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Dharma Drum Mountain

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Dharma Drum Mountain's logo: Three mountain peaks and a meditating monk. Combined, the logo forms a hand.

Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) (Chinese:法鼓山, Hanyu Pinyin: Fa Gu Shan) is an international Buddhist spiritual, cultural, and educational foundation founded by late Venerable Ch'an(Zen) Master Sheng-yen. The international headquarters of this organization is located at Jinshan County, Taipei County, Taiwan (ROC).

Dharma Drum Mountain is one of the most influential Buddhist organizations in Chinese Buddhism[1]. In Taiwan, it is considered one of the 'Four Heavenly Kings' or four major Buddhist temples of Taiwanese Buddhism, along with Tzu Chi, Fo Guang Shan, and Chung Tai Shan[2][3]. Its impact on Buddhist circles and both Eastern and Western societies stems from the vision, charisma, and life experience of Venerable Master Sheng-yen[4]

History

Long before the establishment of the Jinshan headquarters, the development of Dharma Drum originated in the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Culture (CHIBC) and Nung Chan Monastery. Both were founded by Ven. Dongchu, a prominent Ch'an monk back in Mainland China and later in Taiwan, who was also disciple of renowned modernist monk, Grand Master Taixu[5].

CHIBC was founded in 1956 and primarily active in promoting Buddhist culture mainly through publishing journals, such as the periodical Humanity Magazine. Nung Chan ('Farming Ch'an') was established in 1975. Ven. Dongchu passed away two years later, and at 1978, his principal disciple and Dharma heir, Ven. Sheng-yen became the new abbot of both Nung Chan and CHIBC. Under Master Sheng-yen's leadership, both institutions grew rapidly, the number of devotees in Nung Chan and students in CHIBC overwhelmed the building capacity[6]. Therefore, in 1989, the institutions bought a plot of hilly land in Jinshan, Taipei County in order to build a new monastery that would accommodate the increasing devotees and students. Master Sheng-yen named the new monastery Dharma Drum Mountain – also in the same time Dharma Drum Mountain as organization was formally created[7].

The architectural design of the monastery totally took seven years, the construction process took further time. Master Sheng-yen, in the framework of his environmentalism campaign, insisted the monastery buildings to follow and adjust to the natural contour of the hills – therefore it didn't change much of its natural geomorphologic features. He personally oversaw the whole process and carefully looked after the details[8]. The first phase of DDM broke ground in 1993. The first phase of the project, which consists most of the complex of DDM we see today, was completed and inaugurated at 2001.

Dharma Drum Mountain at Jinshan, Taipei County

Dharma Drum Mountain at Jinshan was a complex of monasteries and education centers. Aside from being the international headquarters of Dharma Drum Mountain, it also serves as the campus of Dharma Drum Sangha University(DDSU)[1], Dharma Drum Buddhist College(DDBC)[2], and Dharma Drum University(DDU)[3].

DDSU is specified for monastic training for monks both from Taiwan and various other countries. It had three fields of study: Basic Training, Buddhist Study, and Ch'an Study. DDBC is for both monastic and lay men. It opens graduate and post-graduate program for Buddhist Study and Buddhist informatics. While DDU is currently under development. DDU, however, had opened registration for its first students with its preparation office located at Beitou, Taipei, just 15 minutes drive from Nung Chan Monastery.

The complex of Dharma Drum Mountain at Jinshan consists several buildings (DDM Map Guide) (from the entrance):

  • Building II
    • 1st level: Bus Terminal
    • 2nd level: Visitor Service Center, Briefing Room/Theater, Dharma Shop/Book Store
    • 3rd level: The Guanyin Hall (with a tranquility pond in the front and waterfall in the background)
    • 4th level: Dining Hall (serves rich vegetarian food)
  • Building I (note: as DDM buildings mirrors the natural contour of the land, Building I starts at 3rd level)
    • 3rd level: Founding History Memorial Hall
    • 4th level: Auxilliary Hall (artworks display)
    • 5th level: Multipurpose Exhibition Room
    • 6th level: Grand Buddha Hall
  • Ch'an Hall
  • Dharma Drum Buddhist College
  • Library and Audio-Visual Rooms
  • Dharma Drum Sangha University
  • Dharma Drum University (under construction)
  • Monks Quarter
  • Nuns Quarter

DDM Complex also has several distinguished features, such as:

  • DDM Emblem Rock
  • A Stone Inscription, "A Spiritual Mountain and Sublime Environment"
  • Statue of Welcoming Guanyin
  • World's largest Lotus Bell
  • Statue of Founding Guanyin
  • Statue of Medicine Buddha
  • Seven Walking Paths with various attraction, from the splashing streams that passes through the land, bamboo forest, and dense woodland with varieties of birds and insects

Vision, Spirit, and Ideas

Vision and Spirit

Dharma Drum's vision is to "uplift the character of humanity and build a pure land on earth." Its spirit is to "give of ourselves for the benefit of all.[9]

Three Types of Educations

Dharma Drum's educational approaches is abbreviated in three types of educations[10]:

  • Education through Academics – its aim is to cultivate high-caliber Buddhist talent

in the fields of research, teaching, Dharma propagation, or service through formal academic training.

