Tai Chung Branch Monastery Construction Enters a New Milestone

The morning of 30 June 2013 marks a momentous event in the history of Tai Chung Branch Monastery. The whole Sangha of Dharma Drum Mountain, together with special guests and more than four hundred lay supporters from the central Taiwan area attended a Dharma Assembly in conjunction with the securing of treasure to the central beam of the monastery and placing the beam to the newly constructed monastery.

The ceremony was led by Venerable Guo Dong, the Abbot President of DDM, Venerable Guo Yuan, Managing Director of Chan Practice Center and Venerable Guo Xing, Abbot of Chan Meditation Center and Dharma Drum Retreat Center in New York. Traditionally, embedding ceremony bears the significance of offering blessings and well wishes for the smooth running of the monastery in the future. Abbot President Ven. Guo Dong explained that securing the treasure is to secure the Three Jewels extensively in the society so as to lead the public to return to the purity, wisdom and compassion of the Buddha nature and to rediscover the treasure within each and everyone.

During the ceremony, seven treasures that include gold, silver and lapis lazuli, together with a scroll of Heart Sutra as well as the Chinese calligraphy of the word Buddha (fo) handwritten by Master Sheng Yen as representing the Three Jewels of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha were fastened to the central beam. It was then gradually raised and placed on the top floor, Hall of Guan Yin in the new Tai Chung Branch Monastery.

This is a new milestone of the monastery since its ground-breaking ceremony on 9 January 2011. Later, upon the completion of the interior design, this 12-storey building with three basement levels is expected to open in year 2015.

Abbot President extended his special gratitude to the construction team and all dharma supporters for their whole-hearted effort in the building project. He motivated Taichung Branch Monastery to carry on with its function of purifying the mind and the society in advocating the protection of the spiritual environment and to encourage people in learning, upholding and propagating the Dharma.

(Edited by DDM Australia Editing Team)

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