Dharma Drum Mountain Meditation Center - Bay Area

04/03/2026

Dharma Drum Mountain San Francisco Bay Area Center Successfully Concludes the Qingming Two-day Buddha Name Recitation Retreat for Expressing Gratitude and Eight Precepts Observance

Dharma Drum Mountain San Francisco Bay Area Center held the “the Qingming Two-day Buddha Name Recitation Retreat for Expressing Gratitude and Eight Precepts Observance” on March 28 and 29. More than 100 participants, including devotees and volunteers, took part in the event, among them 70 formally observed the Eight Precepts. Through continuous recitation of the Buddha’s name, participants commemorated their ancestors and dedicated the merits to deceased loved ones, friends, and all sentient beings. By observing the Eight Precepts for a full day and night, participants opened a path toward liberation from birth and death and planted wholesome seeds for enlightenment.

Read full article👉https://ddm.tw/grotautr


Original text in Chinese: Jin Kuanhua (靳寬華)
Photos: Jean Li
Translation: Patricia Yang
Editing: Keith Brown

03/23/2026

Joining a book club is like going on a journey into something rich and deep with like-minded people. It’s a safe place where you can share, discuss, learn, laugh and grow together. Rooted in the Buddhist teachings of ethics, concentration and wisdom, our book club will support the development of awareness and compassion. Most of all, we hope this will help all of us establish a joyful and peaceful life. Q&As with Venerable Chang Xiang will be included. To learn more about this book club, visit https://ddmbasf.org/events/bookclub_hybrid2026/

03/14/2026

Join us for a thoughtful parent dialogue where we can share questions, challenges, and insights together. What emerges from these conversations will help inform and shape a mindful youth program for children ages 10–15. Children do not need to attend.

Date: Saturday, April 11 or Saturday, April 25
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Venue: 255 H Street, Fremont CA 94536

To register, visit https://ddmbasf.org/events/listening-deeply-a-chan-inspired-parent-dialogue/

03/13/2026

Jasmine kindly shares her reflection on the recent one-day retreat with Venerable Guo Yuan:

"The one-day retreat on February 28 was my first time visiting DDMBASF, nearly a two-hour drive away. I had been feeling weighed down by a complex issue at work and, to be honest, rather cranky for several weeks. I didn’t mind the long drive because I desperately needed the time and space to reconnect with myself.

I still vividly remember the moments when a fresh breeze drifted through the open window and brushed across my face during meditation. I found myself thinking, What a beautiful day. How lucky I am to have found this place, meditating with a group of people brought together by unseen causes and conditions.

By the end of the retreat, I felt noticeably lighter. The tight knot I had been carrying began to loosen, and I regained a sense of clarity that had been missing. In that quiet space, I realized how much I need experiences like this, not as an escape, but as a reset. A chance to step away, to gently cut off the sources that feed my anxiety, and to return with a calmer, kinder heart."

Photo credit: DDMBASF

02/21/2026

Venue: DDM Silicon Valley Center (20111 Stevens Creek Blvd., #245, Cupertino, CA 95014)
Date: 3/7, 3/21
Time: 9:30 am – 11:40 am

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or mentally scattered. Group meditation offers a grounding space to reset, refocus, and reconnect — not just with yourself, but with a supportive and compassionate community. Whether you’re new to meditation or looking to deepen your practice, joining a group can bring clarity and calm that’s often hard to cultivate alone. There’s a unique energy that arises when people sit together in stillness — an unspoken sense of peace and shared presence that makes the experience more powerful and restorative.

To register, visit https://ddmbasf.org/events/group-meditation-svc-2026q1/

02/18/2026

One-Day Retreat (In-person)
Led by Ven. Guo Yuan

Date: Saturday, Feb 28
Time: 9am - 5pm
Venue: 255 H Street, Fremont, CA

Regular and consistent Chan practice is a crucial element in improving your meditation skills and maturity. During a one-day retreat, which is conducted in silence, you have the opportunity to escape daily stress, refresh your mental and physical state, and nurture your meditation practice. Through Chan meditation, you will learn to cultivate a clear awareness of both your body and mind. This practice will help you gain insight into your habitual tendencies that often lead to suffering, and you’ll explore ways to release these habits in order to attain inner peace.

