DDS Held Two-Day Chanting Meditation Retreat where Practitioners Vowing to Benefit Self and Others

On April 5^th and 6^th, 2025, Dharma Drum Singapore (DDS) held the Ching Ming Two-Day Chanting Meditation Retreat for Expressing Gratitude. Under the guidance of Ven. Chang Jyu (常炬法師), Guiding Venerable of DDS, and Ven. Yan Ke (演可法師), more than 140 practitioners and volunteers participated throughout the entire retreat. 

The fulfilling daily assignment that Ven. Chang Jyu set for the participants is to make 200 prostrations or 3,000 recitations of the Buddha's name per day. The Venerable shared that the Ching Ming Two-Day Chanting Meditation Retreat was held with an aim to repay the four great kindnesses: namely, the kindness of the Three Jewels, parents, one's nation, and all beings by diligent practice. He especially reminded everyone to settle their mind in the recitation of the Buddha's name by using the Chan practice method of "keeping the mind where the body is". He also underscored that everyone should cherish the invaluable opportunity to participate in the group practice by practicing diligently. In addition, he encouraged everyone to apply the "Four Ways to Cultivate Blessings" in their daily lives: that is, "recognizing, cherishing, nurturing blessings, and sowing the seeds of blessings" among DDM founder Master Sheng Yen's proposal of the "Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign's Four Guidelines". 

During the retreat, DDS played the video recording of Master Sheng Yen's Dharma talk on the three indispensable key points of the Dharma approach of the Buddha's name recitation, namely, faith, aspiration, and practice. Master Sheng Yen explained that faith, as the first element among the three, entails having strong confidence in Shakyamuni Buddha and the Dharma he imparted. The second is aspiration, which means to generate the bodhicitta to deliver and benefit all sentient beings, that is, to practice the Bodhisattva path. The last one refers to diligently chanting the Buddha's name and cultivating all virtues. In addition, Ven. Yan Ke compassionately exhorted the practitioners to dedicate the merit of the group practice to the sentient beings who suffer from disasters. 

Chen Shian-wei (陳賢維), a first timer of the Ching Ming Two-Day Chanting Meditation Retreat for Expressing Gratitude with his parents and children, shared, "I only knew that Ching Ming Festival is for honoring the ancestors. I am now full of Dharma joy for having the opportunity to participate in the group practice this year." He also wished his parents physical and mental health. Chen Jia-mei (陳佳美), who came with her mother, shared, "Chanting the Buddha's name in a group practice is greatly conducive to collecting the mind. It is easier to be aware of my deluded thoughts, allowing me to settle my mind in the recitation again soon." Yan Jin-chiou (嚴金秋), another participant, came with her children and grandchildren. Her daughter served as a volunteer in this retreat, while she took her granddaughter with her to attentively recite the Buddha's name together. She joyfully exclaimed, "The pure ambience of the Dharma center is pleasant for body and mind, and the fast-paced and energetic chanting is especially impressive."

In gratitude for the support of devotees that made the two-day chanting meditation retreat possible, DDS wishes everyone peace and Dharma joy. 



Original Chinese text / Chin Shiau-yan (秦曉雁)
Photo / Tzeng Jin-siang (曾錦祥)
Translation / Li Siang-ling
Editing / Keith Brown, YKL