I came across Master Sheng Yen’s book “Chinese Orthodox Buddhism” quite by chance. I picked it up from a monastery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As is common in many Asian countries, books on Buddhism can be found free of charge, donated for distribution by kind hearted individuals who wish to share the joys of the Buddha’s teachings with others. I was 7 years old.

The annual Hong Kong Book Fair was held on July 23 to 29, 2008 at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai. DDM Hong Kong Branch set up an exhibition booth in that period.

Theravada Buddhism has been endorsed as the national religion in Burma (officially known as the Union of Myanmar) since 1044. It is therefore natural for the Burmese to have incorporated Buddhist customs into their daily life. No wonder Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi described her people as peaceful and tranquil - two beautiful characteristics which could be ascribed to the Burmese devotion to Buddhism.

13 May (Tue)

※ DDM quickly assembled a relief team following the earthquake.
In the afternoon of 12 May 2008 a devastating earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Sichuan Province in China, leaving tens of thousands dead. It is estimated that the death toll will keep escalating.

3 May (Sat)
* Burma ravaged by cyclone
On 3 May (Sat), Burma was hit by the tropical cyclone Nargis, with the Irrawaddy Delta being the most hard-hit area.

Time: April 2008

I'm writing this report as I wait on my 9pm flight which was switched to 7:15pm, only to be delayed indefinitely. The seven day Ch'an retreat at Dharma Drum SanYi DIY Centre has been a very fruitful experience. Due to the variety of experiences I will categorize them for easier reading.

Sydney DDM held a 4 and 7 day retreat at Karuna Sanctuary, 3 kilometres west of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains area, approximately two hours drive west of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia.

With a deep bow and joined palms we conveyed the blessings on behalf of Venerable Master Sheng Yen and Venerable Guo Dong, the Founder and Abbot President of Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) respectively, to victims of the severe snowstorms that ravaged the southern provinces of mainland China. We handed a bag of relief supplies, worth approximately RMB$100, to the victims as our demonstration of empathy toward their hardship and sufferings in these difficult times.

The Ganges-Brahmaputra river system in Bangladesh is the largest river delta in the world, and most of the country has been formed over the river system's sediment plain. This unique geographic feature is prone to regular flooding, making life, especially for poor people, susceptible to the effects of natural disasters.

"Congratulations! You have experienced the true compassion" said Ven. Guo Lu. "I believe your understanding about compassion came from others' talks or from books, is it so?"