Since November 19, 2024, Donghua Chan Monastery has entered a 35-day closed Chan retreat.
Two nights ago, the monks at the Avalokiteśvara Cave held a grand ceremony to commence the Winter Anju Chan Seven, and we offered lights and prayers for them, wishing their meditation practice to bear abundant fruits.
This morning, I sat in full lotus position and recited the Diamond Sutra for over an hour — surpassing my previous limit.
It was a joyful and quietly triumphant moment.
Lately, I have been feeding the temple cats and pigeons every day, sharing Qishan Vegetarian Ham Sausages with them. Watching them eat with such delight fills my heart with simple happiness and contentment.
Last night, the shopkeeper and I chanted the Diamond Sutra aloud together in the store. We’ve set a goal to complete 500 recitations of the Diamond Sutra by the end of next month, and afterward, we’ll begin reading the Lotus Sutra.
Yesterday afternoon, we discussed many aspects of Buddhism.
I learned that several Dharma brothers here once connected with Tianyue Mingfang’s Buddhist calligraphy collections.
We also talked about Teacher Yang Ning, whom everyone regards as compassionate as Guanyin Bodhisattva, while Venerable Master Wanxing embodies the great vows and deeds of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.
Recently, I’ve been deeply moved by reciting the Samantabhadra’s Vows and Practices Chapter (Puxian Xingyuan Pin).
The sense of Dharma joy it brings fills me with peace and quiet fulfillment.
During work practice (chupo), Qiqi shared her reflections about life in the monastery.
What touched me most was her words:
“Allow everything to happen, and embrace your own imperfection.”
That simple truth felt like a ray of sunlight, gently illuminating my heart.
