DDM Los Angeles Center Hosted "Unlock the Code of Happiness" Celebrity Panel Discussion

On July 28^th, 2024, Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) Los Angeles Center hosted a celebrity talk on "Unlocking the Code of Happiness" at the Hilton San Gabriel, resonating with DDM's 2024 annual theme of "A World of Blessings." The event featured three distinguished guests with very diverse life experiences: Venerable Guo Huei (果暉法師), the Abbot President of DDM, Taiwanese TV producer, Chang Guang-dou (張光斗), and renowned Peking opera performer, Wang Hai-po (王海波). They gathered to share their most cherished moments of happiness in life as well as to explore the meaning of happiness in the context of Buddhism. The event was also graced by the presence of Yeh Li-chieh (葉立傑), representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, and his wife, as well as Henry Lo (羅霈霆), the councilmember of Monterey Park City Council, Hans Liang (梁僑漢), the former mayor of Monterey Park City Council, and his wife, and Yu Zhi-chin (于趾琴), the director of World Journal. The venue was packed with over 350 guests from Southern California and the Greater Los Angeles area.

Venerable Guo Hui shared different ways to cultivate peace and attain happiness, emphasizing that "With a calm body and mind, we have peace in every moment. In harmony with ourselves and others, we have blessings everywhere." He also quoted Master Sheng Yen's saying, "Do not pursue happiness intentionally. Be content with the present moment, and when we encounter unhappiness, work to improve it." He explained that true happiness comes from inner peace of mind. In addition, we should not only seek happiness for ourselves but also help others find it, thus realizing a world of blessings and happiness. The Abbot President also shared an analogy from his childhood experience of raising a cow – by leveraging the "grass" of wisdom and compassion, he was able to tame the "cattle" in his mind. In fact, he reflected that the greatest happiness in his life is to have encountered and practiced Buddhism.

Wang Hai-po, the leading performer of the female Jing (one of the four major role types that usually resemble a mighty male character) of Peking Opera, shared her inspiring journey of perseverance in pursuing education and her rich experience in performing arts. She mentioned that Peking Opera, to which she has devoted her life, upholds values such as loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness, all of which help purify people's hearts and minds. She once sang a Peking opera rendition of the "Merit Dedication Verse" to her father to help calm his body and mind when he fell ill. During the event, she improvised a verse by Chan Master Wumen Huikai (無門慧開) from the Song Dynasty: "There are a myriad of flowers in the spring, clear moon in the autumn, cool breeze in the summer, and fresh snow in the winter. If the mind is free of concerns, every season is the best season." The audience was deeply moved and felt privileged to witness her talent. Wang expressed that spending this Sunday afternoon with everyone at the event was her moment of happiness. She also shared that through her radio program, she now spreads her joy to those around her, thus fostering a cycle of goodness. 

Thanks to his TV program "Lighting the Lamp" from almost 30 years ago, Chang Guang-dou first connected with Master Sheng Yen, the founder of DDM. Years ago, Chang's life script was completely rewritten after he replied "I do!" at a meeting, agreeing to follow Master Sheng Yen to film a documentary on an international Dharma mission of promoting Buddhism. Inspired by Master Sheng Yen's vow to "go wherever he was needed" traveling all over the world to spread the Dharma, Chang captured and transmitted the Master's teachings and virtues through film and writing. Chang also shared his experience as an example to encourage people not to give up when faced with unexpected challenges. In addition, Chang recalled how Master Sheng Yen skillfully brought happiness and blessings to everyone around him, and that reflecting on the Master's compassionate deeds also filled Chang with a deep sense of happiness. Chang concluded, "Everyone here is truly blessed to have encountered Buddhadharma."

One of the audience members, Kathy Chu, was deeply moved by the conversation as she discovered that the happiness of the three speakers stemmed from their genuine efforts to spread kindness and help others, as well as from virtues such as gratitude and filial piety. She came to understand that happiness can be simple and lighthearted. Chloe, another participant, shared that, to her surprise, happiness is not found in those seemingly glamorous moments, but rather is found in the simplicity of inner peace. This is reflected in Abbot President's statement that, "happiness comes from the peace of mind" in Chang Guang-dou's statement that "happiness stays with those who are grateful", and Wang Hai-po's statement that "happiness resides in the small details of everyday life"

The Los Angeles Center also arranged an exhibition of Dharma Drum's publications and media products, giving participants a chance to explore the wisdom of Master Sheng Yen's teachings in both Chinese and English. The Abbot President also offered his most recent publication From Relaxing to Letting Go (從放鬆到放下) as a blessing for everyone. As the event drew to a close, Tony Ding (丁言愉), the Councilmember of San Gabriel City Council, on behalf of the mayor, expressed his gratitude to DDM for bringing happiness and loving care to the local community. In a warm and touching atmosphere, the event concluded with heartfelt blessings from the three speakers.



Original Chinese text: Chang Yan-huei (張演慧), Kathy Chu, Chloe
Translation / Claire Wang, Li Siang-ling
Editing / Keith Brown, Claire Wang