Very often we find ourselves in difficult situations and blame others for our problems. Sometimes we even blame God or other deities for our difficulties. There is a Chinese saying, "The heavens are without an eye," meaning that the deities are not looking out for us. Some Buddhists may even blame the Buddha in whom they have taken refuge. So, unless we pay very close attention to what is happening in our own lives, it can be very easy to blame others for our tribulations. In particular we should pay close attention to suffering in our own lives, and how that suffering originates. We need to understand the true origin of our suffering.

The Chan school advocates believing in oneself, believing that one can attain Buddhahood, and believing that one is naturally the same as all the Buddhas, not lacking in the least bit. Chan encourages its students to just let go of self-centeredness, so that one can immediately see one’s own original face, and everyone can attain Buddhahood. The original face is the Buddha in one’s self nature; in other words, it is natural and therefore, not obtained through practice. As such, Chan is misunderstood by many because the importance of faith is often overlooked.

In a world of great uncertainties and alienation, in a life full of challenges and difficulties, we need an anchor, a compass and a lighthouse to help us cross the choppy sea of life.

The key lies in our mind, in how much we know about our own mind and whether we can be the master of our own mind.

On January 13, the 2018 International Buddhism and East Asian Culture Winter Workshop was launched at Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts (DILA). More than 130 scholars, graduate and post graduate students from 23 countries and regions gathered together to explore the bright future of Buddhist research.

The International Meditation Group welcomes you to its one-day retreat

Settle your mind. Clear your mind.
Chan Buddhist Meditation Practice and Discussion – in English
Date：Mar. 10th, 2018, Saturday
Time：09:00~17:00 (full day attendance required)
Venue：Yun Lai Monastery in Beitou

Welcoming and Embracing the year of 2018 -
DDM wish you A Year of Peace and Freedom from Troubles!

At 11.50 p.m. on February 6, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit Hualien, on Taiwan’s east coast, damaging many buildings and causing some in the city of Hualien to cave in or tilt. The public shows their care and love for the affected, especially as the Chinese Lunar New Year in nearing. Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation immediately mobilized volunteers in the Hualien area and organized relief efforts, while keeping constant contact with local authorities to assess the needs for required personnel and material.

Peace and Freedom from Troubles:

By ceasing bad acts and doing good deeds, our heart will be at peace.

By embracing the world with equanimity,
we will be free from troubles.

DDM Abbot President Venerable Guo Dong would like to wish you a happy new year, with peace, well-being, and prosperity.

2017 has become history. Over the past year,the results we’ve worked hard to cultivate will not go in vain. They’ll prove to be a solid foundation for us to walk towards the coming year. We should cherish and harbor gratitude for what we already have as a foundation, without feeling any attachment or regret.

The best mindset to welcome the New Year is to return to zero. This state of zero requires us to live in the present moment,starting from afresh. “Zero” also symbolizes the pure and perfect wisdom. Therefore, we say “to live in the moment is to experience buddha in the present.”

If we can have a moment of purity in thought, we’ll instantly experience the perfect wisdom in that single thought-moment, and in the meantime live in the pure land.

Traditionally, the custom of Lunar New Year greetings is a way for people to express their wishes and greet each other during the Lunar New Year, conveying the message of leaving the past behind to welcome a better future.

The Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival is one of the three major festivals celebrated by those of Chinese descent. (The other two are the Dragon Boat as well as the Mid-Autumn Festivals.) Celebration begins on the eve of the New Year and ends with the Lantern Festival.