In 1998 and 2003, Master Sheng Yen visited Saint Petersburg and Moscow respectively to give guidance for local Buddhist practitioners, introducing Chan teachings into Russia. Over the past 19 years, how have his Russian disciples helped spread the seeds of Chan Buddhism and progressed with their practice? This in-depth interview with Sasha and Rinya, leaders of Wujimen Martial Art School and Buddhist organization in Saint Petersburg, will give you a glimpse of how Chan practice already constitutes part of their daily life.

Venerable Chi Chern gave a series of dharma talks to share the Chan concepts and methods with local practitioners in Massachusetts and New Jersey, after he completed leading the 21-day Chan retreat in Poland at the end of August. Many young students from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology also attended and added a lot of vitality and enthusiasm to the lecture.

Life and death, day and night; water flows, flowers fall

On September 5th 2017 at Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Centre Malaysia, Venerable Chang Hui delivered a lecture to approximately 120 people on Contemplating Mind (觀心銘), as discussed in Master Sheng Yen’s commentary - The Original Face: Collection of Talks on Contemplating (本來面目:<觀心銘> 講記)

Zarko Andricevic, Dharma heir of the Venerable Master Sheng Yen and founder of Dharmaloka, a Buddhist community in Croatia, gave a talk on October 22, 2017, at Vancouver's local spiritual bookstore, Banyen Books and Sound, titled "Chan Meditation, the Art of Cultivating Compassion and Wisdom."

From August 10th to 13th 2017, Venerable Chang Chi, Director of Academic Affairs of DDM Sangha University, propagated Buddhism at the Dharma Drum Buddhist Association Washington Chapter in Seattle.

Speakers from various institutions around North America congregated at the Dharma Drum Mountain Vancouver Center to hold an academic workshop on the topic of "Buddhist Women: Practitioners and Teachers, Past and Present." These speakers were not only scholars, but also Buddhist practitioners, and were able to relate their experiences throughout the presentation.

[THAILAND News]

From July 21st to 27th, 2017, Abbot President Venerable Guo Dong paid a visit to share his solicitude and propagate Buddhism in Thailand, accompanied by Venerable Chang Yuan, Managing Director of the DDM General Association of Dharma Supporters, and Venerable Chang Xue, newly appointed Monastic Advisor of the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhism - Thailand Chapter (Also referred as DDM Thailand).

On July 23rd, Abbot President presided over a Refuge-Taking Ceremony in the Three Jewels and Five Precepts, at the DDM Thailand, and delivered a speech on “Fortune and Misfortune as Two Sides of the Same Coin”. Full of solemn silence and warmth, the Refuge-Taking Ceremony had forty-one participants.

Among them was Wu Shengxiong, sharing that since he had health problem, he has received a lot of loving care from the DDM Thailand and started to value the compassion in Buddha’s teaching and the importance to practice. Therefore, Wu took this invaluable opportunity and became a disciple of the Three Jewels. Wu was delighted to make such positive affinity and attended refuge-taking with other practitioners. Furthermore, Wu hoped that he could improve his dharma practices together with all in the future.

September 11th, 2001 is a date that will live in infamy. The attack by Al-Qaeda terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people and injured over 6,000 others, as well as causing property damage. As a result, the United States responded by launching the War on Terror. This hatred has led to racial discrimination and killing in succession. In 2016, Tomorrow Together by 911Day.org initiated ”Meal Pack for NYC” and has been supported by a diverse community of national service, youth, faith, and education organizations to actively promote the ideals of unity, empathy and service among young people throughout the United States. This year, the event took place at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City.

In the afternoon of Aug. 12th, at the invitation of Dharma Drum Vancouver Center, current Director-in-Chief Venerable Guo Guang delivered a talk on "Life in Chan Contemplation", sharing how Buddha dharma has enriched her life. Whenever she was at a turning point in hard times, she would re-examined herself with a Chan perspective, and often had come to discover a brighter side of life. Her relaxing and humorous way of talking filled the Center with laughter, constantly. Each word and every part of her sharing was full of sincerity, love, and wisdom based on solid experience, leaving a deep impression in 110 participants’ minds.

The Eighth Silent Illumination Retreat from May 27 through June 3, 2017, was successfully concluded under the guidance of Venerable Gouyuan, Abbot of the Dharma Drum Retreat Center.



This retreat was held at the Mar de Jade Center in Mexico, with more than thirty young adults participating. This group of participants is quite diverse as many are employed in different professions, such as teachers, psychiatrists, and environmentalists, just to name a few, and reside in either the States or Mexico. One of the participants, who is also a member of staff at the Center, was inspired to sign up for the retreat and experience Chan meditation after listening to feedback from previous participants.