Dharma Drum Mountain and International Buddhist Sangha Deliver Relief Supplies and Prayers to Flood-Stricken Areas of Nepal

On September 5, Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) Social Welfare and Charity Foundation joined International Buddhist Sangha (IBS) team--- which has long been dedicated to education and charitable relief work in Nepal-- in traveling deep into the flood-stricken Nuwakot area along the middle reaches of the Trisuli River. The team distributed essential supplies—including sleeping mats, blankets, towels, backpacks, and instant noodles—to 300 affected villagers. They also visited riverside communities devastated by flash floods to chant sutras and offer prayers, accompanying local residents through the difficult aftermath of the disaster with both practical assistance and the loving care of the Dharma.

That morning, DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation Project Manager Liang Jin-man (梁金滿) and Senior Specialist Huang Hsing-yu (黃興育) joined a group of 36 people led by Venerable Master Huiguang (慧光法師), Abbot of IBS; Hui-Chen Yeh (葉惠貞), CEO of IBS; novice monks; and others. Traveling in nine four-wheel-drive vehicles, they departed from Kathmandu and followed winding, rugged mountain roads to Nuwakot Devighat Ward-5, approximately 70 kilometers away. Along the way, they repeatedly encountered signs of landslides and erosion caused by rushing waters. The difficult mountain roads during the monsoon season made the relief journey even more challenging.

When the convoy arrived at Shree Chandrajyoti Secondary School, a temporary shelter for disaster victims-- Venerable Master Huiguang, Hui-Chen Yeh, and representatives of Dharma Drum Mountain handed the relief supplies to the affected villagers with assistance from Dr. Piya, a practitioner and volunteer with IBS, and local personnel. Many villagers had lost their homes and, in some cases, family members. They were temporarily living in classrooms at the school, making sleeping mats, blankets, and food among their most urgent needs as they sought to establish a basic life in the aftermath of the disaster.

During the distribution, torrential rain suddenly began to fall, causing temporary confusion at the site. Local village officials stood in the rain calling out names and maintaining order, hoping to ensure that the supplies reached the families who needed them most. The young novice monks held umbrellas over villagers waiting in line.

As the rain eased, Venerable Master Huiguang immediately led the team to a nearby riverside community that had been severely affected. Along the way, volunteers could be seen helping residents clear away thick layers of mud. In some places, the floodwaters had left marks reaching as high as the first or even second floor of buildings. The closer they came to the Trisuli River, the more devastating the scene became. Doors, windows, and walls had been torn apart by the floodwaters. In some homes, beams and structural supports had broken, leaving the buildings nearly destroyed; one tire had even been swept onto a second floor. Children’s toys and lone slippers lay scattered among the mud and debris. Bridges that had once connected the two sides of the river had also been washed away, leaving residents dependent on a simple cable basket to travel between the banks, with the raging river directly beneath their feet. 

Faced with the devastation of the villagers’ homes, the team hoped to provide not only material assistance but also spiritual comfort and stability through the Dharma. In front of the row of houses that had suffered the greatest damage, the novice monks respectfully set up an image of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, an incense altar, a ritual bell, and a wooden fish drum. Venerable Master Huiguang presided over the ceremony, leading the novice monks, lay Buddhists, and members of the DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation in chanting the Heart Sutra and reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha. They prayed for those who lost their lives in the floods, wishing that the deceased might be free from suffering and attain peace. They also offered blessings for those still enduring the pain of losing loved ones and their homes, praying that they would be able to rebuild their homes and restore their lives as soon as possible.

“Nepal is the homeland of the Buddha. We hope that the compassion and wisdom of the Dharma can give strength to villagers who are frightened and shaken by this disaster,” said Venerable Master Huiguang. He prayed that the deceased might be reborn in the Pure Land and that the living might remain safe and peaceful. Hui-Chen Yeh also expressed deep respect for the way the affected villagers’ lives have manifested the Dharma amid suffering. As Venerable Master Sheng Yen, founder of DDM, remarked: “A bodhisattva saves others from hardship and suffering; a great bodhisattva takes on hardship and suffering itself.”

DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation prays that the Buddha’s homeland may be spared from disasters and suffering, and that the Dharma may once again flourish there. May compassion be transformed into one concrete action after another, accompanying disaster survivors through their suffering, helping them rebuild their homes, and supporting them as they return to stable and peaceful lives.

◎ Original text in Chinese: Liang Jin-man
◎ Photos: Courtesy of International Buddhist Sangha
◎ Translation: Patricia Yang 
◎ Editing: Keith Brown 
◎ Uploaded on September 9, 2026