Singapore
Every year, the Alumni of NUS Buddhist Society invites Venerable Ji Chi and Venerable Tong Ming to conduct meditation workshops, 1-day retreats, and camps in Singapore. Both of them are students of Venerable Chi Chern and are formally appointed by him as qualified meditation instructors. Meditation workshops are for beginners who have no experience in meditation at all while meditation camp is a three- to five-day retreat meant for experienced meditators who would like to revise and practise meditation to a more intensive and structured schedule.

Malaysia
Venerable Chi Chern conducts intensive meditation retreats in November and December every year in Ipoh, Malaysia . These retreats include “Undergraduates/Graduates 7-day retreat”, “Beginner-level 7-day retreat”, “Intermediate-level 7-day retreat” and “Advanced-level 14-day retreat”. The contents of these retreats include sitting meditation, walking meditation, prostration, stretching exercises and Dharma talks. The location of the retreat is “ Prajna Cave ” which is a scenic and tranquil getaway suitable for meditation.

继程法师为了让更多佛友接受正确的修行观念与方法，也为了贯彻修学佛法“解行并重”的指导以及培养有宗教体验与宗教情操的弘法人员，自 1980 年代起便开始指导静坐并陆续开办“静（坐）七” 、 “精进静（坐）七”及“加行静（坐）七”等静坐密集课程，为广大佛友提供了许多学习静坐法门与密集共修的难得机会，也从中培训出无数青年男女投身佛教活动。

新加坡

新加坡国立大学佛学会校友会每年都从马来西亚邀请受继程法师所委任之禅修导师 —— 继持法师与通明法师到来指导静坐课程。

课程除了为完全无静坐经验人士所开办之“静坐学习坊，
也包括了为曾经学习静坐方法之禅众提供较密集的共修机
会而开办之“静修营”。

马来西亚怡保“般若岩”

每年的 11 、 12 月，继程法师都会主持密集的静坐课程，如“大专静（坐）七” 、 “静（坐）七” 、“精进静（坐）七”及“加行静（坐）七”等。 课程的内容包括静坐 、 跑香 、拜佛、经行、运动及师父开示。课程的地点就位于山明水秀 、 环境清幽的怡保“般若岩”。

联络处:
太平佛教会 Taiping Buddhist Association
18 Upper Museum Rd
34000 Taiping Perak
Tel. (+60) 02-05-8074549

传灯者 —— 继程法师

人间比丘继程法师是马来西亚一位受人景仰的法师，多年来全心奉献于佛教文化， 教育，弘法和修行，影响马来西亚佛学教育深远。

法师弘法，并不拘泥形式，积极创办常年性的各类佛教青年团运动及禅修课程， 尽管时间表排得密不透风，法师人忙心不忙，始终自在活泼，以不紧不缓的步调，
廿余年来，除了出版自身的佛教文学丛书，也悠悠然创作了许多脍炙人口的佛曲歌词， 至今在新马各地广泛流传。

法师可说是本地校园民谣风佛曲的带动者，他用更亲近人们的文字，带出文浅意深的佛词， 将佛法传至各文化阶层的人们心中，让人人手上都有明灯驱走黑暗，让人人心中滋生力量， 驱走无明，为落实人间净土的志愿默默耕耘。

法师长期以来在报章、杂志及特刊发表佛学论文、课程讲录及佛教文学作品，结集成书三十多种。包括《一代人天师范》、《小止观讲记》、《翱翔佛法 太虚》、《只是我闻》、《活水源头》等等。创作佛曲歌词多首，由多位佛
友谱曲流通，如〈无尽灯〉、〈慧灯普照〉、〈禅灯组曲〉等。

法师现常居于太平过‘太平日子’，并以 " 船到桥头自然直 " 的心态应付未来。

Venerable Chi Chern

(Translated from Flowers Blossom on a Withered Tree, a biography of Master Sheng Yen )

Born in Malaysia , Venerable Chi Chern was ordained as a Buddhist monk by elderly Master Zhu Mo in Penang . Two years after his ordination, he traveled to Taiwan to further his studies of Buddhadharma in the Fo Guang Buddhist College.

In 1980, at the age of 25, he participated in four consecutive seven-day retreats with Master Sheng Yen (Shifu), twice as a retreatant and twice as a volunteer. After the retreats, he stayed behind to fast in Wen Hua Guan (the Buddhist institute where the retreats were held). During his stay, Shifu took good care of him in a subtle manner, showing no overt concern to avoid fostering a sense of dependency.

"There were only about 20 to 30 practitioners at the retreats. Shifu devoted himself completely to taking care of us, who were to an extent just ignorant, over-aged kids." He said, "At that time, Shifu was at his peak physically and mentally. I could sense his strong energy which generated a very tight atmosphere in the Chan Hall."

"During the retreats, in addition to his constant prodding with huatou, Shifu used inciting words to provoke our emotions and pressed us to tears during prostrations.

"While fast walking, we were asked to investigate into the huatou 'Who is dragging a corpse around?' Shifu raised his voice like a lion roar and used the incense stick to demand that we answer the huatou. The phrase 'dragging a corpse around' is such a nasty description. It was very hard to withstand the intensity generated by it. Shifu was forcing us to enter into the mass of doubt."

