The Taiwan-headquartered Chan Buddhist spiritual and educational foundation and community Dharma Drum Mountain has announced that it will soon open registration for its 24th Dharma Drum Mountain Awakening Camp, which will be held in Taiwan from 22–29 January 2027.
The annual Awakening Camp is conceived as an opportunity for young people to experience the freedom and joy of Buddhist monastic life and gain a deeper understanding of Chan Buddhist practice.
People with a keen interest in Buddhism will have an opportunity to experience a taste of the peace and purity of monastic life, including receiving the precepts, Buddhist chanting, Chan meditation, morning and evening services, working meditation, and Dharma sharing. They will also gain an understanding of the demeanor and mindset required of a Buddhist monastic.
The week-long retreat is open to men aged 18–42 and women aged 18–40 with a high school education and an interest in experiencing the Buddhist monastic lifestyle. Although the event is conducted in Chinese, English translation will be provided if needed.
The Dharma Drum Mountain Awakening Camp will be hosted by Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education in New Taipei City. Applicant registration for the camp will open on 15 October.
Click here for full details and registration information
Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM; Ch: 法鼓山) is an international Buddhist spiritual, cultural, and educational community founded in Taiwan by Chan Master Sheng Yen (1931–2009), one of the country’s most influential Buddhist leaders—a Chan Buddhist master in the Linji and Caodong lineages. His teachings combine traditional Buddhist practice framed in ways relevant to modern life.
Master Sheng Yen is popularly known as one of Taiwan’s “Four Heavenly Kings” of Buddhism, together with Master Cheng Yen (founder of Tzu Chi), Master Hsing Yun (founder of Fo Guang Shan), and Master Wei Chueh, (founder of Chung Tai Shan). Alongside these four global Buddhist orders, collectively known as the “Four Great Mountains” of Taiwanese Buddhism, Dharma Drum Mountain has grown to become one of the most influential Chinese Buddhist organizations in the world.
DDM related the experience of a previous Awakening Camp participant, whose Dharma name is Kuan Hong: “[He] realized that everyone has buddha-nature, and it is only because of the challenges and difficulties of the worldly life that people are oblivious to their original aspiration. Thus, he realized that ‘we cannot redo our life, but we can restart it’ by striving to make ourselves better individuals, in addition to dedicating ourselves to society.” (Dharma Drum Mountain)
Another participant, Dharma name Kuan Yu, shared key words from her experience at the camp: repentance, gratitude, faith, and choice. “She recalled the moment when she was reciting the Repentance Verse in front of the image of Buddha, her tears were running like a water flowing from a faucet,” DDM shared. “It suddenly dawned on her that she had not honestly faced her life; therefore, she decided to properly apologize to the things that happened in the past and let go of them, as well as pray for blessings to those who matter in her life.” (Dharma Drum Mountain)
Participants will undertake to observe eight precepts for the duration of the camp, which include the five precepts traditionally observed by lay practitioners and three additional precepts.
Each day, will include morning moving meditation, prostrations to the Buddha, sitting meditation, morning and evening services and classes, along with group activities and discussions. Through observing periods of silence, maintaining awareness, and acting with slow, mindful motions, many similarities can be drawn between the Awakening Camp and a traditional Chan retreat.
“When feeling uncertain and uneasy about their direction of life, many young participants hope to awaken from the dream through this spiritual journey,” DDM empahsziewd. “Participant Kuan Sheng stated that ‘the eight-day-and-seven-night Awakening Camp is a journey of returning home, awakening, repentance, and self-reconciliation; in fact, it is more of a journey to return to our true self.’” (Dharma Drum Mountain)
See more
Awakening Life (Dharma Drum Sangha University)
Dharma Drum Mountain the 24th Awakening Camp (Dharma Drum Mountain)
Dharma Drum Mountain
Master Sheng Yen
Master Sheng Yen (YouTube)
生命自覺營 Awakening Life (Facebook)
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance to Gain Admission — the Dharma Drum Mountain Awakening Camp is Open for Registration (Dharma Drum Mountain)
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