Taichung City Mayor Hu Zhi Qiang welcomed Master Sheng Yen on behalf of the citizens in Taichung City , and, together with his wife, paid homage to the Master. He mentioned receiving a handwritten letter of condolence from Master Sheng Yen on the fourth day after his wife was seriously injured in a car accident, which left him feeling so moved and therefore able to see some hope. The letter is now displayed on the wall in his wife’s room. Therefore, he particularly made the time to attend this event, so as to express his gratitude to the Master, and call for the public’s joint support for the Dharma Drum University (DDU).

The Master gave an enlightening talk on the meaning of his scroll No. 151 entitled “Forgetting it’s a play while watching a play. Not realizing it’s a dream while in the dream.” He explained, “Everyone knows the saying that our life is but a dream. However, people are still living in the dream, without awakening for their entire life. The actors know the play will come to an end, but most people merely shed tears and laugh at the characters. Only those who have practiced spiritually can realize that birth and death is just a dream.” Mayor Hu responded that the Master brought the Chan spirit to his calligraphy, and that his Chan spirit is reflected his calligraphy. The scroll made people realize the dream, the play, and the life itself. Much as a dream and play will finish, if we could support the establishment of DDU, then it would no longer be a dream, but an educational achievement for good.

Establishing a university is in itself a difficult task, let alone one that is based on the spirit of Protecting Spiritual Environment, for the purpose of cultivating talents who can purify people’s minds, for the sake of the future of society and humanity. Master Sheng Yen has repeatedly and sincerely pleaded for the public’s confidence in him, and even more for confidence in the DDU. DDM is now promoting a project for public support of the DDU. In addition to the charity sales of Master Sheng Yen’s calligraphy and sponsoring the printing of Collection of Master Sheng Yen’s Calligraphy of Dharma Words, the public can also join in the project of “great vows to establish the university” by donating 5 NT dollars a day for three years, amounting to a total 5,475 dollars, which is to help Master Sheng Yen fulfill his compassionate vow of building a pure land on earth sooner.

There were 88 pieces displayed in the Taichung exhibition, including long pieces of sutra transcription, inspiring Dharma phrases, and mottoes for life. The Taichung exhibition of the “Free Mind and Chan Delight—Master Sheng Yen’s calligraphy on Dharma words” exhibition series, intended to raise funds for the DDU, finished on August 5.