  • Education through Public Outreach – its aim is to promote or deepen the teachings of the Buddha through traditional Buddhist practices such as meditation or recitation of the Buddha's name as well as modern cultural activities.
  • Education through Caring Services – its aim is to uplift the level of caring service through education, and realizing the educational goals through caring service.[11].In the past, DDM had provided emergency assistance for natural disasters both in Taiwan and other countries, notably the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and Indonesian May 2006 Earthquake.

Four Kinds of Environmentalism

Dharma Drum also had promoted the Four Kinds of Environmentalism - these are manifestation of ideas and concepts in Buddhism to the frame of modern environmentalism. Hence, it is an offer of guidance for living in the 21st century[4].

  • Protecting the spiritual environment:
    • Ch'an meditation
    • The Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign
  • Protecting the natural environment:
    • Recognizing blessings
    • Cherishing blessings
    • Nurturing blessings
    • Sowing the seeds of blessings
  • Protecting the living environment.
  • Protecting the social environment:
    • The Six Ethics of the Mind
    • Buddhist-Style Joint Weddings
    • Buddhist-Style Joint Birthday Celebration for the Elderly
    • Buddhist-Style Joint Natural Funerals


The Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign

  • Four Fields for Cultivating Peace - A Proposition for Uplifting the Character of Humanity
    • Cultivating a peaceful mind lies in reducing desires
    • Cultivating a peaceful body lies in hard work and thrift
    • Cultivating a peaceful family lies in love and respect
    • Cultivating peaceful activity lies in being honest and upright
  • Four Guidelines for Dealing with Desires- A Proposition for Living a Carefree Life

Our needs are few, our wants are many. Pursue only what you can and should acquire. Never pursue what you can’t and shouldn’t acquire.

  • Four Steps for Handling a Problem- A Proposition for Resolving the Difficulties of Life
    • Face it: face the difficulty squarely
    • Accept it: accept the reality of the difficulty
    • Deal with it: deal with the difficulty with wisdom and compassion
    • Let it go: afterwards, let go of it
  • Four Practices for Helping Oneself and Others - A Proposition for Getting Along with Others
    • Feeling grateful for the chance to develop
    • Feeling thankful for the opportunity to hone your practice
    • Reforming yourself through the Dharma
    • Influencing others through virtuous action
  • Four Ways to Cultivate Blessings - A Proposition for Increasing Blessings
    • Recognizing blessings is the greatest happiness
    • Cherishing blessings is the best way of saving
    • Nurture blessings, and you’ll always be blessed
    • Sow the seeds of blessings that blessings may be shared by all

The Six Ethics of Mind[5]

  • Family Ethics
  • Living Ethics
  • School Ethics
  • Environmental Ethics
  • Workplace Ethics
  • Ethics between Ethnic Groups

International Network/Chapters

<font=12>Taiwan [6]

<font=12>United States of America [8] [9]

<font=12>Canada [17]

<font=12>Asia [20]

<font=12>Australia [25]

<font=12>Europe [27]

International Affiliates

These are affiliating groups of Dharma Drum Mountain who were created by Master Sheng-yen's Dharma heirs. However, they do not have any organizational relationship with DDM:

References

  1. ^ http://www.china.org.cn/culture/2008buddha/2008-07/10/content_15988233.htm
  2. ^ http://info.taiwan.net.tw/tourbusE/december_page1.html
  3. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Taiwan
  4. ^ http://www.dharmadrum.org/master/master.aspx
  5. ^ http://www.dharmadrumretreat.org/aboutus.php?id=ourfounder
  6. ^ Sheng Yen, Footprints in the Snow: The Autobiography of a Chinese Buddhist Monk. Doubleday Religion, 2008. ISBN 978-0385513302
  7. ^ http://www.dharmadrum.org/about/about.aspx?cid=C_00000042
  8. ^ Drum of Life(documentary film). Dharma Drum Mountain Cultural Center
  9. ^ http://www.dharmadrum.org/about/about.aspx
  10. ^ http://www.dharmadrum.org/about/about.aspx?cid=C_00000041
  11. ^ Ven.Huimin in How Great is the Dharma Drum film. Dharma Drum Culture Center

See Also

Template:Buddhism2

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