DDM’s Extensive Social Care Effort
As the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spreads all over the world, people are getting more and more disturbed with the ever-growing confirmed cases. To pray for those suffering from and affected by the pandemic to be at ease, DDM Abbot President Venerable Guo Huei has been hosting live streaming dharma assemblies called “A mind at peace; a life at peace!” at Wish-Fulfilling Guanyin Hall in DDM World Center for Buddhist Education every Sunday morning since March 1st. The merit and virtue attained by the dharma services will be transferred to all sentient beings, to provide the society with the spiritual blessings of Buddha Dharma.
“Some may take this pandemic as apocalyptic; however, this so-called feeling of fear was actually fabricated by human themselves.” Venerable Guo Huei called on all sectors to “give rise to great compassion”, as a way to ward off impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Believing in Guanyin Bodhisattva, in his great compassion and vows that can save us from hardship and suffering, Venerable Guo Huei exhorted the public to recite the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, to pray to him, and further to learn to act like him. In doing this, we could eventually overcome the coronavirus pandemic when we act to safeguard and care for each other.
Online dharma services, Chan practices, and Dharma courses are available and continued at DDM branching monasteries home and abroad as well as DDM Public Buddhist Education Center during the pandemic, in the hope that DDM’s followers around the world won’t stop their group practice and studies. Meanwhile, personal protective equipment such as infrared forehead thermometers, hand disinfectant alcohol spray machines, masks, and Hypochlorous acid water were also distributed to DDM Association of Dharma Supporters all over the world.
DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation (SWCF) also published over 70,000 brochures of “A mind at peace; a life at peace!”, in the hope of helping people from around the world to find peace of mind. To reduce the demand for medical masks, volunteers of the Foundation were further called on to make more than 10,000 cloth masks, to be donated to the organizations and families SWCF have long-time cared.
“Reciting the Mantra of Great Compassion, Let’s LINE together!” is the first mobile application user interface that DDM has ever developed for chanting practice. Venerable Chang Yuan (常遠法師), Managing Director of DDM Sangha, hopes that this UI could serve as a platform to trigger a cascade of compassion and aspiration of the public, to pray for peace of mind and an early end of the pandemic.
On the other hand, the increase of COVID-19 cases in North America has led to a desperate shortage of medical supplies. From 31st March onward, Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association (DDMBA) in America initiated a project named “Dharma Relief”, to donate masks to local hospitals and underprivileged groups. The renowned Buddhist groups, including Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, Insight Meditation, Korinji Rinzai Zen Community, Sravasti Abbey, as well as Lion’s Roar and Buddhadharma Magazine in Canada, have in response pledged support for the project. Under the Dharma Relief project, over 300,000 masks were sent to 27 US states and 2 Canadian provinces, to more than 100 hospitals in total. Meanwhile, 24 Buddhist groups in North America and 58 volunteers kept coordinating mask donations for hospitals. The conduct of this project has thus transformed the public perception of Buddhists as being passive.
Text: DDM Monthly
Photos” Lee, Fan (李東陽)
Translation: Elenda Huang
Editing: DDM Editorial Team