News
DDMBA COVID-19 USA Relief Project:
Delivered Supplies to Chit Myit Tar Foundation
As the year 2020 draws to a close and the COVID pandemic continues to prevail, many people around the world are suffering due to the shortage of supplies that could help prevent the spread of infections. To meet this need, Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association (DDMBA), together with Four Noble Truths USA, donated 50,000 disposable three-layer face masks to Chit Myit Tar Foundation, in the hopes that the pandemic will subside and the world will be restored to peace and health. The benefactors of the masks include Myanmar National Health Laboratory, Department of Medical Research, Yangon General Hospital, East Yangon General Hospital, South Akkalapa Women & Children Hospital, North Okkalapa Hospital, to name but a few. DDMBA expresses its gratitude for all of the donations it has received in support of this project. Text & Photos: Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association Translation: Hsiao Chen-An Editing: Greg Aiani; Keith Brown ...
A Historical Moment at the National Central Library:
Donation of the Complete Works of Master Sheng Yen
"The Complete Works of Master Sheng Yen" is the collection of the Master's lifelong practice and studies. It is also a condensed history of the development of modern Buddhism and Buddhist Studies. On December 1st, 2020, a donation ceremony took place at the National Central Library (NCL), where DDM's Abbot President Ven. Guo Huei presented a full set of the "2020 Memorial Edition of The Complete Works of Master Sheng Yen" to Director General, Tseng Shu-Hsien, who received the books on behalf of NCL. "A bodhisattva saves others from hardship and suffering; a great bodhisattva takes on hardship and suffering itself." "With compassion, you'll have no enemies; with wisdom, no vexations." "Even with a single breath remaining, hope is unlimited." "With peace in mind, you'll have peace in life." Ven. Guo Huei by quoting Master Sheng Yen's verses, and further stated that although the Master passed away 11 years ago, his works and wisdoms are still powerful today, providing social stability and peace . Abbot President especially expressed gratitude to NCL for sending the Complete Works to more than 600 libraries worldwide and NCL's 34 Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies (TRCCS) around the world via the network of International Publication Exchange. By making the Complete Works available to the world, it's expected that the Humanistic Pure Land and Chan Buddhism which Master Sheng Yen had always been promoting will be spread everywhere, with resources provided for Chinese speakers to read and study. Ven. Guo Sian, Managing Director of Dharma Drum Mountain Cultural Center, mentioned how DDM and the National Central Library came to be connected. It all started in the 3rd Chung-Hwa International Conference held by Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies 23 years ago. The conference took place at National Central Library and the former DirectorGeneral Zeng Ji-Cyun is now the President of DDM Community University. Ven. Guo Sian expressed appreciation to the former and current Director Generals. Through this precious and wonderful connection, Master Sheng Yen's wish to spread Dharma to the world has become a reality. Director General Tseng Shu-Hsien remarked, "What touches me the most is that the editorial team made footnotes and reference sources. This was surely not an easy task, but it enables readers to make further use of the references." Peng Jyun-Heng, Political Deputy Minister of Ministry of Culture and a faithful reader, praised the Complete Works for its usefulness, sharing that it is an important collection that has answered a lot of his questions. Peng has often applied what he has learned into his daily life to cultivate wisdom and bring hope to life. Zeng Ji-Cyun said that many people respect Buddhist scriptures; however, Master Sheng Yen interpreted the central ideas and concepts of Buddhadharma with modern terms and expressions instead of Buddhist terminologies. the Complete Works is thus accessible and useful to everyone, becoming a great resource to modern society. Among those attending the ceremony were Liou Jhong-Ji, the leading narrator of audio version of "the Complete Works", Cai Qing-yan, Chairman of Sheng Yen Education Foundation, Jhong Ming-Ciou, Secretary-General of DDM Humanities and Social Improvement Foundation, Ke Yao-bi, Chairman of DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation, and many other special guests who came together to witness this historical joyful moment. Published in October, the "2020 Memorial Edition of The Complete Works of Master Sheng Yen" is a compilation of the Master's wisdom from his lifelong practice experiences. The main reason behind this edition came from the Master's instruction before he passed away. During the editing process, the previous version was re-edited, amended, and supplemented with related articles and references, for the benefit and convenience of future readers and researchers. The 2020 Memorial Edition is regarded as the final version of the collection. Text: Chen Mei-Jyuan(陳玫娟); Lin Ya-Ying(林雅櫻) Photos: Li Dong-Yang(李東陽); Lin Ya-Ying(林雅櫻) Translation: Hsiao Chen-An Editing: Angela Chang; Keith Brown
