GEBIS

This is the official page for the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS).

GEBIS is a Canadian-registered charity and a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Services of the United States.

09/04/2026

That's the question our interviewer asked us directly. 💰
Part four of Getting to Know GEBIS — this Sunday, we answer it.

09/03/2026

From Field to Table 🥕
Seven days of outdoor work practice are coming to a close, and this week's harvest tells its own story — not of one task, but many hands working in parallel.
In the carrot fields, some knelt in the rows for hours, checking each root, filling bucket after bucket under the open sky. There was mud on the robes and dirt under the fingernails, and no one seemed to mind.
At the same time, others were turning that harvest into the midday meal — washing, sorting, and cutting by hand in the kitchen, so what came out of the ground could be shared at the table that same day.
It's easy to think of monastic life as sitting still. This week looked more like this: different hands, different tasks, all part of the same effort.
The harvest doesn't end at the field. It ends at the table, shared.

09/02/2026

Planting for a Season We Haven't Seen Yet 🌱
A few days ago, we shared that our monastics were spending some time working outdoors together. Here's a closer look at what that actually looked like.
Most of it came down to this: digging, lifting sod, moving soil, and planting — shrub by shrub, root by root — without knowing exactly what next spring will look like, only trusting that it will come.
There's something quietly humbling about planting something you may not fully see grow. It takes patience, and a willingness to do the work anyway.
A few of us knelt in the dirt for hours, checking each root before it went into the ground. Others carried buckets back and forth, cutting sod, making space for what's coming next.
None of it was glamorous. All of it mattered.
By the end, the ground looked a little different — and so, probably, did we.

09/01/2026

Our Doors Are Open
Every Sunday afternoon, we open our doors to anyone curious enough to walk through them.
That means a tour of the monastery — a talk on what daily life here actually looks like, followed by guests striking the ceremonial drum, ringing the bell themselves, and sitting down with monks who go by first names and answer whatever's asked.
And every other Sunday, there's more: alongside the tour, The Flowing Light: An Art & Mindfulness Experience opens too — an exhibition of award-winning photography, a guided meditation, and quiet time to simply be present. No art background needed. No meditation experience needed. Just come as you are.
Same open door, some Sundays with a little more inside it. Either way, this is a place to slow down, ask questions, and be met with warmth.
You don't have to come alone — bring a friend, bring someone who's been feeling overwhelmed, or share this with someone who might need an afternoon like this.
Come see for yourself. Details and registration links in the comments.

08/31/2026

The Light of Compassion
Compassion is like a beam of light,
driving away the ghosts of loneliness and pain.
A compassionate person
opens their heart to the universe.
The universe's light
scatters in.
— from Teacher Zhen-Ru's Kindling Hope, a book of teachings on cultivating hope, kindness, and the wish to benefit others.
📷 Photo by Ven. Tea Chen, a monk at GEBIS — taken at dawn in Greenwich, Prince Edward Island National Park.
What helps you find a little light on a hard day? 💬

08/30/2026

Getting to Know GEBIS — Episode 3: [ What the Land Is Actually Used For ]
Forget the numbers for a moment. The real question isn't how much land we have — it's what we're doing with it.
Some of you already caught a glimpse of this a little while back: one of our monks, out in the field, growing the vegetables that feed our community. No pesticides, no shortcuts.
That's not the exception — it's the pattern. Wheat, soybeans, and — against all odds — organic potatoes, all grown right here. The push toward organic farming traces back to a story from years ago in Taiwan: our late spiritual teacher once found a snake that had died from pesticide exposure, and the moment left him with a simple question — could we farm without causing so much harm? That same conviction carries forward here on PEI today.
We're not interested in shopping malls, subdivisions, or squeezing every acre for profit. We're interested in whether the soil is healthier this year than last.
Some of our monks haven't given up on the organic potatoes, by the way. We'll take any advice you've got. 😄
🎙️ This is the third story in our Getting to Know GEBIS series, inspired by our conversation on The Island Dew "Ideas" podcast. Full interview linked in the comments.
Any tips for us on the potato front?

08/29/2026

A Few Days of Work & Practice 🌱
Today, our monastics began a few days of working together outdoors.
In our tradition, this is part of practice too. Instead of spending these days mainly in the meditation hall, we're outside — cleaning, gardening, moving things, caring for the grounds, and doing whatever needs to be done.
Working outdoors also gives us a chance to notice the life around us: the trees, squirrels, bees, ants, birds, and all the small creatures sharing this place with us.
Sometimes that means slowing down and watching where we step, or finding a gentler way to do the work without disturbing what's growing or living nearby.
It's simple, ordinary work — done together, with attention, for the place we live and practice in. Fresh air, sunshine, movement, and probably a little dirt and a few sore muscles along the way 😊
A few simple days of work, practice, and caring for this little corner of PEI.

08/28/2026

For us, caring for the land is part of the practice. 🌱
🗓️ Episode 3 of Getting to Know GEBIS drops in 2 days — that's when we share his full story.
🎧 Listen to the full podcast conversation via the link in the comments.

08/27/2026

The Summer Practice Comes Full Circle
For three months, our monastics have stayed close to the monastery, following an ancient Buddhist tradition of summer retreat — spending this season in study, practice, and cultivation rather than travelling about.
Tonight, that summer practice came to a beautiful close.
On the occasion of Ullambana and the day of Pavarana, our three-day chanting ceremony reached its culmination. Monastics and lay community members gathered together, dedicating the merits of this summer's practice to all sentient beings — wishing that every being may be free from suffering and find peace and happiness.
A few months ago, we shared the beginning of this journey. Tonight, we witnessed its completion.
May the merits of this summer's practice extend far beyond these temple walls.
May all beings be well.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings find peace. 🙏

08/26/2026

The Gardener
A reflection from Zhen-Ru's "Kindling Hope" — a book of teachings on cultivating hope, kindness, and the wish to benefit others.

— — —
When we hope to assist others,
When our hearts are sincere in our wish to support them,
we are like gardeners --
step, sow
sow, step.
As we are sowing seeds,
despite the appearance of only soil beneath trees,
come spring--
walking and watching,
you will find
they have become a meadow of flowers,
blooming as far as the eye can see.

— — —
"Kindling Hope" was recognized this year with two IBPA Gold Awards. Teacher Zhen-Ru is a spiritual teacher at GEBIS.
Perhaps some of the most meaningful things we do are like this: we plant seeds without knowing exactly when, or how, they will bloom.

Address

2661 Heatherdale Road
Montague, PE
C101R0

Telephone

+1-902-969-2328

Website

http://gebis.org/

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