Chan 5 with Guo Yuan Fashi
Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 25th – 29th October 2009

One must seek progress in the ordinary and display luster amidst adversity; One must seek advancement in a state of harmony and see hope amid hard work; One must seek abundance in the midst of stability and demonstrate serenity in training; One must seek wisdom amidst silence and show compassion in action.

In order to understand Buddhism in Taiwan, it is necessary to know its origin the Buddha himself and the core of his teaching. Therefore, let's begin with a brief introduction to the Buddha first.

The universe may one day perish, yet my vows are eternal

Chan Master Sheng Yen, born in China's Jiangsu Province in 1930, of the Dharma Drum Mountain in Taiwan and the Chan Meditation Center of New York passed into Nirvanic bliss in Taipei on February 3, 2009.

It is said: The Master can lead you to the door, but you cultivate on your own. The Venerable Master Sheng Yen had brought forth the Bodhi-mind to cultivate the Bodhisattva Way and had wasted no time to benefit all living beings in his lifetime.

Current Taiwanese Buddhism

One unique feature of Buddhism in Taiwan is that the nuns are very active. For the recent 2 decades, Master Zeng-yen, a nun disciple of Master Yin-shun, is one of the most (if not the most) well-respected Buddhist master in Taiwan.

Dharma is a Sanskrit word with no direct literal translation into English. Etymologically it means that which sustains, upholds and supports. It could be understood as the most evolutionary impulse in the nature.

I’m a Brazilian living in Taiwan for more than ten years. Most part of time as student and for now teaching Portugue se in Cheng Chi University as well in CYSA. In daily life I use Chinese language to communicate with others and very few or particular times I use English.

I didn’t expect to learn so much from this workshop. At first, I thought it was going to be a meditation workshop. But as soon as I saw the schedule, and how much it emphasizes relaxation, I thought we were just going to learn about how to ‘feel good’.

On August 8th, Typhoon Morakot swept through southern Taiwan, destroyed houses and tore up roads in its path, rendering scores of people homeless and killing hundreds. Relief supplies and humanitarian assistance poured into affected areas in the wake of the killer typhoon.