DDMSWCF joins the reconstruction effort of Lunghua Elementary School in central Nantou County

Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation (DDMSWCF) collaborated with the Nantou County Government on the reconstruction project of Lunghua Elementary School that was heavily damaged in the flood last month.

DDMSWCF hosted a prayer ritual in the Zhong Xin Hall in Nantou County on the morning of September 19th hoping to deliver peace of mind to those affected as well as to give financial aid to about 660 economically disadvantaged students from central Taiwan.

Mr. Shui-Yong Hsieh, senior consultant for DDMSWCF, said that DDMSWCF has been offering various kinds of humanitarian service in Nantou, Chushan, Puli and Dongshi Townships over the past decade ever since the 921 earthquake in 1999. Sadly, the Lunghua Elementary School was yet again brutally hit since the tragedy that befell it ten years ago.

In order for the students to have a safe learning environment, DDMSWCF took the initiative and joined the Nantou County Government in a collaborative effort for the reconstruction of the school, hoping that this endeavor could also in turn provide students an eco-friendly campus in the future.

Director of DDMSWCF, Venerable Guo Qi, made the remark that in the past, whether it was in southeast Asia, Sichuan or in Burma, the reconstruction efforts that DDMSWCF took on had one commonality and that is they are all in line with the spirit of “Protecting the Spiritual and Natural Environment” actively promoted by the late Venerable Master Sheng Yen.

(translated by Jin Yang/edited by Lisa Tu)

Donation → DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation
Chinese Service → Go / English Service → Go

DDMSWCF offers financial aid to 420 economically disadvantaged students from central Taiwan

On the morning of September 19, 2009, Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation (DDMSWCF) hosted a ceremony at the Zhongxin Hall in Nantou County of central Taiwan to give financial aid to 420 economically disadvantaged students from the Nantou, Chushan, Taichung, Fongyuan, Dongshi and Miaoli districts.

Around 100 volunteers and guest officials from Nantou County Government, as well as relatives of the recipients, all attended the ceremony to offer their warmest blessings.The ceremony began with a Dharma ritual led by the director of DDMSWCF, Venerable Guo Qi with the crowd piously chanting the name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva to pray for the survivors and for those who lost their lives in the 88 Flood and the 921 Earthquake, as well as to transfer the merits from the chanting to the deceased, hoping that they would rest in peace.

The ceremony was also held in conjunction with other activities in memory of the deceased in the 921 Earthquake occurred in Nantou a decade ago to help arouse people’s awareness on the value of life.

Venerable Guo Qi reminded the students that the financial aid they received came from people’s generous donations, an expression of their compassion for those affected in the disaster, and therefore he urged the students to work hard so they can give back to society in the future, and so that the love could be extended further to more places in our world.

(translated by Jin Yang/edited by Lisa Tu)

Donation → DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation
Chinese Service → Go / English Service → Go

Abbot President heads to southern Taiwan to express his warmest care and concern

On 7 September 2009, Abbot President Venerable Guo Dong made his second trip to southern Taiwan to express his utmost gratitude to the volunteers of the DDM relief team, and to express his warmest care and concern to the survivors of the 88 Flood.

According to Director of the Ziyun Monastery, Venerable Guo Yao, residents of Linbian Township and Jiadong Township in Kaohsiung County are still in dire need of electricity and clean water for cooking and showering, DDM relief team will therefore continue to provide freshly prepared lunch and dinner to local residents and the relief volunteers.

Abbot President also led the families of the deceased to pray for peace in mind and to pray for the deceased to transcend the cycle of death and birth. He encouraged the survivors to cherish the life they have and to offer their blessings to the deceased.

Abbot President expressed his greatest gratitude to DDM’s venerables and the volunteers from Jiaxian Township, Liukuei Township, Linbian Township and Qiaozhou Township at the meeting. He also encouraged all to keep up their compassionate work to help and support those affected by the 88 Flood.

(translated by Jin Yang/edited by Chiacheng Chang & Lisa Tu)

Donation → DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation
Chinese Service → Go / English Service → Go

DDM joins the Grand Dharma Ritual to pray for the deceased of the 88 Flood

On 30 August 2009, a special Grand Dharma Ritual for the 88 Flood hosted by the Kaoshiung County Government was held at the Weiwu Art Center in Kaohsiung County.

Vice Abbot President of Dharma Drum Mountain, Venerable Guo Hui, led the DDM delegation and attended the ritual on behalf of Abbot President, Venerable Guo Dong and the DDM Sangha to express DDM’s warmest concern and blessings.

