A short ferry ride across the channel from Hong Kong lies Lantau Island, Hong Kong’s largest Island. The Po Lin Monestary and Tian Tan Buddha (also referred to as the “Big Buddha”) sit on top of the Ngong Ping Plataeu high above the ocean on an island that offers a glimpse of untapped nature amidst one of the busiest cities in the world. A group of students had the opportunity to visit “Big Buddha” during a recent field program administered by Semester at Sea.
While being in a sacred place can be a transformative individual experience, drama professor Drew Kahn teaches us how these experience can also connect us to ideas bigger than ourselves. The South African concept known as Ubuntu, as Kahn explains, embodies the communal connectivity we all share.
