By chanting the Diamond Prajna Paramita Sutra, we contemplate on the Buddha's teaching of cultivating all good deeds with a mind free from attachment, and the illusive nature of all things.

Our true mind is like the diamond, intrinsically pure and luminous, sharp and able to cut through all delusions. By chanting the Diamond Prajna Paramita Sutra, we dedicate the merits thereof to all sentient beings; may we all attain supreme enlightenment.

On September 26, friends and members of the Dharma Support Society gathered to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. We enjoyed a delicious potluck dinner and festive performances.

On September 13 hundreds of people attended the final Medicine Buddha Gratitude Ceremony. The Abbess concluded the ceremony with a Dharma talk and recognized the members of the Dharma Support Society.

The 4th of July was a day of celebration. At Buddha Gate Monastery, the evening was filled with music and entertainment, abundant and delicious food, and respectful Buddhist practice of light offering and mountain pilgrimage. We ended the evening by watching the night sky light up with fireworks.

On the morning of the 4th of July, Buddha Gate Monastery celebrated the national holiday with a festival! Under rows of beautiful white canopies, members of the monastery sold delicious and unique homemade
food, treats and drinks. Children enjoyed activities such as candle making, calligraphy, and tie-dyed shirt making. All proceeds went toward future programs at the monastery.

This gratitude ceremony was held in order to honor and show appreciation to our parents of this life and past lives, in the hope that they will find true happiness within and attain the greatest wisdom. And also to give thanks to our parents for raising us, supporting us, and educating us.

Buddha Gate Monastery held the Buddha Bathing Ceremony and bathed the Buddha, symbolizing the cleansing of our minds.

On March 15, in a ceremony presided over by Venerable Master Jian Deng, more than 70 Buddha Gate members, along with members from Sunnyvale, received the Three Refuges and The Five Precepts. It was a day of solemn commitment and dedication and also great joy and celebration

The Venerable Master explained how we can control our fate through our actions or deeds, thereby affecting our karma.  

It was a time of excitement and great anticipation for us at Buddha Gate Monastery as we prepared for the visit from Master Jian Deng, Abbot of Chung Tai Chan Monastery. To show their appreciation for this opportunity to learn and follow the Grand Master’s teachings overseas, many volunteers spent countless hours working to prepare the monastery grounds, the Zen hall and lecture hall, as well as the food for this notable event.

To welcome the arrival of Venerable Master Jian Deng, Abbot of Chung Tai Chan Monastery, many volunteers and the Dharma Support Society members of Buddha Gate Monastery all came together to prepare for this rare event.

By chanting the sutra, we purify our mind to welcome a new year and strengthen our practice.