Our Philosophy

Faith Statement

Dharma Drum Mountain promotes the protection of the social, living, and natural environments based on Protecting the Spiritual Environment, by purifying the mind through transforming thinking, therefore uplifting the character of humanity and eventually achieving genuine peace and harmony.

The late Chan Master Sheng Yen had been promoting this value since 1993, in the hope to guide people’s way of thinking, enabling them to face and handle problems with a healthy mindset, stay calm in any situation, be concerned with people and the world around them, and remain hopeful for the future.

Framework of Vision & Guiding Principles

Vision

 To spread Chinese Chan Buddhism, with Protecting the Spiritual Environment at the core. To achieve the purification of the world through the Threefold Education

Common Ethos

 Vision Uplift the character of humanity and build a pure land on Earth
Spirit Give of ourselves for the benefit of all
Direction Return to the original intention of the Buddha and work for the purification of the world
Approach Promote comprehensive education and extend loving care to all

Approach

 The Threefold Education
  • Extensive Academic Education
  • Extensive Public Buddhist Education
  • Extensive Social Care Education

Implementation

 Four Kinds of Environmentalism
  • Protecting the Spiritual Environment
  • Protecting the Social Environment
  • Protecting the Living Environment
  • Protecting the Natural Environment
Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Four Fields for Cultivating Peace:

  • Peace of mind
  • Peace of body
  • Peace of family
  • Peace of activity

Four Steps for Dealing with Problems:

  • Face it
  • Accept it
  • Deal with it
  • Let it go

Four Guidelines for Dealing with Desires:

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

Four Practices for Helping Oneself and Others:

  • Feeling grateful
  • Feeling thankful
  • Reforming yourself
  • Moving others through virtue

Four Ways to Cultivate Blessings:

  • Recognizing blessings
  • Cherishing blessings
  • Nurturing blessings
  • Sowing the seeds of blessings
Six Ethics of the Mind
  • Family Ethics
  • Daily Life Ethics
  • School Ethics
  • Environmental Ethics
  • Workplace Ethics
  • Ethics between Ethnic Groups
Common Endeavor of Buddhists
  • Have faith in the Buddha, follow the Dharma, and respect the Sangha; the Three Jewels are a bright lamp shining throughout eternity.
  • Uplift the character of humanity and build a pure land on earth.
  • Being grateful, repaying kindness: this is first; benefit others and you benefit yourself.
  • Foremost is to exert your wholehearted effort without measuring more or less.
  • Kindness and compassion have no enemies, and wisdom engenders no vexations.
  • The busy make the most of time; the diligent enjoy the best of health.
  • In broadly sowing the fields of merit, why fear any hardship or rebuke?
  • Those who give selflessly are blessed; those who do good deeds are happy.
  • In every moment feel the joy of the Dharma, and abide in the bliss of meditation.
  • Recite “Guanyin (Avalokitesvara) Bodhisattva” everywhere and chant “Amitabha Buddha” without end.