The Abbot President of Dharma Drum Mountain Visited Dharma Drum Singapore
Ven. Guo Dong, the Abbot President of DDM, gave a Dharma talk at Dharma Drum Singapore in the evening of November 21, 2014 where Yong Nan Elder Nun, the Abbot of Long Quan Monastery made a special appearance. During the talk, Ven. Guo Dong thanked Yong Nan Elder Nun for her kindness in offering a place for DDM to set up Dharma Drum Singapore. In addition, he also reiterated the aspiration of the late Venerable Master Sheng Yen to “Uplift the character of humanity and build a pure land on earth; dedicate ourselves to the wellbeing of all sentient being”, encouraging devotees to cultivate and extend loving kindness and compassion to all beings, regardless of time and place.
“We must have the Bodhi-mind in order to attain Buddhahood. But what is the Bodhi-mind? It is altruism. Do not fear suffering when assisting others for this suffering will transform into joy the moment all sentient beings escape suffering. Those who practice Buddhism are Bodhisattvas and Bodhisattvas who liberate all sentient beings with compassion and wisdom are the most rigorous in their practice and cultivation.” – The Late Venerable Master Sheng Yen.
The Abbot President indicated that the purpose of the Buddha Dharma is to liberate all sentient beings through right view; the core idea of DDM to “protect the spiritual environment” is consistent with this purpose. DDM propagates the Buddha Dharma and cultivates right view through its “Extensive Public Buddhist Education” program while the “Extensive Academic Education” program nurtures talent; its “Extensive Social Care Education” caters to people from all walks of life and implementation of overall care is effected through the “Three-fold Education”.
In cultivating compassion and wisdom, we could draw on the Buddha Dharma and Chan meditation techniques to control our body, speech and mind. The Abbot President had been travelling to Toronto, New York, New Jersey, San Francisco, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc., to propagate the Dharma since mid-October and devotees often asked if he suffered from jetlag. In response, the Abbot President indicated that Chan meditation technique, particularly being mindful of our body and mind as well as mindfully relaxing our body could be employed to reduce discomfort; consequently, “the phenomenon of jetlag exists but it does not affect me”. In addition, he encouraged devotees to practice altruism, repentance and gratitude in order to cultivate wisdom and compassion, thus reducing our ego as well as vexation caused by external factors.
Han Hui Hua, a devotee in Singapore, is very inspired by the Abbot President’s speech; she is also grateful to DDM for leading her in the right direction as well as establishing a pure land to practice Buddhism and Dharma propagation.
(Translated by Tom Hsieh/Edited by Leefah)