On Saturday September 29th Dr. Wendi Adamek of University of Calgary presented to us the study on why the idea of the Four Inversions: “permanence, bliss, self, and purity” is one of the central concepts in the Nirvana Sutra, even though the Four Inversions have always been described as human’s failure to see the truth about the world we are in.

Venerable Chang Hwa (常華法師), Director of DDM Chan Medication Center in New York, and Venerable Guo Jiann (果見法師), Director of DDM Los Angeles Center together with other Catholic and Buddhist representatives from Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, visited Pope Francis in Vatican on Sept 12, 2018, hoping to receive Pope’s recognition and support on the projects that have been planned and promoted ever since the last dialogue in June, 2015.

It was 17 years after the Terrorist Attack on 9/11, 2001. As the result of death and injuries, wars, horror, hatred and conflicts, it is still unforgettable after so many years.

Today, the 4th Meal Pack for NYC was held at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, 46th Street in Manhattan. This event was initiated in 2015 by Tomorrow Together / 911Day.org, that actively promotes the ideal of unity, empathy and service among young people throughout the United States.

Professor Weijen Teng (鄧偉仁教授), department chair of Buddhist Studies of Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts gave a talk on Buddhist Meditation Tradition and Body-mind Healing in the Context of Buddhist Modernism on August 21 at Dharma Drum Vancouver Centre. This talk was well-regarded by the Buddhist community and it helped Buddhist practitioners to clarify what Buddhist practice means in the midst of modernization and globalization.

Thirteen children who led by Venerable Yan Xiang (演祥法師) and twenty volunteers from Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Centre Malaysia took an outdoor learning trip on July 22nd. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, they came to a green-filled town- Sungai Buloh (雙溪毛糯) to visit a local asylum for Leprosy called the Village of Hope.

Children practiced Eight-form Moving Meditation in the beginning, as usual, because only when we calm our body and mind at any time, can we bring others the stability.

On July 28th, Chan Meditation Center’s DDYP held its first Outdoor Chan Meditation Event at the Diana Ross Playground lawn in Central Park, New York City. Organized by DDYP volunteers and led by Venerable Chang Hsiu (常修法師)and Chang Guan (常灌法師), the event saw about 50 attendees from diverse backgrounds and focused on the Eight-Form Moving Meditation, natural walking, sitting meditation, and group sharing.

On Thursday August 2 Dr. Rebecca Li presented the first, of hopefully, a long list of Dharma lectures at the new Vancouver Chan Meditation Center at Cambie and Broadway. Dr. Li is not only a second generation Dharma heir of our founder Master Sheng Yen, but also a sociology professor at the College of New Jersey. This unique combination of deep spiritual practice and extensive academic achievement, as well as a personal familiarity with both oriental and western culture is rare and precious. It allows Dr. Li to bring age old concepts to life in a modern world. Her lecture was entitled “Living a Fulfilling Life in Chan Practice”.

The 2018 Sydney Caring Tour of Abbot President Guodong Fashi (果東法師) began with its first event “Arising the Great Compassion”, which took place in Hornsby, at 2pm on the 15th of July.

Ven. Guo Xing led a seven-day Chan retreat in Russia

To sustain Master Sheng Yen’s endeavors on guiding the Chan methods in Russia, Dharma Drum Vice Abbot Ven. Guo Xing Fashi (果醒法師) led a Seven-Day Chan retreat again during April 30 and May 7th, 2018, at the sincere invitation of Alexander Jitomirsky, the chairman of Wujimen Martial Arts School. This was to enable the Dharma teaching to further flourish after firstly initiated by Master Sheng Yen 15 years ago.

At the invitation of Laura Del Valle, the President of Mar de Jade, Ven. Guo Yuan Fashi came to Mexico to lead Hua Tou seven-day Chan Retreat from June 2 to 9, 2018, accompanied by Ven. Chang Xing Fashi, with 32 participants. Angelica De Valle, Laura’s daughter, helped to interpret from English to Spanish.