「憨人書院」作品，位於台灣苗栗縣三義鄉龍騰村的青山叢林之中。憨人書院院長陳倖平先生原本在半導體公司當經理，在三十二歲時意外與佛結緣，辭去半導體公司的經理職務。受佛學影響，陳倖平先生開始研究沉香與茶文化，「憨人書院」也由此而生。「憨人」台語裡代表忠厚、老實，算不上誇獎，帶點「傻勁」的意思。陳倖平先生認為「憨人」並非意指傻子或呆瓜，而是指憨直善良的人。具備此種特質的人，感性層面遠大於理性層面，通常他們並非以自身的利益為考量去做事業，而是以將事情做到盡善盡美，符合人們的需求和利益為前提去思考和發展其本職，此種精神稱為 「憨人精神」。
陳倖平先生找來好友林浚鎰設計師，這位出生於農業時代末班車的設計師，木工出身，著重回歸自然，最真、最樸實的即是美，和陳倖平先生的理念不謀而合。對於傳承文化藝術和生活美學的熱忱，及鬼才設計師的巧思下，一座斗笠造型的竹屋，安然生長在這原本就靜謐安和的土地上。林設計師由衷熱愛創造獨特性作品，以及擅長天馬行空的創造力，讓書院無違和地和大自然融為一體，讓進入此空間的人，內心不自覺地放鬆緩慢了起來，多了一分覺知內在靈性的敏感，讓心得以安定下來。
憨人並非是指怪異、不予苟同、特立獨行、孤僻的人。相反的，他們能與人和大自然妥協共存。並且依循天地萬物間的自然規律和平衡去做事情。平衡是一種人生最高的智慧，和天地間需要平衡，生活和事業要平衡，人與人交流也需要平衡。
任何事情只要不平衡，生活就會破局，人情就會失和，大自然就會反撲，此種智慧是值得我們花一輩子去省思和學習的。憨人書院是一個講求身、心、靈平衡的地方，我們以文化藝術和生活美學為出發點，匯集擁有憨人精神的人來此分享他的人生經驗相互學習，將心回歸自然簡單的靜界。
"Fool's Academy" is located amidst the verdant mountains of Longteng Village, Sanyi Township, Miaoli County in Taiwan. The director of the Academy, Chen Xing-ping had been working at a semiconductor company as a manager. When he was 32, a surprise encounter exposed him to Buddhism, and he subsequently resigned from his managerial post. Under the influence of Buddhism, he became immersed in the study of incense and tea cultures, and the "Fool's Academy" was born. In the local dialect of Taiwanese (Hokkien), "fool" is not exactly a compliment but refers to someone who is honest and loyal and with somewhat foolish tenacity. Chen believes the term refers to someone who is kind and straightforward, rather than stupid or dull-witted. People with this type of quality act more on sensibility than rationality. Usually, they commit to something not based on their own interests, but rather with others' needs and interests as the premise as they develop their work and strive to achieve perfection. He calls it the "fool's spirit”.
Chen sought out his good friend Lin Jun-yi to design the academy. A designer born during the tail of the agricultural era and trained in woodworking, Lin values a return to nature and finds beauty in authenticity and modesty. As two like-minded persons came together--one passionate about passing on legacy in arts, culture and lifestyle aesthetics and the other an ingenuous designer, a bamboo house in the form of a traditional bamboo hat grew out of the tranquil and peaceful land. With his passion in crafting unique works and unencumbered creativity, Lin designed a structure that naturally blends into Nature. Those who enter the space slow down and relax without knowing, and they are imbued a sensitivity to their inner spirituality that settles their minds to a serene state.
Fools are not those who are eccentric, dissident, maverick and unsociable. On the contrary, they are able to co-exist in harmony with others and Nature and live according to the natural rhythms and balance of the universe. Balance is the greatest wisdom in life; there needs to be balance with heaven and earth, between life and work, and between people.
Whenever there is imbalance, life spins off course, relationships are interrupted, and Nature strikes back. This is a kind of wisdom that we must reflect on and learn throughout our lifetime. Fool's Academy is a place focused on a balance between mind, body and soul. With arts and culture and lifestyle aesthetics as starting points, we bring together those with the fool's spirit to learn from each other's life experience and return our hearts to a serene, natural and simple state.
