North Carolina Seniors Visit Fo Guang Shan — Experiencing the Beauty of Buddhist Culture

[Reported by Yu Chuan, North Carolina, USA]

On August 1, 2025, twenty-six seniors and staff from the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill, Orange County, North Carolina, visited Fo Guang Shan North Carolina for a day of cultural, artistic, and spiritual exchange. Most participants were local American seniors, and the gathering was filled with warmth and lively conversation.

On August 1, 2025, twenty-six seniors and staff from the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill visit Fo Guang Shan North Carolina for a day of cultural, artistic, and spiritual exchange.

Venerable Miao Jou, the superintendent of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina, welcomed the guests at the Jade Buddha Hall. She introduced Fo Guang Shan’s nearly 300 branch temples established across five continents and warmly invited everyone to experience the wisdom and beauty of Buddhist culture. Venerable Zhi San then shared The Life of the Buddha through an animated film, vividly narrating the Buddha’s life story and core teachings.

Venerable Miao Jou, superintendent of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina, welcomes guests at the Jade Buddha Hall and introduces Fo Guang Shan’s global presence, inviting everyone to experience the wisdom and beauty of Buddhist culture.

Jill Chen, Advisor of the BLIA North Carolina Chapter, led a guided tour of the Jade Buddha Hall, explaining the origins and enshrinement of the Jade Buddha. Guests also enjoyed the One-Stroke Calligraphy exhibition by Fo Guang Shan Founding Master Venerable Master Hsing Yun, as well as Inner Reflections on the Path of Purity: Chinese Buddhist Art Through the Brush by artist Li Xiang, both of which conveyed the spiritual essence of Buddhism through art.

BLIA North Carolina Advisor Jill Chen leads the tour, sharing the story of the Jade Buddha and guiding guests through the One-Stroke Calligraphy and Brahma’s Journey in Mind and Form exhibitions.

During the tea meditation session, Venerable Zhi San guided participants in sitting meditation and explained how the process of making tea can be a practice of mindfulness. By engaging the five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—participants became aware of their perceptions, observed their thoughts and bodily movements, and experienced the stillness and clarity of the present moment.

At lunch, everyone enjoyed a beautifully prepared vegetarian meal, praising its flavor and presentation. In the discussion session that followed, many seniors shared that the visit brought them inner peace and calm, and they hoped to bring this sense of tranquility into their daily lives. Others expressed heartfelt gratitude for the temple’s thoughtful hospitality and looked forward to joining future cultural activities at Fo Guang Shan.

During the tea meditation, Venerable Zhi San leads participants in sitting meditation and explains how making tea embodies Chan principles.

To conclude the event, Venerable Miao Jou presented each guest with a commemorative desk card featuring Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s One-Stroke Calligraphy, inscribed with phrases such as “Harmony and Joy,” “Perfection,” and “Let Go,” as blessings of wisdom and goodwill.

Guests admire Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s One-Stroke Calligraphy.

Venerable Miao Jou engaging in conversation with the seniors.