【Chung Tai Chan Monastery】03

Meditation Centers:
Reaching Deep into Communities Worldwide

Chung Tai has 108 affiliated Chan meditation centers serving communities across Taiwan and in the United States, Australia, Italy, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Each center is supported by a Dharma Support Association composed of local lay volunteers.

Social Education

The Buddhadharma is here in this world.
It is not separate from having pure awareness of the world.

Bringing the pure influence of Buddhism to communities worldwide is one of Chung Tai’s primary goals. Local meditation centers provide an accessible means for people to learn the Dharma. In the bustle of modern cities, they provide a spiritual refuge and offer a path to wisdom and inner peace while planting the seeds of enlightenment in our hearts.

Life can be fast-paced and hectic. To help people fit Buddhadharma into their busy schedules, Chung Tai meditation centers are built in communities worldwide. Each center is run by dedicated monastics who regularly teach the Dharma and host Buddhist events. Where seekers once had to travel to monasteries deep in the mountains, Chung Tai meditation centers bring the Dharma to our communities, where learning and practicing Buddhism can become part of everyday life.

Every center regularly holds meditation classes on the essentials of Buddhadharma during the daytime and evening. Classes are taught by Dharma Masters and form a curriculum with four levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and sutra study. Through the course, students will learn meditation techniques, core Buddhist teachings, and deepen their practice through volunteering.

Meditation centers also hold Dharma activities such as half-day and one-day meditation retreats, repentance ceremonies, and other ceremonial events. Additionally, they may offer meditation classes for children, young adults, and seniors, lessons in Buddhist chanting, calligraphy, flower arrangement, or other art forms. In all classes and events, individuals are encouraged to gradually deepen their understanding and practice of Buddhadharma and the Chan way of life.