The day will consist of periods of sitting meditation interspersed with eight-form moving meditation, mindful yoga, and walking meditation. There will also be Dharma talks, with reviews of meditation methods or guided meditations as needed.

Venerable Guo Yuan (Abbot of Dharma Drum Retreat Center) will lead the One-Day Chan Retreat.
Register at https://ddmbasf.org/events/one-day-chan-retreat-20260228/

02/16/2026

As a new year begins, we exchange greetings and wish one another peace and happiness. Yet, what kind of happiness truly endures? What kind of abundance can calm both body and mind in an age of uncertainty and upheaval?

In 2026, Dharma Drum Mountain adopts the annual theme “Blessings and Joy in Abundance.” Abbot President Venerable Guo Huei invites everyone, amid the challenges of climate change and extreme disasters, to realign our needs and desires through the Four Ways to Cultivate Blessings; to transform the shared difficulties of individuals and society through the Four Steps for Handling a Problem; and to nurture inner peace, family harmony, and a fulfilled life through the practice of the Four Kinds of Environmentalism.

As we welcome the Year of the Horse, let us begin with a mind of gratitude and a single good deed—transforming ourselves, warming the world, and together ushering in a new year filled with blessings and joy in abundance.

As a new year begins, we exchange greetings and wish one another peace and happiness. Yet, what kind of happiness truly endures? What kind of abundance can c...

01/18/2026

Dates: 1/24/2026, 4/11/2026
Time: 11 am – 1 pm
Venue: 255 H Street, Fremont, CA

These bi-monthly gatherings are scheduled to align with a Saturday group practice (attendance optional) session, making it easier to integrate shared learning with regular practice.

Join us in a relaxed and interactive setting designed to foster meaningful learning and open sharing. Together, we’ll:
✓ Explore and go deeper into Chan Buddhism through discussion and reflection.
✓ Build Dharma friendships through heartfelt conversation and mutual support.
✓ Share personal stories and perspectives that bring the Dharma into daily life.
✓ Integrate various Dharma topics in each session.

To learn more about this event, visit https://ddmbasf.org/events/lunch-living-dharma-connect-share-and-bring-it-into-life/

01/05/2026

Venue: DDM Silicon Valley Center (20111 Stevens Creek Blvd., #245, Cupertino, CA 95014)
Date: 1/10, 1/17, 2/7, 3/7, 3/21
Time: 9:30 am – 11:40 am

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or mentally scattered. Group meditation offers a grounding space to reset, refocus, and reconnect — not just with yourself, but with a supportive and compassionate community. Whether you’re new to meditation or looking to deepen your practice, joining a group can bring clarity and calm that’s often hard to cultivate alone. There’s a unique energy that arises when people sit together in stillness — an unspoken sense of peace and shared presence that makes the experience more powerful and restorative.

To register, visit https://ddmbasf.org/events/group-meditation-svc-2026q1/

01/04/2026

Venue: 255 H St, Fremont, CA
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Date: Saturdays 1/10, 1/24, 2/14, 3/14, 4/4, 4/11, 4/25, 5/9

This program welcomes both beginners and experienced practitioners. We begin with Eight-Form Moving Meditation, followed by guided meditation, walking meditation, sitting meditation, and a guided self-massage. Later in the morning, participants take part in one of the following activities, depending on the day’s schedule.

◎ Dharma Talks
Teachings by the Venerable on the Four Noble Truths and Six Paramitas
(see https://ddmbasf.org/events/dharma-talks-by-venerable-chang-xiang/)
◎ Meditation Insights
Watch selected meditation teaching videos, followed by guidance from the Venerable and/or small group dialogue to deepen understanding and enrich your practice.
◎ Lunch & Living Dharma
Begin with reflection and sharing in community, followed by continued connection and meaningful conversation over a vegetarian lunch
(see https://ddmbasf.org/events/lunch-living-dharma-connect-share-and-bring-it-into-life/).

A delicious vegetarian lunch is provided regardless of the scheduled activity.

To learn more and/or register, visit
https://ddmbasf.org/events/group-meditation-2026h1/