A Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance to Gain Admission — the Dharma Drum Mountain Awakening Camp is Open for Registration

In the process of repeated self-exploration, have you ever constantly asked yourself: "Who am I? Where am I? What role should I play? What kind of person do I want to become in the future?"

Dharma Drum Sangha University is going to hold the 21^st "Awakening Camp" from January 27^th to February 3^rd, 2024, inviting youth to get a small taste of the peaceful and pure monastic life, which involves receiving the precepts, Buddhist chanting, Chan meditation, morning and evening services, working meditation, and Dharma sharing. In addition, they will learn the demeanors, mindset and concepts required of a Buddhist monastic. The camp is now open for registration via the following link: https://www.ddsu.org/news_en.php?id=8667

During the group sharing session, a camp participant, whose Dharma name is Kuan Hong, realized that everyone has Buddha-nature, and it is only because of the challenges and difficulties of the worldly life that people are oblivious to their original aspiration. Thus, he realized that "we cannot redo our life, but we can restart it" by striving to make ourselves better individuals, in addition to dedicating ourselves to society. 

Participant Kuan Yu shared that the key words for her experience during the camp — repentance, gratitude, faith, and choice — enable her to return to her daily life with gratitude. She recalled the moment when she was reciting the Repentance Verse in front of the image of Buddha, her tears were running like a water flowing from a faucet. It suddenly dawned on her that she had not honestly faced her life; therefore, she decided to properly apologize to the things that happened in the past and let go of them, as well as pray for blessings to those who matter in her life. During that night, she felt her body and mind were cleansed.

When feeling uncertain and uneasy about their direction of life, many young participants hope to awaken from the dream through this spiritual journey. Participant Kuan Sheng stated that "the eight-day-and-seven-night Awakening Camp is a journey of returning home, awakening, repentance, and self-reconciliation; in fact, it is more of a journey to return to our true self." 

For any inquiries about the registration for Dharma Drum Mountain Awakening Camp of year 2024, please contact Dharma Drum Sangha University at
+886-2-2498-7171 ext. 2351 (available time: 9:00~17:00 UTC+8 on weekdays),
+886-910-159-557 (available time: 17:00~19:30 UTC+8 on weekdays, and 9:00~17:00 UTC+8 on weekends),
or send an email to [email protected].




Text: 林雅櫻 (Ya-ying Ling)
Photos: 賴秀英 (Siou-ying Lai); Dharma Drum Sangha University
Translation: 李祥苓 (Siang-ling Li)
Editing: Keith Brown, YKL