DDM Abbot President Shares “A Heart-to-Heart Conversation” at Dharma Drum Mountain Massachusetts Buddhist Association: Cultivating a Peaceful Mind in the Net-Zero Era

After a two-year interval, Venerable Guo Huei (果暉法師), Abbot President of Dharma Drum Mountain, returned to Dharma Drum Mountain Massachusetts Buddhist Association in Boston on August 1. Nearly 90 participants, together with their families and friends, gathered to hear his Dharma talk, themed “Blessings and Joy in Abundance”, combined with “Living with a Peaceful Mind in the Net-Zero Era.” Using simple and relatable examples from everyday life, he presented the Buddhadharma in a clear and accessible way, helping participants understand how to integrate its wisdom into their daily lives. Beginning with the concept of Spiritual Environmentalism, he guided the audience toward the practical application of Dharma Drum Mountain’s Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance to daily living. He emphasized the Buddhist principle that “When the mind is purified, the land is purified,” explaining that the realization of a Pure Land on earth begins with the purification of one’s own mind.

Venerable Guo Huei also explained the deeper significance of Dharma Drum Mountain’s “Pure Mind-Net Zero” initiative, launched during the celebration of Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education’s 20th anniversary. He noted that genuine happiness and abundance arise from inner stability and purity. By bringing the mind back from constant attachment to external conditions and returning to the present moment, we learn to care for our thoughts, look inward, transform afflictions within ourselves, and cultivate compassion and wisdom. In doing so, a sense of true inner fulfillment naturally emerges. He further encouraged participants to integrate the principles of Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance into their daily lives. When we cultivate peace within ourselves, we establish inner stability and harmony, which enables us to bring peace to others as well.

As the world continues to experience increasingly frequent heat waves, torrential rains, wildfires, and other climate-related disasters, environmental protection has become an urgent global priority. While governments and organizations continue to promote sustainability policies and environmental initiatives, Venerable Guo Huei stressed that lasting environmental change must begin with the purification of the human mind rather than through superficial actions alone. Echoing the teaching of Master Sheng Yen, he reminded everyone, “Only by purifying people's minds can we purify the environment.”

From the Buddhist perspective of causes and conditions, Venerable Guo Huei explained, although environmental issues are manifestations of our shared collective karma, every individual's positive transformation contributes to the greater whole. The cumulative power of countless small acts of inner peace and mindful living can gradually transform society and the environment. He therefore encouraged everyone to participate in environmental volunteer work as both a personal responsibility and an expression of compassion. By moving “from purifying the mind to achieving net zero,” we first transform ourselves. Through that transformation, we help transform the world.

The year 2026 also marks the tenth anniversary of Dharma Drum Mountain assuming responsibility for the Dharma activities at Dharma Drum Mountain Massachusetts Buddhist Association. On the day before the public lecture, Venerable Guo Huei met with members of the congregation and shared tea with representatives of the volunteer and supporter communities. During the gathering, he praised the senior members, whose sincere aspiration to seek and practice the Dharma laid the foundation for the Dharma center. From humble group practice sessions held in a family basement to the establishment of today's Dharma Center, they have steadfastly supported the Three Jewels and the center for over thirty years while faithfully passing on the spirit of seeking, protecting, and sharing the Buddhadharma.

Venerable Guo Huei also encouraged everyone to embrace the role of core volunteers, creating a welcoming and joyful environment in which more people feel inspired to participate in group practice and experience the joy of the Dharma. Supporting fellow practitioners in this way benefits both others and oneself, while serving as a meaningful expression of protecting and propagating the Buddhadharma. Although no special anniversary celebration was planned, he remarked that simply coming to the Dharma center to hear Buddhist teachings and cultivate the path together is itself the most meaningful way to commemorate this milestone.

Many participants expressed their heartfelt gratitude for Venerable Guo Guei's visit as well as the encouragement and blessings he brought. His visit created another precious opportunity for members of the Dharma family to reunite at Dharma Drum Mountain Massachusetts Buddhist Association. In an atmosphere filled with Dharma joy, everyone warmly greeted one another and renewed their shared aspiration to cultivate wholesome affinities under the guidance of the Buddhas and to walk together on the path toward supreme enlightenment.



◎ Original text in Chinese and photos: Dharma Drum Mountain Massachusetts Buddhist Association
◎ Translation: Patricia Yang
◎ Editing: Keith Brown