On 28 October, Abbot President of Dharma Drum Mountain Venerable Guo Dong was invited to the DDM Tallahassee Chan Center in Florida by Associate Professor Yu Yong-Fong from the Department of Religion at Florida State University, where he led the refuge-taking ceremony. Approximately 100 attendees were present to listen to the teachings of the Abbot President and about 40 of them took refuge to be disciples of the Three Jewels. Participants were almost all Americans, a testament to the universal nature of this splendid ceremony.