Experience sharing
A Great Dream: Reflections on My Visit to Dharma Drum Mountain
Sometimes life is like a great dream. In this dream, we are busy chasing and busy running, believing that if we keep moving forward, we will eventually find the answers. Only when we stop one day do we realize that what we have lost is not the road, but our own mind. The mind comes and goes, wavering and divided, but in the end it must return to wholeheartedness. At that time, I was like a flower in the desert, desperately waiting for a nourishing rain; like a long-abandoned garden, ...
Reflection of Two-Day Chan Retreat by Venerable Guo Xing
Thank you Wilton, really grateful and appreciative for the Two-Day Chan Retreat along with 40+ participants with the highly respected Chan Meditation Venerable Guo Xing (果醒法師). Thankful to the beautiful Brahma Kumaris community who hosted and welcomed us with such incredible warmth, friendliness, hospitality and graciousness and prepared such delicious meals all freshly grown and produced in the surrounding and neighbouring sustainability gardens and farms. Throughout these ...
Finding Peace Within Western Zen Retreat Reflection
I came to the Western Zen Retreat at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center in New York hoping to step away from everyday life—to escape the constant noise and demands of friends, family, and social groups. Little did I know that while I could walk away from many things, I could never run away from myself. Through the practices, I began to discover parts of myself that I had never fully recognized. My first question of the communication exercise was, “Who am I?” A...
Unforgettable in mind-What truly moved me in the dharma gathering of IMG volunteers
In the Flower Garland Sutra, we find truly trippy images of a universe characterized by the mutual interbeing of all phenomena. Tea meditation, for me, always brings that lesson down to earth. After all, each cup of tea is the product of billions of years of chemical cookery, the precise atmospheric conditions of each region of origin, and the human labor that brought it to our tables. To be clear, I wasn’t thinking of Indra’s Net while taking in the increasingly sweet, floral n...
Opening to the Present Moment — My First Experience with Tea Chan
"I have always enjoyed the way tea is served in tea Chan. That is why I wanted to take part in this activity and share the joy of serving tea with others." As the tea host served each guest with sincerity and wholehearted attention, I could feel how that sincerity touched and nourished everyone’s heart. I began to realize that meditation does not necessarily have to happen only while sitting. It can also happen through the simple process of serving tea—paying attentio...
Volunteers’ Dharma Gathering-By Jolene
I thought we are the volunteers to serve others, but we are the ones receiving the most beautiful service from the Bodhisattvas. The energy and vibes are so touching and this group is a real blessing. As we received the dharma bowl from Venerable Guo Chii (果啟法師), it reminds me to give back and spread the dharma and such blessings to others. Amituofo. Photo：Emily 施心媛
Volunteers’ Dharma Gathering - By M. U.
For the very first time in all our lives, we gathered together, bringing our heartfelt vows before the Buddha… Reading the Prajñā in your every word, every action, and every expression of mettā, we felt an endless stream of compassion and vows well up from the depths of our hearts. Your presence, your grace, and your beautiful conduct are truly inspiring— unmatched under heaven and on earth! Bravo, bravo, bravo! Photo：Emily 施心媛
Others First
It was quite a new and refreshing experience for me to join IMG Dharma Gathering on 2026.08.30. From beginning to end, I was deeply moved by the thoughtful and detailed arrangements made by all the volunteers and Venerable Guo Chii (果啟法師). Without their efforts, how could we have experienced such a feast for the five senses? The heart of the entire event took place in the Chan Hall. Venerable Guo Chii led us in walking meditation at different speeds, sometimes fast and sometim...
Master Sheng Yen was right there beside us
2026, August 30, marked the first volunteer gathering of the International Meditation Group (IMG). On this special day, we came together surrounded by the gentle, flowing sounds of the guqin. Through Tea Chan experience, we allowed our busy footsteps to slow down and gradually brought our minds back to the present moment. The Tea Chan team thoughtfully prepared and decorated the space, with beautiful floral arrangements, elegant tea settings, and homemade refreshments prepared with...
IMG Volunteers’ Dharma Gathering Journal
Embrace this spirit------By Joe Chu 20260830 We are one family. Dear Venerable Guo Chii (果啟法師) and IMG Volunteers, Amituofo! First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Venerable Guo Chii for arranging this gathering, which gave our volunteers the wonderful op...