Dharma Drum Retreat Center

06/03/2026

Interview with Guo Yuan Fashi during our recent visit to the Dharma Drum Retreat Center in Pine Bush, New York. 🙏✨
A special thank you to Wan Qian for leading an inspiring interview!

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Guo Yuan Fashi, one of Chan Master Sheng Yen’s Dharma heirs, is a Buddhist monk trained in Chan Buddhism. In 1985 he first encountered Master Sheng Yen’s teachings while attending a seven-day retreat in New York. He then decided to become a disciple before finally leaving his job in Toronto, Canada, to become a monk in the Chan tradition. He was ordained in 1987 in Taiwan. For over twenty years, he accompanied and became translator to Master Sheng Yen in various Chan meditation retreats in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, and Mexico.

He studied Theravada Buddhism for a year in Thailand in 1991. Upon returning from Thailand, Guo Yuan Fashi was elected abbot of both the Chan Meditation Center (CMC) in Queens and the Dharma Drum Retreat Center (DDRC) in Pine Bush, New York. His responsibilities included attending interfaith services, teaching meditation, and giving lectures on Buddhism. In 2006 he became the director of the International Chan Retreat Center in Dharma Drum Mountain, Taiwan. In 2016 he returned to Pine Bush to become once again the abbot of DDRC. Fluent in Mandarin, Vietnamese, and English, he leads Chan retreat in many countries around the world.

06/03/2026

Interview with Chang Ji Fashi

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Venerable Chang Ji was ordained as a nun under Dharma Drum Mountain in 2004. In her role as the International Affairs Special Assistant to the late Most Venerable Master Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association, she participated in many international conferences, including the World Economic Forum, World Bank, as well as meetings at the United Nations, etc. She is committed to teaching the tenets of contemplative action to young adults worldwide and has led many youth leadership workshops and meditation retreats to this effect. She has been a facilitator in programs for young leaders in conflict and post-conflict areas from Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan and Cambodia, and works to spread awareness of Spiritual Environmentalism as taught by her teacher, the late Most Venerable Master Sheng Yen to young people all over the world.

06/03/2026

📌Chan Practice Takes Root in the Ardennes: Venerable Guo Yuan Leads a Five-Day Retreat at a French Hermitage

Venerable Guo Yuan (果元法師), Abbot of Dharma Drum Retreat Center (DDRC), accompanied by Venerable Yan Xi (演禧法師), was invited by Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association Luxembourg (DDMBA-LUX) and the Chinese Cultural Association of Luxembourg (Association Culturelle Chinoise de Luxembourg) to lead a five-day Chan retreat from May 1 to May 5, 2026, at the Hermitage of Saint Walfroy in the Ardennes region of France. This marked the first time the DDMBA-LUX had organized a Chan retreat at this venue.

A total of sixteen practitioners attended the retreat, three of whom had joined the first three days of the five-day three-day Chan retreat. Participants came from four countries—including Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, and the United States—reflecting both the growing presence of Chinese Chan Buddhism in Europe and North America as well as the increasing interest and enthusiasm among practitioners to engage in Chan practice. During the retreat, Venerable Guo Yuan served as Retreat Master, delivering Dharma talks and conducting individual interviews to address practitioners' questions and guide their practice. Venerable Yan Xi served as Retreat Coordinator, helping oversee and facilitate the overall operation of the retreat.

Read full article 👉https://ddm.tw/8iboanda

06/02/2026

We’re excited to share that the new siding replacement for our 200-year-old reception hall has been completed! Take a look at the transformation in these before-and-after photos.

05/28/2026

Going from casual sitting to a committed practice is a profound transition. The Entryway to Intensive Retreat led by David Listen is designed to help you refine your concentration and ease into an intensive retreat without the rigor of a traditional 7-day retreat.

This retreat is offered only once a year and a highly recommended next step for those ready to dive deeper into the heart of Chan. Experienced practitioners are welcome too!

Register here: https://dharmadrumretreat.org/all-retreats/620/entryway-to-intensive-retreat

05/21/2026

Excerpt from Song of Mind: Wisdom from the Zen Classic Xin Ming

Photo by: EvgeniT/pixabay

05/20/2026

What is the Sound-Absorbing Board method, and how can we train our ears to bring our minds to a state of tranquility and stability? Find out more in our latest blog.

If you're interested in practicing this method under the guidance of our knowledgeable teachers and sangha, we welcome you to check out our upcoming retreats: https://dharmadrumretreat.org/calendar/

This article is taken from Master Sheng Yen Teaches Guan Yin’s Methods of Practice. It was translated and edited by Ocean Cloud, a group of practitioners, students of Chan Master Sheng Yen, who endeavor to bring the classics of Chinese Buddhism to the English-speaking community in the spirit of da...

05/14/2026

We are now accepting applications for September's Silent Illumination Retreat. Reserve a cushion to practice with Abbot Guo Yuan on the method of no method that quietly illuminates one's true nature within.

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

05/06/2026

Feeling sluggish and tired? Take a moment to pause and settle in with this guided meditation from David Listen to quickly find calm and clarity in your body and mind.

If this practice brings you a bit of ease, consider going deeper. You can join David in person this weekend to explore a fuller experience of stillness and clarity. A few spots are still available!

🔶Reserve your place here:
https://dharmadrumretreat.org/all-retreats/607/weekend-retreat

Learn to develop stability and clarity of mind with the simple approach of silent illumination sitting meditation. Sit mindfully with a stable posture, rela...

05/04/2026

Excerpt from "Dharma Drum: The life and heart of Ch'an practice"

Photo credit: Darkmoon_Art/Pixabay