Despite differences in religious faith, delegates and revered masters from Taiwan's various religious groups all participated in this solemn ritual, including Venerable Master Hsin Yun from Foguangshan, His Eminence Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-His, I-Kuan Tao and Tsu Chi, to pray for the deceased of the 88 Flood and for the survivors.

In the ritual, monastics of the DDM delegation faithfully joined their palms to chant the holy name of Guanyin (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) hoping to help the spirits of the deceased transcend the cycle of birth and death, and to bring the survivors a peaceful mind.

The Dharma ritual lasted to 14:00 p.m..

(translated by Jin Yang/edited by Chiacheng Chang & Lisa Tu)

Donation → DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation
Chinese Service → Go / English Service → Go

DDMSWCF initiates the community empowerment project at Liukuei Township

On the morning of 30 August 2009, a group of community remodeling experts led by DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation (DDMSWCF) headed to Liukuei Township in Kaohsiung County to sit down face to face with local villagers to discuss how they could best offer their help to rebuild Liukuei Township.

The group was composed of academic scholars from Taiwan’s various educational institutes, all of whom possessed considerable experience in community remodeling, especially following the 921 earthquake eight years ago.

DDMSWCF hoped the meeting could assist the experts in devising an effective plan that would in the future give the villagers a permanent, secure and comfortable place they call home.

In the afternoon, Venerable Guo Guang led the group to visit villagers of the remote Xinkai Village in Liukuei Township as well as to pray for the deceased to rest in peace with the chant of the Heart Sutra.

(translated by Jin Yang/edited by Chiacheng Chang and Lisa Tu)

Donation → DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation
Chinese Service → Go / English Service → Go

Premier Liu meets Abbot President for Mind Relief Project

In the afternoon of August 27 2009, Premier of Executive Yuan, Chao-Shiuan Liu, met Abbot President Venerable Guo Dong at the An Ho branch office in Taipei to discuss the collaboration of the Mind Relief Project for people in the southern and eastern regions of Taiwan who were affected by Typhoon Morakot.

The Premier stressed that the government has stepped up its reconstruction efforts and has been working hard to guard against outbreak of diseases in typhoon-inflicted areas.

He further added that the government understands the pressing need for spiritual counseling for those affected by the disaster, and thus it hopes that Dharma Drum Mountain and other humanitarian organizations could offer their assistance towards that call, in addition to providing material relief.

Abbot President Venerable Guo Dong cited the late Venerable Master Sheng as saying: “Those who relieve the suffering of others are bodhisattvas, and those in the throes of suffering are great bodhisattvas.”

Premier Liu stated that DDM has devoted a significant amount of effort to aiding those in need in any way they could following the “88 Flood,” reflecting the same spirit of compassion embodied by Guanyin Bodhisattva (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva).

Abbot President expressed that the Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation (DDMSWCF) has established the Peace of Mind Relief Stations at Liukuei Township and Jiaxian Township respectively in order to reach towards the disaster-affected people to provide spiritual counseling, material relief and medical care.

He went on to say that DDMSWCF will continue to work on the Mind Relief Project in collaboration with the government in the hope that the typhoon survivors could soon leave their sorrow behind and carry forward with their lives.

(translated by Jin Yang/edited by Chiacheng Chang and Lisa Tu)

Donation → DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation
Chinese Service → Go / English Service → Go

Let's join palms to pray for the deceased

On the morning of August 23, 2009, about thirty venerables and volunteers gathered at the Xinkai Village of Liukuei Township in Kaohsiung County to chant the Heart Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra with palms joined, praying for those who lost their lives in Typhoon Morakot to enter “nirvana”, a peaceful state of no birth and no death.

Following the ritual, Venerable Chang Yuan also gave a Dharma talk to the families of the deceased, hoping to ease their afflicted minds and to encourage them to confront the difficulties with the wisdom of the Dharma.

Venerable Chang Yuan went on to say that one must learn to see the nature of impermanence in all worldly phenomena, and to sincerely make vows and pray to the Buddha for rebirth in the realm of peace and happiness.

The disaster relief team consisting of DDM monastics, volunteers and medical professionals has been reaching out to those in need of help in the villages of Liukuei Township, providing them with various kinds of service.

(translated by Jin Yang/edited by Chiacheng Chang and Lisa Tu)

Donation → DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation
Chinese Service → Go / English Service → Go