When in the summer of 2009, two volunteers kindly donated twenty drums to Dharma Drum Mountain in Vancouver (DDM Vancouver), Venerable Guo Shu, encouraged by the Director of DDM Vancouver, formed a drum-playing group - the Drum Team of DDM Vancouver.

On Sunday, November 15, 2009, DDRC resident monastic Chang Chi Fashi gave a talk entitled, “The Eightfold Path to Joyful Living.” Fashi's talk was based on the Eightfold Noble Path taught by the Buddha to “help people let go of suffering and embrace happiness.”

As the year 2009 drew to a close, the DDM Vancouver choir paid a special visit to the Richmond Grace Senior Home in Richmond City to express their warmest care and blessings to all the residents on the afternoon of 17 December, 2009.

On the afternoon of 19 December, 2009, Venerable Chang Chi arrived in San Francisco, United States, to give a Dharma talk on happiness and lead a one day Chan program.

On the afternoon of 13 December 2009, Dharma Drum Mountain in Vancouver, Canada held a gala party to thank all their volunteers for their compassionate contributions throughout the year.

A Dharma Gathering for English speakers was held on Friday, December 18, 2009 at CMC and was attended by approximately 30 people. The evening’s program included a vegetarian supper, music by Japanese flutist Kaoru Watanabe, and a dharma talk presented by Venerable Guo Xing, Abbot of CMC and DDRC.

On Sunday, November 15, 2009, Venerable Chang Chi gave a talk entitled, “The Eightfold Path to Joyful Living.” Robert Weick translated the talk into English. Venerable’s talk was based on the Eightfold Noble Path taught by the Buddha to “help people let go of suffering and embrace happiness”.

On Sunday, November 8, 2009, Venerable Master Ren Jun gave a talk at CMC on “Showing Sentient Beings Ways Out of Suffering”. The following is a translation of verses presented by Venerable Master:

Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhism Information Centre in Malaysia (DDM Malaysia) has propagated Chinese Buddhism for ten years and in particular, the idea of ‘building a pure land on earth’, as well as the Six Ethics of the Mind.

Vice Director of the Chan Practice Center, Venerable Guo Yuan, made his inaugural twelve-day Dharma tour in Indonesia from 23 October to 3 November, 2009.