On 8 February 2014, about 6000 followers who have taken refuge in the Three Jewels, attended the Grand Hall and the Multipurpose Stadium of the DDM World Center for Buddhist Education in Jinshan District of New Taipei City for the ceremony of the ‘Day of Transmitting the Light’ for 2014.

Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM) led a group of thirty Buddhist youths and monastics to visit DDM World Center for Buddhist Education (DDMWCBE) on December 12, 2013. The purpose of the visit was to learn about the center’s teaching environment and admire the grand architecture of DDM. Their curiosity about DDM’s education institutions, Dharma Drum Sangha University and Dharma Buddhist College, was satisfied and they came to understand DDM’s perseverance and efforts to train a religious teacher.

Life TV, a Dharma-themed television station, has propagated DDM’s TV programs for a long time. In order to express gratitude for this on behalf of DDM, Abbot President Venerable Guo Dong participated in an interview for Life TV’s Chinese New Year program in Degui Academy on 13 December 2013 and offered blessings for its 10th anniversary.

Warmth is needed most when you find yourself in the coldest of winters.

The Winter Aid charity event was initiated in 1956 by Master Dong Chu, the teacher of DDM Founder, the late Master Sheng Yen. The DDM Social Welfare and Charity Fund (DDMSWCF) continues the 50 year tradition by hosting the event on 14 December. Apart from donations and day to day consumables, DDMSWCF also engaged the community on the wisdom and benevolent care of Buddha Dharma. It was also DDMSWCF’s privilege and honor to host numerous dignitaries from DDM and various government officials, who attended and offered their blessings.

On 24 December 2013, the Venerables and students of Dharma Drum Sangha University (DDSU) visited patients of the Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) as part of the Patients Caring Program. The kindness and compassion as well as sincerity of the DDSU group not only gave comfort but also encouraged the patients and their families to persevere and accept their physical and mental suffering well. They were also advised to try and cultivate “peace of the mind” which is crucial to the healing and recovery process. The Venerables, patients and their families spent a peaceful Christmas Eve together, and many were delighted to find out that they would be meeting the Venerables again on New Year’s Eve.

At 10 o’clock in the morning of December 14th, DDM’s Yun Lai Monastery in the Beitou District was filled with a strong sense of happiness. Over a hundred newlyweds who will participate in the 19th Buddhist-style joint wedding attended a lecture before the formal ceremony. They watched the video of the DDM founder, the late Venerable Master Sheng Yen, to underline the practice of the protection of the spiritual environment. Moreover, DDM arranged three professional lecturers to deliver a speech named “Happy Secret Code of Love”. It aimed to guide the newlyweds to spread the seeds of Bodhi amid marriage and prepare themselves for jointly building a happy family.

Reading can bring joy to people, but sharing what you read with others can bring even more joy to reading! At the end of 2012, Dharma Drum Buddhist College hosted its first competitive event “Introduction to a book within five minutes” during its library week. The competition comprised 4 to 5 people, each of them having 5 minutes to introduce a book. The event aims to promote the trends of learning and sharing knowledge on campus. Given the success of the competition – having become one of the most popular school activities – the school is now determined to host the competition, which will form a diversified and vivid way of learning on campus every year.

Mind & Life Institute (MLI), based in the US, focuses on the integration and application of meditation with ethics. On 10 November, MLI made a special 3 day visit to Dharma Drum Buddhist College (DDBC) with hopes of deepening their understanding of the nature of Chan Buddhism. MLI scholars presented a lecture on “26 years of Study and Research on Meditation”. The lecture lasted nearly 2 hours and was well received by an enthusiastic and interactive audience.

On the morning of October 6 despite the invading typhoon 500 members of DDM Tainan Branch still courageously embarked on a pilgrimage in DDM World Center for Buddhist Education (DDMWCBE). They prostrated on every third step in order to show their gratitude to the benevolence of earth, Buddha Bodhisattva, and their parents. The rain landing onto the pilgrims cleansed their body and mind.

On November 27, 2013, the 4th Trungnam Gyaltrul Rinpoche of the Kagyu tradition in Tibetan Buddhism paid a return visit to Dharma Drum Mountain(DDM). Abbot President of DDM, Ven. Guo Dong hosted and accompanied Rinpoche and his group who also visited the Altars of Great Compassion Water and Land Dharma Service which will be opening soon to the general public. In the afternoon, Rinpoche gave the keynote address to the teachers and students of Dharma Drum Buddhist College (DDBC).