The 14th Great Compassion Water and Land Service 2020: Nurturing Peace of mind, Gaining Access to the Pure Land
The 14th Great Compassion Water and Land Service in 2020 was held at Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education, Taiwan, from November 21 to November 28. This event was centered on the idea of "humanity," according to Ven. Guo Kai, a member of the preparatory team. The event took place in assembly halls spanning 45 branches worldwide, in addition to providing the option to join the ceremony online. During the event, every participant learned how to take good care of their mind through their practice, as an effort to help purify society. This is why Master Sheng Yen advocated and promoted this service. To align with the government's prevention measures, only half of the usual number of seats were provided and devotees were encouraged to attend live-streamed assemblies at DDM's branches or at home. For this purpose, DDM provided an optimized live-streamed platform and online liturgy, among other user-friendly services. In addition, for the first time, DDM prolonged the time available to replay recorded live videos, to make it easier for people in areas severely hit by the pandemic to attend the assembly asynchronously. On the last day, when the Sending off the Sages ritual was held, Abbot President Ven. Guo Huei led the sangha, attendees, and volunteers to make a vow to apply the calming power they had attained during the group practice in their daily life. He also announced DDM's annual theme for the year 2021—"Peace and Ease"—and encouraged everyone to cultivate compassion and wisdom by continuously applying the Buddhist methods of practice, thereby learning to care for themselves and others in the face of impermanence. "As impermanence is an ordinary fact of life, we should face it with an ordinary mind." The closing short film compared our life to a journey, and pointed out that impermanence is never absent in our life. If we can take good care of our mind, then "everything we see is a scenic view; everywhere we go is a pure land." Ven. Guo Huei quoted Master Sheng Yen's talk of encouragement during the SARS pandemic, when he remarked, "Most of the time we have erroneous views, and have inverted ways of thinking: we tend to take pain as happiness, and the impermanent as permanent. We regard this fragile life of ours and the environment as everlasting and unchanging, and that's why we have fear and a sense of insecurity. Therefore, we should face it, and acknowledge it. With this kind of wisdom, we'll no longer have fear and will be able to live in calm and peace at all times." "Ven. Huei Min explained the Dharma by incorporating scientific knowledge. I found it very beneficial and useful. It inspired me to reflect on the way to live in peace during the pandemic," said Guo Liyi, a devotee from Hong Kong who participated in the assembly via the internet. Wu Xuehua, a devotee from Toronto, Canada, attended the group practice online as a way to pray for the people suffering from the pandemic. Zhang Sumei, who joined the assembly at Ziyun Monastery, Kaohsiung, expressed her gratitude to the preparatory team for enabling remote attendees to feel as if they were on site. "Practicing in a group setting is very different from practicing alone, especially when the sound of group chanting hit my heart. It was so touching," said Xiao Huijuan, who attended the live-streamed assembly at Nung Chan Monastery, Taipei. "Dharma Drum Mountain is like a school designed for Bodhisattva practice!" By applying the method learned from Ven. Guo Xing, DDM's Chan Hall master, Chen Xinyou, who participated in the General Hall, focused on how to live at every moment and therefore felt grateful for the teachings of the Three Jewels. During this session of Water and Land Service, there were some 12,000 volunteers. In addition, 25,000 people attended the live-streamed assembly in DDM's branches worldwide, and, for the first time, more than 500,000 people attended online around the globe. DDM stated that every number represents a calm and peaceful mind to nurture the Earth, thus helping to transform the world into a serene Pure Land. Text: Lin Ya-Ying (林雅櫻); Dharma Drum Monthly Photos: Lee Dong-Yang(李東陽); Chang, Tian-Pei (張田沛); Chang, Yao-Chuang (張曜鐘); Dharma Drum Monthly; Chen Meditation Center Translation: Hsiao Chen-An Editing: Chang, Chia-Cheng (張家誠); Keith Brown
Gilbert Gutierrez Forth installment of Six-Part Lecture Series “The Development of Chan from the Beginning.”
