The following is an excerpt from the pamphlet Why Take Refuge in the Three Jewels? by Master Sheng Yen. The pamphlet was translated by Larry Liang and Guogu, edited by Harry Miller with the assistance of Ayn Steele, and excerpted for Chan Magazine by David Berman. “A path that leads you home is a genuine refuge. […]
Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels by Master Sheng Yen Read More »
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
What Had I Gotten Myself Into? By M.L. Read More »
Photo by: leshkamal/Pexels Perception and Sensation At each morning service and evening service we chant The Heart Sutra together. In one part it says: Form is precisely emptiness and emptiness precisely form. So also are sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness. Most of you will know that these are the five skandhas: form, sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness –
Hidden Assumptions, Fixed Views by Simon Child Read More »
The magnificent maple tree that once guarded the entrance of the reception hall is now gone. “Though these insentient things have no voice, they silently reveal the truth of impermanence at every moment—through the changing seasons, the blooming and withering of flowers, and the ceaseless flow of water—to anyone willing to listen.” The natural surroundings
Farewell to an Ancient Friend by Venerable Chang Yuan Read More »
Photo by: Lu Gao In this retreat I have reviewed what the ancient masters thought was the essence of Chan, and of how to practice. I have been bringing up to you various practice points, some of which you are used to hearing about, others you are not. For some of them we were
Checklist for Sitting Meditation by Gilbert Gutierrez Read More »
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 dana-paramita. They are: Chang Wen (David
Like a Sound-Absorbing Board: Method of Practice Using the Ears Read More »
Photo by: Lu Gao Snow is nature’s most surprising gift during winter practice at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center. The silence after a snowfall invites deep contemplation, allowing us become more aware of the intertwining of our inner world with nature. When the once-in-a-decade blizzard hit DDRC, the campus transformed overnight into a vast winter
Winter Stillness at Dharma Drum Retreat Center by Venerable Chang Yuan Read More »
The following comic grid illustrated by Sophie Butcher was published in the Summer 2024 Chan Magazine issue. About the Artist Sophie Butcher is a New York based creative visual director who loves to tell stories through drawing and photography. She attended her first meditation retreat at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center (DDRC) in Pine
My First Silent Retreat by Sophie Butcher Read More »
This article is an excerpt from Song of Mind: Wisdom from the Zen Classic Xing Ming by Master Sheng Yen (Shambhala Publications, 2004). This book is a verse-by-verse commentary on the classic poem by Chan Master Niutou Farong. The commentaries were given as Dharma talks on intensive Chan retreats. Splitting hairs deviates from the eternal.Seeking
Making Progress in Waves Read More »
The following is a story told by Master Sheng Yen about his time in the military. Read on to see what important lessons Master Sheng Yen learned, plus commentary from Venerable Chang Yuan. Vegetarianism is important to me because of my monastic vows. Even when I was in the army, I tried to uphold the
Forbearance & Compassion Read More »
The following is issue no. 30 of the Chan Newsletter published in June 1983. Q: What is the huatou method and how is it related to the great doubt? The huatou is a question that you ask yourself as a way of practice. Hua means words, tou means head or source. When we practice on
Q&A with Master Sheng Yen: The Huatou Method Read More »
January 14th, 2026 by Chang Yuan Fashi The cushions quietly await at the Dharma Drum Meditation Center (Manhattan). Establishing a practice center is no small feat. Yet, a single thought to take up the Master’s vow quietly set in motion the causes and conditions that would give birth to the Dharma Drum Meditation Center in
A Vow Continued: The Birth of the Dharma Drum Meditation Center in Manhattan Read More »
