Buddhism

A number of years ago I spent a couple of weeks exploring Hong Kong. I was staying on Lantau Island.

While there I decided to visit the Po Lin Monastery to see the Tian Tan Buddha (also known as the "Big Buddha&quot . It is a 34 meter Buddha sitting at the top of a very very long stairway (268 steps). In a room beneath the statue is a relic of Gautama Buddha, consisting of some of his alleged cremated remains.

Upon descending I was hungry and looked for a place to eat. The only option was a restaurant run by the monks at the monastery. They were the chefs, servers, and dishwashers.

The monks ate the same food that was served in the restaurant. It was, of course, entirely vegetarian cuisine and it was delicious. Simple dishes with fresh vegetables grown by the monks at the monastery. The flavors were new and wonderful. The best meal I had in Hong Kong, Macau or the Quangdong Province of China.

A great experience.