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In the height of August, Kongshan Monastery's forests stood lush and full, cooled by a gentle breeze. Inside the wooden Buddha Hall, the sound of chanting filled the air as more than two hundred participants sat upright with palms joined. Outside, white smoke from the smoke offering drifted slowly through the pines and morning light. Heart by heart, a gathering of sincere devotion quietly took shape in this mountain sanctuary. On August 16, 2026, Kongshan Monastery held its i

In early July of this year, the New York region was struck by severe storms. Kongshan Monastery's existing emergency generator failed upon activation, with both the transfer switch board and the main water tank damaged beyond repair. Due to the age of the equipment, replacement parts are no longer in production; after assessment by professional contractors, a full replacement is required. Kongshan Monastery is located in Upstate New York, where sudden power outages caused by

On July 5, 2026, 120 teachers from the Bliss and Wisdom Education Park in Yunlin, Taiwan, visited Kongshan Monastery in New York. For many of them, this was more than an overseas trip — it was a reunion long anticipated. The teachers had flown across the Pacific during their summer break, completed a mindfulness retreat at a meditation estate, and then made their way to this monastery in the mountain forests of the Hudson Valley to learn firsthand about Kongshan's founding st

On June 28, 2026, Kongshan Monastery held its monthly Open Day, welcoming 15 participants. Many were new friends who had first encountered the Dharma at this year's Buddha's Birthday Bathing Ceremony; others had just begun attending Buddhist study classes and hoped that this visit would give them a deeper sense of the monastery, the monastic community, and what a life of Buddhist practice actually looks like. The event began with Venerable Yuándào leading an introduction to t

On July 6, 2026, 52 educators from Taiwan visited Kongshan Monastery in New York. The group included elementary, middle, and high school teachers who had come to the United States during the summer break for a study tour. After completing a three-day mindfulness program, they made their way to this monastery nestled in the mountain forests of the Hudson Valley. The day of the visit came just after heavy rain. Two days of downpours had left parts of Kongshan Monastery still wi

On June 26, 2026, approximately 60 members of the Retired Lay Association — affiliated with the Bliss and Wisdom Foundation in Taiwan — came to visit Kongshan Monastery. In the midst of a full and busy Dharma-seeking journey through North America, this stop was more than a visit to a monastery. It felt like a gathering to return to one's original heart of learning and to gather and renew one's aspirations. Kongshan Monastery is nestled in the tranquil woodland of the Hudson V

Looking to step away from the busy pace of life and give yourself a quiet afternoon? Kongshan Monastery is located in Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley of Upstate New York — a place of open meadows, woodland, lakes, and wide-open sky. When you walk through the monastery gates, your steps naturally slow, and the mind finds a chance to settle. Each month, Kongshan Monastery holds an Open Day, inviting the public to enter this mountain sanctuary, learn about Buddhism and mona

On June 16 and 17, 2026, the resident monastics of Kongshan Monastery in New York took advantage of the clear summer weather to personally carry out asphalt repairs on the road at the monastery's entrance. Kongshan Monastery is nestled within mountain forest, and years of seasonal snow, rain, and the steady passage of vehicles have gradually left portions of the road surface cracked and potholed. These potholes not only collect water but could also pose a safety risk for comm

On June 15, 2026, approximately 60 participants from Tzu Guang Learning Center of Taiwan, having just completed a three-day "Mindfulness and Healing Retreat" at a meditation estate in New York, made their way to Kongshan Monastery for a visit. This journey was a natural continuation of the retreat's central theme — returning to the inner life and reorganizing one's relationship with it — carrying participants from the learning and reflection of the classroom into the monaster

During the 2026 Summer Retreat (Varṣā), the offering program established by Kongshan Monastery — inviting patrons to sponsor the oil and salt for the monastic community's meals — has been swiftly and fully fulfilled through the joyful and wholehearted support of donors from all directions. On behalf of the monastic community of Kongshan Monastery, we offer our most sincere and heartfelt gratitude to every patron and to all who rejoiced in this offering with a pure and generou