On November 28th, Dharma Drum Mountain Los Angeles Center presented the fourth lecture on the Development of Chan, given by Gilbert Gutierrez, one of the western Dharma Heirs of DDM's founder Master Sheng Yen. In this discussion, participants learned how the Six Paramitas, Bodhicitta, and Sunyata (emptiness) help to establish Mahayana practice. Gilbert explained how the Theravada focus on morality (sila), effort (samadhi), and wisdom (prajna) evolved to include generosity (dana), patience (ksanti), and meditation (dhyana), becoming the six paramitas. He further noted that wisdom, inclusive of the other paramitas is an essential part of the bodhisattva path. He also explained that where an arhat experiences cessation of suffering, a bodhisattva embodies bodhicitta, the caring for others and vow to deliver sentient beings. It is this quality that sets the two apart. Quoting from the Heart Sutra "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. All phenomena are empty.", Gilbert emphasized that this teaching on sunyata is a cornerstone for Mahayana Buddhism. Though difficult to understand, by practicing awareness through meditation, the mind expands and realizes that everything is empty becomes possible. Gilbert also spoke on the fourth patriarch Dao Xin's "lucid purity of mind is only possible by identification with the natural rhythm of things". He referred to the "natural rhythm" as the causes and conditions that drive the mind and pointed out that contemplating causes and conditions can help to stop subject-object observations that lead to suffering. The last two talks in the series will be held on December 5th and December 12th at 6:00 pm Pacific Standard Time on Zoom. The Zoom ID is 849 5390 8815 and the passcode is 4388. Recordings of each talk are posted at DDM LA's Facebook page. By Jeremy Bieber of Dharma Drum Mountain Los Angeles Center www.ddmbala.org
Finding and Feeling Joy: A Talk given to Cambridge University Buddhist Society
On November 18th, 2020, Venerable Chang Wu, abbot of Vancouver Chan Meditation Centre, was invited to give an online talk, called "Finding and Feeling Joy", to Cambridge University Buddhist Society (CUBS). Around 50 attendees were present for the talk, including seven members of London Chan Meditation. To bring the participants closer, the Venerable began by emphasizing that she is also a "student", and that to be forever learning is a joy in itself, tagging on the moderator Christoph's introduction of the speaker. The Venerable then guided the participants to meditate, relaxing from the parts to the whole body through awareness of sensations. After 15 minutes, she checked in with the participants to see if they felt a sense of calmness and a touch of Joy. Starting with the definition of joy, the Venerable explained that the happiness we usually refer to is obtained from sensory stimuli, such as amusing music or tasty food. However, this kind of happiness can never last long, and, once it vanishes, we would feel loss. Next, the Venerable turned the talk to a deeper level of happiness, called joy or True Happiness. She mentioned that joy comes from a harmonious relationship and close connections between our body and mind, between others and ourselves, and between the environment and ourselves. The Venerable also explained that we have become accustomed to a state of dissonance between body and mind because our survival instinct makes us prone to believe in fanciful stories, justify our wrong behaviors, and even blind ourselves. Sometimes our mind is so busy that the body performs one action while the mind is filled with other unrelated thoughts. Only when our body and mind are together, living in the present moment, clearly aware of the body's sensations and actions, can we start to have peace and joy. This is also an important foundation work of True Happiness. Modern society has evolved to become a place where self-reliant and competitive winners are often praised. This, in turn, makes us see others as the opposite party. Furthermore, in our pursuit of independence and self-fulfillment, we neglect close connections with other people. The Venerable emphasized that we can't exist in this world without other people. When we recognize this fact and stop focusing only on ourselves-- seeing that others have the same needs and feelings as we do-- we would have more power to share, care, and thus have more joy. At the end of the lecture, members asked for advice on meditation, work, and life issues. Finally, Venerable Chang Wu again responded to the request of the host and the members by leading a meditation session of Metta Contemplation to end this joyful meeting. Text & Photos: Dharma Drum Mountain Vancouver Translation: Hsiao Chen-an Edition: Shujen Yeh; Keith Brown
