Dharma Drum Retreat Center

09/10/2026

Our September Weekend Retreat is just a few weeks way! Take this as an invitation to step away from the busyness of everyday life and reconnect with the stillness within. There are still some spots available, and we'd love to have you practice with us.

Sign up here: https://dharmadrumretreat.org/all-retreats/626/weekend-retreat

09/02/2026

Excerpt from Chan Comes West by

Photo credit: Films42/Pixabay

08/30/2026

The recent flash floods in Nepal have affected more than 3,000 people, leaving many communities facing loss, displacement, and uncertainty.

Our director, Venerable Chang Yuan, shares the following message as an invitation to respond with compassion and extend our prayers and support to those affected.

_______

Dear Dharma friends,

While we are fortunate to be here in peace and safety, on the other side of the world, many are enduring profound suffering, including those affected by the recent floods in Nepal. They bear the weight of immense hardship and suffering, reminding us of the interconnectedness of all sentient beings.

We cannot begin to imagine the pain and uncertainty they are facing, nor can we all be there in person to offer help. But we can still respond with compassion. Let us open our hearts, bring forth our deepest compassion, and sincerely pray for their safety, healing, and relief from suffering.

Let us pray to Guanyin Bodhisattva to hear their cries and compassionately relieve the suffering of all those affected by the floods in Nepal.

With joined palms,

Chang Yuan
Director of Dharma Drum Retreat Center
08.29.2026
_______

How to Help:

1.) Donate by check
🔶Payable to “DDMBA”
🔶Memo: Nepal Flood Relief
🔶Mailing address:
Chan Meditation Center
9126 Corona Ave., Elmhurst, NY 11373

2.) Zelle to [email protected]
🔶Memo: Nepal Flood Relief

08/25/2026

Registration for October's Weekend Retreat is open!

Reserve your spot and see more details here: https://dharmadrumretreat.org/all-retreats/629/weekend-retreat

08/19/2026

at University of Central Florida, April 29, 1995.

Photo credit: RuslanSikunov/Pixabay

08/14/2026

Registration for September's Weekend Retreat is now open! Reserve your spot and see more details here: https://dharmadrumretreat.org/all-retreats/626/weekend-retreat/

08/10/2026

Here at DDRC, we teach Chan (Chinese Zen) not only through seated meditation but as a way of living. Practice doesn't end when you leave the cushion—it continues while walking, cooking, cleaning, eating, and in every moment of daily life.

Our staff members, Neil and Jacob, demonstrate how mindfulness is practiced in the dining hall: sounding the fish board to announce meals, reading the "Five Mealtime Contemplations", lining up and scooping food, eating with full awareness, and cleaning up after the meal. Each simple action becomes an opportunity to return to the present moment with clarity and care.

If you'd like to learn how to incorporate Chan into your daily life, see our calendar for upcoming retreats! 👉 https://dharmadrumretreat.org/calendar/

08/06/2026

Excerpt from Liberated in Stillness and Motion by

Photo credit: Mozhgan Elahi/ Pexels

08/01/2026

Take a few moments of your Saturday morning to read this retreat reflection recently published on our blog. See how a reluctant decision to attend a 5-day Chan retreat became a transformative journey of mindfulness for M.L.

Photo Credit: Ming Lu Gao When my wife returned from the Western Zen retreat in 2002 she was very happy. I had been filling my days with my job in mid-town Manhattan, putting the children on the bus and tucking them in at night. I was happy to hear her talk of the retreat, but it sounded very […]

07/30/2026

We're only about a month away from our Silent Illumination retreat with Abbot Guo Yuan. Come practice the "method of no method" with us in September. Seats are limited, so please reserve your spot via the link below.

https://dharmadrumretreat.org/all-retreats/625/7-day-silent-illumination-retreat