Dharma Drum Mountain Monastic Community’s Summer Retreat: Consolidating Their Shared Aspiration for Dharma Propagation

Nearly 200 monastics in Taiwan and abroad undertake the annual Summer Retreat (Vassa) at two locations, as the Dharma Drum Mountain Abbot President encourages them to take responsibility for the future and continue promoting Dharma Drum Mountain’s vision to benefit all sentient beings.

▲ The Abbot President visited the Chan Hall at Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education to extend loving care for the monastics, encouraging them to diligently practice during the Summer Retreat and continue advancing the ideals of Dharma Drum Mountain for the benefit of all sentient beings. (Photo by李東陽)

Starting from June 1, the Dharma Drum Mountain monastic community began its annual Summer Retreat. Nearly 200 monastics in Taiwan and overseas temporarily set aside their busy schedules and returned to the Chan halls for intensive practice. This year’s retreat was conducted simultaneously at two locations: in the Chan Hall, under the guidance of Venerable Chi Chern (繼程法師), Dharma heir of Master Sheng Yen, where intensive Chan meditation was emphasized; and at Ziyun Monastery in Kaohsiung, where the focus was on sutra recitation and repentance practices. Throughout the retreat, the monastics cultivated mindfulness and practiced diligently, thereby fully embodying their aspiration to uphold the Dharma and to cultivate the Buddhist path through applied practice. 

On the first day of the Summer Retreat, Venerable Guo Huei (果暉法師), Abbot President of Dharma Drum Mountain, visited the Chan Hall to extend loving care and encouragement to the monastics. Drawing on his recent visit to mainland China to attend the United Nations Vesak Day celebrations at the end of May, Venerable Guo Huei shared his observations on the current development of Buddhism. He reminded the monastic community that, in the face of changing times and evolving Dharma propagation needs, the Sangha must actively consider the cultivation of new talent and how to connect the Dharma with younger generations. He further encouraged everyone to seize present opportunities to practice earnestly, cultivating the aspiration for the Way and spiritual resources needed to take on future responsibilities in Dharma propagation and service to sentient beings.

In the Chan Hall, monastics first engaged in a five-day Chan retreat to relax body and mind, while listening to Master Sheng Yen’s teachings on the “Verse of the No-Form Gatha” from the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. Starting June 5, Venerable Chi Chern led an intensive 21-day Chan retreat. In addition to daily guided prostrations, he delivered teachings centered on the Song of Enlightenment by Master Yongjia Xuanjue.

Breaking away from traditional line-by-line commentary, Venerable Chi Chern reorganized the Song of Enlightenment by Master Yongjia Xuanjue into five thematic dimensions: the Chan practitioner, Chan mind, Chan state, Chan principles, and Chan practice, guiding participants to integrate ancestral teachings into daily practice. Throughout the retreat, he repeatedly emphasized that Chan practice must not remain at the level of mere physical and mental relaxation; instead, it must be grounded in correct understanding of dependent origination, emptiness, and non-self. He also reminded the monastics to cultivate independent practice within communal life and work responsibilities, thereby transforming this into the aspiration to walk the Bodhisattva path together with fellow practitioners. In doing so, they nurture a spirit of sincerity, perseverance, and non-retreat in Dharma propagation. Venerable Chi Chern’s earnest guidance not only strengthened the monastics’ aspiration for the Dharma, but also deepened the contemplative atmosphere in the Chan hall.

At Ziyun Monastery, the monastics followed their personal daily practice routines while collectively listening to Master Sheng Yen’s teachings on Silent Illumination meditation. From June 1 to 12, Venerable Guo Kae (果慨法師), Managing Director of the Institute of the Threefold Training for Bhikshuni Sangha, taught the “Samadhi of the Lotus Sutra Repentance Ritual.” She integrated the Lotus Samadhi practice with Silent Illumination, guiding the monastics to begin by relaxing body and mind and letting go of attachment to phenomena. When the six sense faculties encounter external conditions and thoughts or emotions arise, practitioners are encouraged not to follow habitual tendencies, but instead return to the method and remain stable in awareness. She further emphasized that true repentance is not about lingering regret over the past, but present-moment responsibility—transforming thought and making vows. In daily activities, practitioners cultivate the wisdom of dependent origination and emptiness, and develop the minds of shame, repentance, aspiration, and diligence.

The Summer Retreat concluded on June 26 at both locations. The Sangha then continued with a four-day outdoor meditation retreat, allowing the monastics to transition from stillness to activity and harmonize body and mind in nature. This extends the power cultivated during the Summer Retreat and enabled the monastics  to carry this stability and joy of Dharma into their monastic duties and ongoing work of benefiting sentient beings.



Original text in Chinese: Dharma Drum Monthly No. 439 (法鼓雜誌439期)
Translation: Patricia Yang
Editing: Keith Brown