DDM (Dharma Drum Mountain) founder Chan Master Sheng Yen (Shifu) once said "Don't worry about having a monastery, but keep a monastery in mind. If we keep practicing diligently, there will be the (physical) monastery naturally. "It is with great joy we share with you the progress of Chan Meditation Center's expansion project.

With our great honour and pleasure that we had invited the Venerable Guo Xing, Abbot of Dharma Drum Retreat Center and Chan Meditation Center in New York, to give us a talk on Karma – Causes, Conditions and Consequences on September 25, 2014. This was the third time that Abbot offered his teachings at the offices of Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans of Canada in Vancouver.

On September 1st, 2014, the Dharma Drum Mountain Drum Ensemble had an excellent performance in Downtown Vancouver at the Taiwan Festival. The day started bright and early at 9 am at the temple. We had a complete rehearsal with the kids group and the adults. There was a bit of confusion with the gong and the orders, but overall everything ran smoothly. Once again, thank you to all the volunteers for the delicious lunch to keep us energized for the long day ahead of us.

1. Sunday, September 21, 9:15 am-9:45 am: Short Introduction to Meditation

Description: Guo Sheng Fashi will be conducting an Introduction to Meditation for those who are new to meditation. At this time, Fashi will introduce the brief basics of meditation, including posture and basic methods of relaxation and sitting meditation.

The Venerable Guo Xing, Abbot of Dharma Drum Retreat Center and Chan Meditation Center in New York, gave a follow-up presentation hosted by the Chan meditation community of practice at the Douglas Jung Building on “Attention with and without Duality” on January 23, 2014 to approximately three dozen Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada colleagues. Venerable Chang Wu, Director of the Dharma Drum Mountain Centre in Richmond, started the session by leading participants in a brief seated meditation body scan, from head to toe, to relax our bodies, which helped to relax our minds in advance of Venerable Guo Xing’s presentation. She reminded us that we can do the seated meditation almost anywhere at any time and immediately experience the calming benefits that it brings to our bodies and our minds, and encouraged us to do so more often.

During our lifetime, our main goal may be just to seek happiness. However, what is happiness? In view of this, the Abbot President of DDM, Venerable Guo Dong will deliver a special speech on October 26th at Sheraton, New York to explore the simplest and purest form of happiness in our mind through the wisdom of Buddha Dharma.

On November 8th, the central area of the Philippines was hit by a super strong typhoon, Haiyan, which caused heavy damage and left tens of thousands of people dead and injured. The Philippines authorities have called for international assistance, stating that approximately 630,000 people are displaced and that the disaster area is seriously short of supplies. In order to urgently help DDM, under the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, immediately collected supplies and necessities and sent them to the disaster areas of the Philippines in the afternoon of November 11th, 2013.

On the weekend of Jan 31, 2014, Chan Meditation Center held a two-day Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance Dharma Ceremony followed by a celebration of the lunar New Year.

It was a great honor to invite the residing Director of Dharma Drum Vancouver Center, Venerable Chang Wu Fashi to teach the Eight-form Moving Meditation to teachers of Westwood Montessori.

On May 9, 2014 the University of British Columbia (UBC) held a workshop at the Institute of Asian Research, C.K. Choi Building regarding "Buddhism and community care" (Buddhist Perspectives on the Work of Care). The topics discussed during this workshop were the ways in which Buddhist cultures, groups, and individuals, both monastic and lay practitioners, shape the provision of social care in East Asian settings. Apart from the scholars Professor Anne Bruce (UVic), Professor Jessica Main (UBC), Professor Andre Laliberte (UOttawa), Director of Dharma Drum Vancouver Center (DDVC), Venerable Chang Wu was also invited as a presenter to give a speech and took part in this important workshop that was full of insightful information and in-depth discussions.