Under close guidance from Shifu and with the maturity of conditions, Venerable Chi Chern opened up the mind's eye. It happened in an instant and he was in tears of joy. "This sensation was like seeking in a dark and cloudy night with no stars and moon. All of a sudden a stroke of lightning appeared. In that instant, one has a glimpse of the path and destination. Though not completely lucid, the impression was there." Venerable Chi Chern vividly recollected those moments. 

Shifu wanted him to go out of the hall and look at the world again. "There is no difference but I could see that the trees and grasses were more lovely. I no longer just stepped recklessly in the grasslands."

"Shifu helped me to gain a genuine experience of Buddhadharma. I had a heart-felt understanding of the verse: Devoting one's body and mind to serve in worlds as numerous as dust, that, is truly repaying the kindness and benevolence of the Buddha."

After receiving Shifu's confirmation, Venerable Chi Chern returned to Malaysia and taught intensive mediation classes. As of the experience of 'seeing the nature,' he said "It was a very powerful energy. As a result of that, my understandings and experiences of Buddhadharma flow forth directly from my heart. I told my students that this kind of experience is real."

In order to spread the teachings to more people, Venerable Chi Chern returned to Taiwan to visit Shifu in 1986. Shifu bestowed transmission to him in the meditation room, giving him the lineage Dharma name "Chuan Xian Jian Mi" (Seeing the esoteric, transmitting the exoteric). Shifu advised him to continue his practice with a huatou, warning him that although he had experienced a deeper taste of the practice, it was not firm enough. Shifu emphasized that there is a need for practitioners who have genuine practice and genuine understanding to teach the Chan Dharma. One must also have a firm and pure faith, as well as vows. Shifu encouraged Venerable Chi Chern to continue his own cultivation of the body and mind in addition to teaching the Dharma.

Heeding the advice of Shifu, Venerable Chi Chern returned to Malaysia to conduct seven-day retreats. In the 90s, he returned to the Nong Chan Monastery in Taiwan for a seven-day retreat to deepen his own practice. He felt profoundly that the deeper one gets into the practice of Chan, the simpler and more placid it becomes. A tea lover, Venerable Chi Chern called himself a "tea monk." Making a connection between tea drinking and the understanding of Buddhadharma, he described that particular retreat as a well brewed pot of tea. He commented, "If the tea is truly good, one doesn't have to worry that it is plain and light in flavour." A good tea will always leave an endless and timeless taste.

释继持法师

法 师 于 1975 年 开 始 学 佛 。1993 年 毕 业 于 马 来 西 亚 国 民 大 学 ，修 读 的 是 心 理 学 科 。曾 经 担 任 马 来 西 亚 国 民 大 学 佛 学 会 主 席，马 佛 学 院 语 文 及 佛 学 教 师 。1996 年 法 师 依 槟 城 三 慧 讲 堂 开 山 住 持 竺 摩 法 师 出 家 ，1998 年 毕 业 于 马 佛 学 院 高 级 班 。

法 师 现 任 怡 保 般 若 佛 法 研 修 会 属 下 之 慧 灯 静 修 组 主 任 。法 师 也 是 继 程 法 师 所 委 任 之 其 中 一 位 禅 修 课 程 助 教 。

法 师 也 在 各 大 专 学 府 积 极 弘 法 ，常 参 举 办 生 活 营，为 年 青 学 子 带 来 生 动 活 泼 的 佛 学 认 识。

Ven. Ji Chi graduated from National University of Malaysia in 1993, with major in Psychology. She was the chairman of the National University of Malaysia Buddhist Society. Ven. took ordination in 1996 by late Venerable Chu Mo, and graduated from Malaysian Buddhist Institute in 1998. Upon graduation, Venerable took up teaching in the language and propagation departments of the Malaysian Buddhist Institute for a few years.

Presently, she heads the Dharma committee of the Prajna Buddhist Society, while traveling extensively among tertiary institutions in Malaysia, leading Dharma workshops, classes and meditation classes. Amidst busy teaching schedule, Venerable undertakes quiet retreats
for herself to study Buddhist classics and scriptures.

She is also one of the meditation instructors appointed by Venerable Chi Chern. She assists Ven. Chi Chern in facilitating the series of meditation retreats held annually at Ipoh Prajna Cave (temple).

释通明法师

法 师 于 1996 年 出 家，1998 年 毕 业 于 马 来 西 亚 佛 学 院 高 级 班。同 年 受 戒 于 台 湾 光 德 寺。现 任 怡 保 般 若 佛 法 研 修 会 属 下 之 慧 灯 静 修 组 副 秘 书。

法 师 也 是 继 程 法 师 委 任 禅 修 课 程 之 班 首。

Ven. Tong Ming, who took her ordination vows in 1996, graduated from Malaysian Buddhist Institute Advanced class in 1998. She is currently the Vice-Secretary to the Dharma committee in Prajna Buddhist Society. She has been appointed by Venerable Chi Chern as Meditation Teaching Guide.