Kongshan Monastery welcomed its surrounding neighbors into the mountain sanctuary for the first time, offering an open and relaxed opportunity to learn about monastic life and practice. On April 26, 2026, Kongshan Monastery hosted its inaugural neighborhood visit. Led by Beekman Town Supervisor Laureen, the group of 14 guests included Deputy Supervisor Kate, County Legislator Joe, and local residents. The event began at 11:30 a.m. in the Redwood Hall Dharma Hall, featuring a

A small offering, a lasting protection of the Dharma. "One Dollar a Day · Lasting Merit and Wisdom" is a gentle, steady stream of Dharma protection. With the intention of one dollar a day, you support the monastic community of Kongshan Monastery in peaceful study and practice — enabling the monastics to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the path, and allowing the true Dharma to long remain in the world. During the time of the Buddha, Mṛgāramātā Viśākhā made continuous off

Out of great compassion, the Buddha established the Varṣā (Summer Retreat) — a three-month period in which monastics gather their minds, dwell in stillness, and engage in diligent study and practice, taking the precepts as their teacher and the Dharma as their refuge, thereby cultivating and deepening the merits of discipline, concentration, and wisdom. For the monastic community, the Summer Retreat is the most important and most sacred period of practice in the entire year.

To support one Dharma master in peaceful study and practice is to potentially nurture the Dharma-body and wisdom-life of countless beings. The Buddha taught that the Sangha is the supreme field of merit in the world. Making offerings to the Triple Gem not only enables the monastic community to propagate the true Dharma, but also accumulates vast merit and virtue for oneself and one's family. 📖 As recorded in the Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish: The bhikkhu Ratnadeva was on

Today, the fifteenth day of the fourth lunar month, marks the beginning of the annual Summer Retreat (Vassa). This year, ten monastics of Kongshan Temple will remain in residence here for the three-month retreat and engage in collective cultivation and practice. The Summer Retreat is an important institution established within the Buddhist Sangha in accordance with seasonal conditions and the requirements of spiritual cultivation. According to the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya (Si Fen

On February 22, 2026, Kongshan Temple joyfully hosted the Lunar New Year Pilgrimage for the Year of the Horse. The theme of this year’s assembly was "Offering of Prajna," featuring ten distinct types of offerings. The event was meticulously designed with profound spiritual meaning, seamless proceedings, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The assembly commenced with a New Year discourse by the Elder Venerable Juhui. The Venerable shared an inspiring story of a novice monk whose

At the dawn of 2026, we were delighted to welcome volunteers from LIFE CAMP (International Bliss and Wisdom Youth Life Growth Camp) for a temple visit. Having just completed their four-day youth camp at Honor's Haven, the group traveled to Kongshan Temple for a spiritual pilgrimage. Around 1:00 PM, approximately 50 students arrived at the mountain gate. As they walked up toward the Buddha Hall, they were greeted by the serene, snow-covered landscape of Conch Lake. For those f

The North Star shines brightly in the night, guiding lost travelers back to their path—and the Lamrim Study Group is our home. During the main session of the Gratitude-to-Guru Dharma Assembly in New York, more than 20 students courageously stepped forward, making a vow to serve as Class Leaders for new Lamrim Study Groups. This deep love for the Lamrim, profound gratitude towards our Guru, and the commitment to help sentient beings leave suffering and attain happiness will su

The first snow fell on December 3rd, blanketing the earth in pure white. We pray that the Ten Virtuous Deeds (Pure Dharma) may fill the human world. This is the first accumulating snow of the year at Kongshan Temple. Overnight, the world became flawlessly white. As our Venerable Teacher praised in writing, "The Ten Virtuous Deeds, pure and flawless, adorn life like snowflakes." By drawing near to virtuous mentors and listening to the authentic Dharma, we learn to create posit