind, selfless and wise action to fulfil each other. All the venerable from FGS Auckland are the practitioners of compassion who constantly provide the youths with the opportunity to improve and grow. Larry Yang, committee member of BLIA-YAD 1, shared that most young people nowadays are lacking patience. Hence, forbearance is the best way to cultivate patience by applying wisdom, and where everything should be in moderation.
“The Buddhist comportment is full of far-reaching meanings. In the future, I will be more determined to work harder and improve my knowledge. Hopefully, I can help more people one day.” shared Ben, a BLIA YAD member. ShiLe, who just took refuge recently, shared that “Through tea tasting, I have the opportunity to quiet the thoughts in my mind and enjoy the uniqueness of the present moment. The feeling of patience that flows throughout you during meditation is the calmest feeling as you wait for the tea to be at the best temperature for drinking.