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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

This was the Venerables' first official day moving into Kongshan Temple. On the way to the temple, they initially planned to stop at a gas station to inflate their tires. Unexpectedly, right after adding air, one of the tires blew out. Fortunately, there was a repair shop nearby. A Venerable walked over and asked the owner for help. The owner was incredibly kind; he immediately rushed to the site with a jack and other tools. He then took the tire back, repaired it, and person

One day, a Venerable from Kongshan Temple was driving along a nearby country road when they unexpectedly encountered a family of geese enjoying an outing. As the goose parents began to lead their little ones across the road, vehicles traveling in both directions came to a stop in silent, perfect unison. It was already quite warm in New York then, perhaps the parents were taking the goslings for a swim or playtime! From this small moment, we can see that not only is the local

Kongshan Temple officially closed escrow in early May 2024, followed immediately by its first cleaning Dharma Assembly. Over a hundred lay practitioners attended that day, including students from New York State and many who traveled great distances from other states, all gathering to witness and participate in this historic moment. The name "Kongshan Temple" was personally bestowed by the Teacher. It was inspired by the poem Mountain Dwelling in Autumn Dusk by Wang Wei, spec

Over the decades, since the Venerable Guru began lecturing on the Lamrim and established study groups, the foundation, and the campus, the Teacher has been tireless in continuing this legacy by setting up the monastic and lay five-major-treatise curriculum and giving teachings on the two stages of Calm Abiding and Special Insight. After decades of effort, our curriculum is now well-established. However, one key matter that the Teacher has frequently brought up in recent year

The late lay practitioner Shen Jiazhen fervently hoped that the Venerable Guru would establish a monastery and the monastic community in the United States to benefit practitioners with karmic connections in North America. Understanding the Guru’s intention and vow, the Teacher has been actively striving to establish Kongshan Temple in the U.S. At the same time, the Teacher has been contemplating how our organization can take a further step toward internationalization. For nea

In January 2024, the Teacher personally convened several meetings in New York, inviting key monastic and lay executives—including senior monastics and chief administrators. Prior to this, even the Venerables closest to the Teacher were unclear why the Teacher insisted on traveling to the U.S. to look at land despite being physically exhausted. It was during this meeting that the Teacher slowly unfolded this profound history... The story traces back decades: the very first pla

北辰星在夜裡閃亮，指引迷途的旅人找到歸路，廣論研討班就是我們的家。 在紐約憶師恩法會正行時，有20多位學員勇悍發心，報名發願承擔新廣論研討班班長，這份對廣論的熱愛、對師父的報恩心、將眾生離苦得樂的視為己任，必將感得宗大師教法興盛。 11/23，在性植法師、性依法師、性茂法師、性念法師的指導下，正式啟動培訓課程。 2026年將會是充滿希望的一年，期許更多師父老師的具緣弟子們早點回到廣論大家庭。 歡迎更多勇士加入北辰星計畫，詳情請洽紐約教室淨智組窗口:張一帆師兄 +1 (917)796-8362

12/3初雪，大地一片潔白，祈願純淨的十善法滿佈人間 這是今年空山寺的第一場積雪，一夜之間，世界變得潔白無瑕，老師讚頌寫到「十善法，白無暇，妝點生命如雪花」，因為親近善士聽聞正法後，我們學會造善，學會依着業果來改變命運，就把眼前的美景與自己的身財受用三時善一起供養上師三寶，回向教法久住，善士久住，速疾成就無上菩提。 不知諸位看見此景又會想到什麼？ (文圖:空山編輯室)

Perhaps the most enchanting feature of Kongshan Temple is the great lake! This 7-acre lake is situated on the southern side of the entire property, and circling it completely is no easy feat, usually taking half an hour to an hour! The lake was originally only half its size: half was naturally formed, and the other half was later excavated by the previous owner. When viewed from above, it perfectly forms the pattern of a Conch Shell, which carries the auspicious significance

Walking west from the Buddha Hall, down a small path, one arrives at a two-story wooden building with red exterior walls. In the future, this will serve as the main venue for debates, Dharma practice assemblies, and Dharma events. The space can accommodate approximately one hundred people. When the Teacher visited Kongshan Temple, they spent a particularly long time inside this wooden structure, returning more than once to quietly sense its atmosphere. It was precisely in thi

Initially, the land the New York lay practitioners requested the Teacher (老師) to visit was not the site that is now Kongshan Temple. The Teacher visited several properties in total, personally walking through each one to sense its atmosphere and determine which location would bring the greatest benefit to the Dharma and the most advantage to the disciples' practice. When the Teacher first arrived at the site of Kongshan Temple, they lingered for a very long time. Not just the