Coming Home to the Buddha – First Online Refuge Ceremony
Since March this year, the Sunday Online Meditation Group Session led by Venerable Guo Yuan, Abbot of Dharma Drum Retreat Center in Pine Bush, New York, has introduced Chan meditation to participants joining online from Canada, Estonia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Poland, Russia, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States and other countries worldwide. However, the session on September 6th, 2020 was more than just a regular Sunday practice. It was also the blissful day that two Chan students-- Robin from the United Kingdom and Dima from Russia-- took refuge in the Three Jewels online. The refuge ceremony was led by Venerable Guo Yuan and was witnessed and blessed by many members of the monastery, as well as all the Dharma brothers and sisters. Venerable Guo Yuan described taking refuge as "coming back to our home, our spiritual home, under (the) guidance and blessings of the Three Jewels." The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha are referred to as the Three Jewels due to their invaluable spiritual values. Shakyamuni Buddha was the historical Buddha who found the way to ultimate liberation with the aim of transcending suffering. Dharma is what the Buddha shared with us through his teachings. The community of the monastics that passes down the teaching up until now is referred as the Sangha. We take refuge in the Three Jewels so that we can return to the spiritual home under the guidance of the Three Jewels and we continue with the practice. The first online ceremony of Taking Refuge in Three Jewels was auspicious and well received by its two refuge takers. Here are their heartfelt sharing and words from the UK and Russia. Robin, from the United Kingdom: "Together with a fellow dharma friend, I recently took refuge in the three jewels (online hosted by) the DDM SF chapter. Being based in the UK, I feel very fortunate to have been part of the Centre's first online refuge ceremony. In addition to practising with my teacher here in the UK, I have been attending the Centre's online meditation since the earlier days of the pandemic. During these months, my connection with Ch'an Buddhism deepened. I was therefore very excited to learn that taking refuge online was indeed possible. What strange times we live in! And yet, the Dharma has flourished in new and wonderful ways, connecting practitioners from all over the world. Venerable Guo Yuan led the ceremony with patience and humor. He described taking refuge as "coming home in the Buddha." These words strongly resonated with me when I repeated the vows and precepts (and still do so today). I felt a sense of gratitude and also relief as if some baggage had fallen off. While the journey continues and the work still lies ahead, I feel that the direction of travel has now become clearer. Many members of the Sangha stayed on after the regular Sunday meditation to witness the ceremony. We all shared a joyous celebratory moment afterwards. For this, I am very grateful. It was a truly special and humbling experience." Dima, from Russia: "The first time I heard about Chan teaching was a YouTube video with Master Sheng Yen. It was like: "Oh! Here is the teacher I was looking for!" And I became sad when I knew that he had already passed away. I encountered Chan teaching directly in 2019 during Guo Xing Fashi's visit to Russia. I did not have an opportunity to stay for a seven-day retreat, but this meeting made a great impression on me. By that time I've already practiced in Tibetan tradition for a while but I felt an inner predisposition to Chan. Since spring 2020, thanks to the pandemic, I have found online meditation practices guided by Jinho Fashi and since then I have been regularly practicing with her. I wanted to take refuge in the Chan tradition, and I thought to do that during the next visit of one of the teachers to Russia, but I did not even think that it would be possible to do this online. Several days ago, I was about to go to bed when I suddenly received a message from Jinho Fashi. She encouraged me to join the refuge ceremony right now. It was like a bolt from the blue and I did not expect it at all. The ceremony was excellent thanks to Honorable Guo Yuan Fashi. It seems to me that the way this sudden ceremony of taking refuge happened to me was quite in the spirit of Chan. I am very happy to be a part of the DDM family and it was great to have that opportunity." For more information or to register for the Sunday Online Meditation Group Session, please visit here.
