Master Sheng Yen was right there beside us

2026, August 30, marked the first volunteer gathering of the International Meditation Group (IMG). On this special day, we came together surrounded by the gentle, flowing sounds of the guqin. Through Tea Chan experience, we allowed our busy footsteps to slow down and gradually brought our minds back to the present moment.
 
The Tea Chan team thoughtfully prepared and decorated the space, with beautiful floral arrangements, elegant tea settings, and homemade refreshments prepared with care by our volunteers. This gathering was more than just a social event—it became a deep and meaningful experience for all six senses.
 
What our eyes saw was the beautiful and peaceful art of floral arrangement. What our ears heard was the soothing sound of the guqin. The gentle fragrance of tea filled the air. Our taste buds enjoyed the delicious refreshments lovingly prepared by the volunteers. And our bodies and minds gradually settled into the peacefulness and simplicity of the moment.
 
At that moment, it seemed that we did not need to do anything special. We simply took a sip of tea, listened to the music, and naturally felt our minds slow down.
One sip of tea actually connects the minds of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and each of us here and now.
 
The host shared that some of the ancient melodies played on the guqin can be traced back as far as the time of Confucius. Passed down through thousands of years, these melodies have continued from one generation to another. Listening to the music, I suddenly realized that what was being passed down was not merely music, but also a continuation of culture and spirit.
 
This idea of transmission became deeply connected with the Dharma when Venerable Guo Chii (果啟法師) led us in making our vows. She reminded us, “We are all Dharma heirs.” With the sincere aspiration from deep heart, we are never regress from the bodhi path.
 
These words touched me deeply again and again nonstoppingly.
 
The sound of the guqin can travel across thousands of years and still reach us today. The Dharma is the same. From the Buddha’s teachings, through generations of patriarchs, teachers, and spiritual friends, the Dharma has been transmitted all the way to Master Sheng Yen.
 
Today, we are fortunate to become part of this lineage of Dharma transmission through Dharma Drum Mountain. With this privilege also comes a responsibility: to continue carrying this wisdom and compassion forward.
 
As each volunteer held an aspiration card and made our vows together under Venerable Guo Chii’s guidance, I felt a profound sense of Dharma joy. We were no longer simply volunteers participating in an event. At that moment, we felt more like a group of people preparing to receive the baton of Dharma transmission and carry it forward.
 
Especially when Venerable Guo Chii led us in reciting the vows together, I could almost feel that Master Sheng Yen was right there beside us.
 
Throughout his life, Master Sheng Yen devoted himself to promoting Chinese Buddhism and hoped that the Dharma could reach people around the world and benefit more people. Even in his later years, despite his fragile health, he continued traveling overseas and giving everything he had to share the Dharma with the world.
 
Today, we volunteers come from different backgrounds, yet we have come together with a shared aspiration to serve the International Meditation Group. Perhaps we are some of the seeds that Master Sheng Yen planted many years ago—seeds that, through the causes and conditions coming together today, are finally beginning to sprout and grow.
 
Thinking about this fills my heart with gratitude and also gives me a deeper sense of responsibility.
 
We know that our individual abilities are limited. But when we work together with one heart, each person contributing a little and each person carrying the baton forward, we can help keep the path of Dharma transmission moving forward.
 
May we continue to learn with humility, serve with joy, and welcome others with compassion.
 
May more and more people, especially our friends in the West, have the opportunity to encounter Buddhism, discover Chan, and experience Chan for themselves.
 
And may they find, through the Dharma, a genuine sense of peace, stability, and inner freedom.


Written by Meiching L.


Photos：Emily 施心媛