Throughout the summer of 2023, the Teacher remained on the island, leading the monastic community to receive the lineages of Ornament for Clear Realization , Treatise on the Middle Way , and Treasury of Abhidharma from the two great mentors, Akha Rinpoche and Triba Rinpoche. After these teachings, the Teacher instructed everyone on how to integrate the studied scriptures with the Stages of the Path and personal physical and mental practice. The Teacher dedicated nearly all t

Currently, the entire Kongshan Temple property spans 205 acres, equivalent to about 83 hectares, and is located in Dutchess County in upstate New York, approximately a 1.5-hour drive from New York City. The previous owners of this land managed it with great care; consequently, the landscape and interior furnishings are very well-maintained. The primary structures currently include: a monastic residence resembling a traditional Sanheyuan style courtyard, a Main Hall , a Dharma

Driving north from the heart of New York City, the dazzling phantoms of Times Square still linger in the mind. But in an instant, the scene swiftly shifts, seemingly transporting you into a boundless new world... This is upstate New York, an earthly paradise graced by the sounds of birds and the scent of flowers. After a few winding turns, it feels as though you have returned to the embrace of emerald mountains. A dense network of lakes and rivers supplies fresh water to the

這是法師們正式入住空山寺的第一天，在前往空山寺的路上，原本打算在加油站停下來幫輪胎充一下氣，沒想到氣打一打，輪胎就爆胎了。 幸好，附近有一家車廠，法師徒步走過去請老闆幫忙。老闆人非常好，帶著千斤頂等工具就趕來現場，還把輪胎帶回去修好後，再幫法師們裝上去，令法師們感激不已。 回想十多年前，僧團剛來P島的時候，第一個認識的當地居民，也正是修車廠的老闆，而老闆也是一樣地好心，鼎力相助。十年前，十年後，不一樣的國度，不一樣的老闆，不變的是，人們彼此照顧、關愛的善心。 願這樣的美景，就像老師《思荷集．我祈禱》所說：「大海的波濤，把人間的美麗故事，傳遞，傳遞！」在世界的每一個角落。

有天，空山寺的法師開車出門，在附近鄉間小道行駛的時候，意外地遇到一家大雁在外面「郊遊」，當大雁爸爸媽媽要帶著小朋友過馬路的時候，雙向的車輛一致地很有默契地停了下來。這個時候的紐約已經很熱了，或許大雁爸媽正要帶著大雁寶寶去游泳、玩耍！ 從這個小瞬間，可以看到這個地區不但景色優美，就連附近居民的心地也那麼善良，愛護動物，「和睦山丘」的稱號果然名不虛傳！ 就像大雁父母細心地護送小朋友過馬路一樣，在我們的生命中，善知識何嘗不也是一直細心地照料我們，把我們安全地護送到彼岸呢？

空山寺在2024年5月初交屋，接著就舉辦了第一次的打掃法會，當天有超過一百位的居士前來參加，包括紐約州的同學，還有不少外州的學員，也不遠千里而來，一同見證參與歷史性的一刻。 「空山寺」一名為老師親賜，選自王維的《山居秋暝》一詩，當中的「空山新雨後，天氣晚來秋」，給人一種閒適與世無爭之感。儘管這樣的意境美得像一幅圖畫，正可與此地的風光匹配，但老師最主要的意趣，也是期盼弟子們能在此處學修，證悟空性。 法師回憶道：剛開始，空山寺可說是名副其實——空空如也，大殿裡除了一張桌子外，什麼也沒有，但在打掃法會的這一天，已經可以看到簡單而又莊嚴的壇城，這都有賴於紐約居士的用心佈置。在各方大德的護持下，寺院的各項資材也逐步到位，願空山寺能如老師的期待般，將空性法輪遍轉十方。

這麼多年來，從師父宣講《廣論》，成立研討班、法人、園區，交棒給老師後，老師更是不遺餘力地建立僧俗的五大論學制，以及宣講止觀二度。幾十年的時光，我們的學制可說是初具規模，但還有一件事，是近幾年老師常常提起的，就是閉關實修的制度。也因此，2024年初老師在紐約，不但選定了寺院的地，也找到一間旅館，作為居士未來的禪修中心。 禪修本身，就是一種療癒，禪修用於改變心續上所發揮的力道，跟聽法是不同的。它會幫助我們直接在最過不去的事件上隨轉，轉掉內心深處的疼痛。 有些我們生命中的痛，想忘也忘不了，裝著看不見也不行，它就一直在那個地方，但當我們把眼耳鼻舌身對外境的注意力，慢慢開始向內心深處集中的時候，我們會發現——全部的身心靜下來的那個時刻，我們突然有能力面對那個考驗，並且，終將超越。 這便是老師想讓我們親身體會禪修的其中一個好處。