I started getting into Buddhism at the beginning of this year. I had been reading books, participating in chanting sessions at Chan Meditation Center in Queens.

Commencing on 6 August 2012, Tien Nan Monastery of Dharma Drum Mountain at Shanxia District of new Taipei City hosted a 7-day Summer Chan Camp for 112 college students from across the world to broaden their own horizon and look beyond one’s perspective.

On July 6-13, 2012, Venerable Guo Xing, the Abbot of the Dharma Drum Retreat Center and the Chan Meditation Center in USA, guided a seven-day Huatou Retreat at the Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) Vancouver Center in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Public Social University of Dharma Drum Mountain, the Dharma Drum Mountain hosted a music concert on the evening of 18 August, 2012, at the Wanli Elementary School, attracting hundreds of people in the vicinity to attend.

On the afternoon of 8 August, 2012, the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Mr. Ying-Jeou Ma presented a special award to Abbot President Venerable Guo Dong in appreciation of Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation's exceptional work on reconstruction efforts in southern Taiwan following Typhoon Morakot on 7 August, 2009.

In the afternoon of 15 August, 2012, Venerable Master Ukmara Bhivamsa made his first visit to the DDM World Center for Buddhist Education for an exchange of Theravada and orthodox Chinese Buddhism.

In the afternoon of 15 August 2012, Abbot President Venerable Guo Dong attended a painted stone exhibition by Ms Qin Law, held at the Eslite Bookstore in Taipei’s Hsinyi District.

It is so easy for one to become tense in situations, both mentally and physically, while facing different pressures in life. It’s unavoidable that our efficiency for learning and working falters under these conditions.

The Dharma Drum Mountain offers its deepest condolence on the death of His Eminence Cardinal Paul Shan (Kuo-Hsi, Shan), who had died at the age of 90 on the evening of 22 August 2012 after a long battle with lung cancer.

On the morning of 25 July 2012, 170 students and monastics participated in the 2nd Chan Camp for Youths Across the Strait conducted by the DDM World Center for Buddhist Education where they learned and experienced DDM’s unique Chan traditions.