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

Soldiers draw Dharma words in the Jade Buddha Shrine, experiencing guidance through Buddhist wisdom.

[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.

Venerable Zhi San introduces the various programs at Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, North Carolina, including the Three Acts of Goodness Children’s Class and diverse cultivation courses.

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.

Visiting the One-Stroke Calligraphy exhibition of Founding Master Venerable Master Hsing Yun, sensing the Dharma meaning and humanistic spirit within the calligraphy.

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.

Venerable Zhi San presents the animated film The Life of the Buddha, guiding soldiers to reflect on the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha and their inspiration for 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.

Prior to transcribing the “Three Acts of Goodness and Four Givings,” Venerable Zhi San leads the soldiers in sitting meditation to settle body and mind.

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.

Through the tea meditation activity, soldiers carefully observe and experience each step of the process, cultivating focus and inner calm.

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.

One soldier displays his completed “Three Acts of Goodness and Four Givings” calligraphy and is able to read the full text aloud.

(Photos by Hai Kuo)