Dharma Drum Sangha University Holds 2026 Graduation Ceremony: Twelve Monastic Students Complete Their Studies and Advance on the Path to Enlightenment

Dharma Drum Sangha University (DDSU) held its 2026 graduation ceremony on the morning of July 5 at 9:30 a.m. Nearly 300 relatives and friends in attendance jointly chanted the “Song of the Triple Gem” and “The Bodhisattva Practice,” offering boundless blessings to the twelve graduates. The ceremony was warm, solemn, and dignified. 

The graduates—Venerable Yan Wei (演維法師), Venerable Kuan En (寬恩法師), Venerable Kuan Shan (寬善法師), and Venerable Kuan De (寬德法師) from the Department of Chan Practice, as well as Venerable Kuan Xu (寬許法師), Venerable Yin Kai (印開法師), Venerable Kuan Dian (寬典法師), Venerablea Kuan Xi (寬熙法師), Venerable Kuan Hong (寬宏法師), Venerable Kuan Yi (寬頤法師), Venerable Kuan Ji (、寬濟法師), and Venerable Kuan Miao (寬妙法師) from the Department of Buddhist Studies —successfully completed their studies. They set sail on the wisdom boat of prajñā to liberate all beings and courageously advance on the path to enlightenment.

Venerable Guo Huei (果暉法師), Abbot President of Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) and President of DDSU, encouraged the twelve graduates to take the Twelve Great Vows of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, who compassionately relieves the suffering of the world, as their role model, thereby always placing aspiration for the Way above all else. Venerable Guo Huei encouraged the graduates that in taking on responsibilities within the monastic community and in promoting the Threefold Education—Extensive Academic Education, Extensive Public Buddhist Education, and Extensive Social Care Education—they should learn and grow through dedication, benefit others, and safeguard the physical and mental well-being of the public. They are to remain joyful even in the midst of busyness and content even in fatigue, while constantly attending to both body and mind, and maintaining bodhicitta as well as their original aspiration.
Furthermore, they should always be grateful to the Triple Gem, their parents, teachers, fellow practitioners, and spiritual friends for their support and kindness. Together, they are to practice “spiritual environmental protection,” thus applying the Dharma in daily life and benefiting both self and others.


In this year’s graduation ceremony, Vice Presidents of DDSU, Venerable Chang Kuan (常寬法師) and Venerable Guo Guang (果光法師), first placed the Bodhisattva ceremonial sash on the twelve graduates, after which Venerable Guo Huei formally conferred their diplomas. The assembly completed the ceremony with a lamp-lighting ritual and a collective chanting of “The Bodhisattva Practice.” Current students presented creative and heartfelt short plays and videos, expressing gratitude and encouragement to their senior classmates, thereby allowing the graduates to revisit precious memories from their years of study. Various senior monastic teachers who previously served on the faculty of DDSU, including Venerable Chang Shi (常實法師), director of Lanyang Branch Monastery, also returned from various regions to offer their blessings, making the entire event deeply moving, as well as filled with both laughter and tears.


Venerable Yan Wei, the representative graduate who completed his studies in the Department of Chan Practice over the course of seven years, shared that the process was comparable to medical school in its rigor. He expressed particular gratitude for his mother, who, while undergoing treatment for a serious illness, continued serving as a volunteer and completed three years of Buddhist studies classes. Her example of practice through action strengthened his faith and resolve. This experience helped him understand the meaning of a “true elder Bodhisattva” and deepened his gratitude for the methods taught by Master Sheng Yen, as well as the accompany and guidance of his teachers.

Volunteer Anita Peng (彭寬慧), from Dharma Drum Mountain San Francisco Bay Area Center, postponed her return to the United States in order to attend Venerable Kuan Hong’s graduation ceremony together with her mother and sister. Witnessing Sangha University cultivate outstanding monastics for the purification of society and guide people in letting go of self-centeredness, they were deeply moved. They wished Venerable Kuan Hong peace, good health, and continued propagation of the Dharma for the benefit of all beings on the Bodhisattva path. Venerable Kuan Hong also expressed sincere gratitude for the support and companionship of her family when she first came to Taiwan to prepare for her studies, as well as for the blessings sent by her relatives in the United States on this special day.


Ye Juanjuan (葉娟娟), together with relatives and friends, traveled from Malaysia and Singapore to congratulate Venerable Kuan Shan on her graduation. She shared that her child’s monastic ordination was a shared aspiration of the entire family, bringing her both pride and happiness. In particular, Dharma Drum Mountain’s monastic education and wonderful learning environment gave parents great peace of mind. Venerable Kuan Shan also expressed that it was her mother’s care, upbringing, and affirmation that made her encounter with Buddhism possible, and it has been her greatest source of strength since her ordination.

“Monastic life does not only transform the life of Venerable Kuan Yi; it also teaches our entire family that true love is not about holding tightly, but about blessing, supporting and fulfilling the child’s wishes, and letting go,” shared Lai Xiuying (賴秀英). She recalled that when her daughter first chose monastic life, the family struggled with reluctance and longing. However, over time, she witnessed Venerable Kuan Yi’s deepening spiritual resolve and the radiance that Buddhist practice brought to her life. Eventually, she chose to release her attachments, transforming reluctance into blessings, and supporting her daughter’s aspiration to pursue the Dharma and inner freedom.

Dharma Drum Mountain stated that it warmly welcomes young people from around the world who aspire to bring stability to the world and are willing to serve as a vessel of the Dharma, ferrying all sentient beings to the other shore of liberation to join the Sangha and dedicate themselves to service. Together, they can bring light and hope to the world. On the morning of September 10, the Sangha will also hold the 2026 Ordination Ceremony at the Grand Buddha Hall of the Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education, and the public is warmly invited to attend and witness the event.




◎Original text in Chinese：張曜鐘
◎Photos：許朝益、張曜鐘、傅莉嫻
◎Translation: Patricia Yang 
◎Editing: Keith Brown