Seeking true peace in mind, a group of 22 participants led by Master Guang Chun participated in a two-day Chan meditation retreat at the Ling Jiou Mountain Jetsun Milarepa International Meditation Center in Nepal on December 18, 2022. Meanwhile, a ground-breaking ceremony took place at the historic site where Bodhisattva Nagarjuna gave Buddhist sermons at the modern-day city of Shankharapur near Kathmandu. Local dignitaries including the incumbent Mayor Mr. Ramesh Napit and his predecessor, Mr. Subarma Shrestha, were among the VIPs present on the occasion.

Nepal is the place where the Buddha, or Siddhartha Gautama, was born, practicing and promoting the Dharma that he realized. It is also the site where many high achievers, or mahasiddhas, of Vajrayana Buddhism attained enlightenment. December 23 saw another 1-day meditation retreat attended by 10 participants, and like the retreat mentioned earlier, the credit went to Mr. Raju, who serves as the chair of the Milarepa Center’s Dharmapala Corps. He took the initiative of inviting the members of Nepal’s reputable Happiness Charity Foundation for the retreats.

Master Hsin Tao,the LJM founding abbot, has embarked on his frequent pilgrimages to India and Nepal since 1985. He led groups of disciples on the journey for consecutive years to pay homage to the cave where Bodhisattva Nagarjuna practiced and led the Venerable to experience a profound connection to the sage. The Millennial Year 2000 witnessed the establishment of the LJM Jetsun Milarepa International Meditation Center on the site of the cave, which consisted merely of a couple of thatched cottages built near the sparse trees there on the barren dirt hill.

At the instruction of the Venerable about land conservation and environmental regentrification, the area was enabled to regenerate green patches with the help of local residents. The meditation center has not only served as a sacred place for promoting meditation practice and retrieving the inborn spirituality, but it has also successfully realized Master Hsin Tao’s ideal of maintaining local ecology. The land lot in front of the cave where the Great Tibetan Yogi Milarepa practiced was once the place that Buddha Nagarjuna had his practice, too, making the site extraordinary in terms of cultural and religious significance.

Led by Master Guang Chun, the 22 participants experienced a two-day meditation journey with a peaceful mind. They practiced the signature LJM meditation instructed by Master Hsin Tao, trying to regain an inherent clarity through meditations of sitting, walking, physical exercise, and fast-paced walking. Whether it be the light aroma from the hot tea in the cup, the mindful listening to the awakened sense of the moment, the relaxation made possible by lifting one foot to follow the heel of the other, the individuals remained their clear awareness to the movement, leading them to an ultimate quiet over the deep breathing in and out. Their mind was well on its way back to the essential nature, where true peace resides.

On the occasion of the ground-breaking ceremony for the site where Bodhisattva Nagarjuna gave Dharma teaching, LJM Master Guang Chun, Master Bao Ben, and Master Hsi Ru from Taiwan along with their counterparts in Nepal, Master Miao Yueh and Master Wen Hsin, were present with local dignitaries including the mayor of Shankharapur City and the magistrate of the district. The LJM project received support from local authorities so that the historic site can enjoy better conditions of conservation. In her congratulatory remarks, Master Guang Chun cited Master Hsin Tao’s vision of protecting sacred sites. The project of Nagarjuna will help foster deep rooting of local culture that attracts pilgrimage from around the world, whereas the LJM International Meditation Center under the jurisdiction of the Shankharapur City will hopefully contribute to the increase of local prosperity overall.