Gilbert Gutierrez presents Six Talks on “Development of Chan from the Beginning” Via Virtual Zoom Meeting
In order to uplift the understanding of Chan Buddhism, DDMLAC has invited Master Shengyen's Dharma Heir Gilbert Gutierrez to expound a deeper understanding of Chan School. Six classes will be given from November 7th through December 12th at 6:00 pm PST. According to DDMLAC, the purpose of these classes is to pass on the Buddha's teachings through practitioners' actual meditation and daily life practice of Chan Buddhism. Classes will include Buddhist historical background and development of Buddhist doctrines in comparison of Theravada and Mahayana. Gilbert emphasized during the first class the importance of the Right View and Right Action practitioners should always cast in their minds. He briefly gave introductions to the Buddhist core concepts of Emptiness, Dependent Arising and the Twelve Links, and highlighted that Chan practice should be a verb: applying practices in every moment through every rising thought, ongoing delusion sweeping processes to help the mind become clearer. DDMLAC cordially invites all English-speaking Dharma friends to join us in a straightforward learning atmosphere to learn core fundamental teachings of the Buddha through the following website: https://www.facebook.com/ddmbala By Gloria Wang of DDMLAC
[Notice] The 2020 Dharma Drum Mountain Great Compassion Water and Land Service will be held as scheduled
Dharma Drum Mountain(DDM) will make adjustments to the response measures and announcements based on the immediate epidemic situation announced by the Central Epidemic Command Center. ◆Date: November 21 (Sat.) to November 28 (Sat.) ◆Location: Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education, New Taipei City, Taiwan (The 2020 Water and Land Service is only accepting applicants within Taiwan. People in other countries are welcomed to attend the dharma assembly online. The link will be published here on this page.) Eleven prayer halls will be set up in DDM's Great Compassion Water and Land Dharma Service, which are General Hall, Grand Hall, Wish-fulfilling Hall, Medicine Buddha Hall, Pure Land Hall, Dharma Lotus Hall, Chan Hall, Earth Treasure Bodhisattva Hall, Surangama Hall, Avatamsaka Hall, and the Hall of Infinite Practices. Each hall has its focused scripture for chanting and featured method of practice, so participants are welcome to go to the hall of their own choice to practice accordingly. The halls are ◆Schedule of Each Hall (Mandarin) ◆Registration: (1) Online Sign-up (Mandarin) (2) Official Registration: after completing the online form, please take the booking number to any registration counter (in Taiwan) before November 8 to complete the registration procedure and obtain the registration receipt. ◆Please Note: 1. We recommend the elderly, unwell, and those with a weak immune system to assess their health status and participate through their local group or online instead. 2. This event adopts the "real-name system" and applicants must register in advance with their full name. No last-minute drop-in participants. 3. In order to maintain social distancing, spaces are limited. Please confirm that you can attend before registering. 4. If you are not able to attend after registration, please make a cancellation; the modification can only be made once. 5. Masks must be worn throughout the service. Please consider carefully whether or not you would be able to adapt to the requirements. For further information, please visit the website(Mandarin) dedicated to the Great Compassion Water and Land Service. or learn more on this site(English). Extended Reading: What is a Dharma Assembly? How to Experience Being in a Pure Land by Attending Dharma Assemblies?
