The Life News Agency
November 21, 2023

On November 11, the Buddha’s Light International Association’s (BLIA) Toronto English Subchapter organized the first ceremonial Chan and Tea session. Most of the 33 participants were newly inducted subchapter members. Starting off with mindful breathing, Venerable Ru An prepared the participants to taste the tea with tranquility. From beginning to end, the participants wholeheartedly prepared, savoured, smelt, observed, and noticed the subtlety in the taste of tea. Ven. Ru An taught the participants to reflect on the parallel between the act of tea tasting and Chan cultivation.

One sip at a time, Ven. Ru An guided everyone to integrate the theme of “A Drop of Water” into the act of drinking tea. The observance of deep concentration brought about peace and calmness into the hearts of the participants. All experienced living in the moment with a simple and tranquil mind. Ven. Ru An also introduced an article entitled “A Drop of Water” in Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Buddha-Dharma: Pure and Simple collection. Besides sharing the wonders of life, Ven. Ru An encouraged participants to follow the footsteps of the late Venerable Master. Despite facing many vicissitudes over his lifetime, our Venerable Master overcame them with deep gratitude.

The ceremonial Chan and Tea facilitators concentrated on tea making. photo／The Life News Agency

Elizabeth Lawson, Lizan Wang, Christine Huang and Hillary Chen were the 4 young ceremonial Chan and Tea session facilitators. All four facilitators underwent two months of training on the proper gestures, posture, selection of tools and tea leaves, and lastly, the making and tasting of tea. This event was Elizabeth’s debut as a facilitator of ceremonial Chan and tea sessions. She expressed deep gratitude for playing a part in this unique opportunity. Through the practice of tea and Chan, Elizabeth enriched her insightfulness, strengthened her confidence and found serenity from within. Lizan shared similar sentiments that the experience helped her to develop mindfulness and living every moment with attentiveness. The experiential learning allowed Lizan to appreciate Venerable Master’s teaching on causes and conditions behind every droplet of water. Cherishing every water drop was akin to cherishing every fleeting moment in life.

The facilitator carefully smelt the aroma and texture of tea. photo／The Life News Agency

The participants also indicated that they thoroughly enjoyed the ceremonial tea session. Many were surprised that the act of drinking tea could bring about peace and quietness. The exposure to Venerable Master’s writing allowed everyone to realize that the Buddha-Dharma is ubiquitous in day-to-day living.

Participants took a group photo. photo／The Life News Agency