DDM- LA Youth Workshop
Online sharing and Learning
Blessings in Three Existences of life & Joy of Imperfection These days, with strict coronavirus-related restrictions limiting human contact, California is still under the situation of home epidemic prevention. The Youth Project proposed 5 years ago has the opportunity to be re-evaluated. With the support of the director of Dharma Drum Mountain Los Angeles Center (DDM LA), Chang Yu Fa Shi, and the sponsorship of the AJ WANG Foundation Scholarship program, the draft proposal was passed at the end of April, and volunteers were immediately invited to form a team group to start thinking about the details. Finally, on Saturday, August 8, DDM LA Youth project officially hosted its first college workshop on Zoom and was led by Professor Aries Gu, a guest speaker from the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts in Taiwan. A total of 38 young people signed up, of which 30 were current students and 8 were fresh graduates. Despite a technical issue that surfaced during the initial stages of the first workshop meeting, the participants were able to work together to come to a solution that ensured the success of the workshop. The first hour consisted of a lecture on the Three Aspects of Life/ Blessings in Three Existences of life which awarded students with a deeper understanding of their own lives. After a short break, Professor Gu introduced an activity meant to give her listeners the chance to examine their relationships with others. The students were then split into smaller groups so that they could share their thoughts and revelations, as well as forge connections with their fellow participants. Later, everyone came together for a larger and interactive discussion with Professor Gu. Numerous students volunteered to share what they had discussed in their smaller groups, followed by helpful and thought-provoking responses and suggestions from Professor Gu. Students walked away with new perspectives on their relations and interactions with others, and the means to change them if they wished. This meaningful workshop was met with an encouraging reception, with many claiming it was“very interesting”and“useful.”With the coming workshops scheduled for every other week, students look forward to another engaging and valuable session with the special speakers DDM activities that can be carried out with modern technology can inspire people's hearts and gather the strength of all people. It is a SPIRITUAL ENVIRONMENT and a lifestyle that strives to balance the spiritual with the practical. Especially during the pandemic it is very nice for the youth to actively discuss, share and interact with each other as well as share resources. We may not be able to immediately apply it to all aspects of our life, but it is worth the journey, as you will discover new things about yourself that you otherwise would never have known.
Online Great Compassion Repentance Ceremony: A Safe and Peaceful Life Begins with Repentance and Vow Making
Following governmental preventive measures, Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Centre Malaysia held a live-streamed Great Compassion Repentance Ceremony on its official Facebook page on September 26, 2020, allowing devotees to attend the dharma assembly from home. A total of 125 people attended this online group practice. Before the assembly began, Ven. Chang Ji reminded everyone to observe their mind and explore how their mental activities motivate their actions. She also urged them to treat every moment equally－not to judge what is happening through personal emotions, past experiences, or preconceptions. Instead, they should experience life in every moment while extending blessings to others. Since we sometimes fail to take charge of our mind and thereby make mistakes, it is necessary that we feel ashamed, repent, and admit that we often do things wrongly, whether intentionally or not, to ourselves and others. In this way, we cultivate a willingness to take responsibility for our misconduct, eradicate karmic obstructions, and vow not to repeat the same mistakes. The Venerable explained that repentance and vow-making are two sides of the same coin, as the Liturgy of Great Compassion Repentance Ceremony indicates that we need to both repent and make vows. She also shared Master Sheng Yen's teachings, and encouraged everyone to vow to practice the Boddhisattva's path and transmit the merit of their practice to all other sentient beings in hope that they all live a peaceful and happy life. Text: Guo, Zi-Wei (郭紫薇) Photos: Yang, Pei-Fu (楊培福) Translation: Hsiao, Chen-An Editing: Shujen Yeh (葉姝蓁); Keith Brown Learn More with Us Why Should One Practice Repentance Rituals? What is Dharma Assembly?