Guided Meditation and Q&A

David Listen, a longtime instructor at Dharma Drum Retreat Center, will join remotely to answer questions and share insights on sitting meditation and the application of Chan/Zen practice in daily life. This gathering is open to beginners, experienced practitioners, and everyone in between.

• ​​10:15 AM — Arrive and settle in
• ​​10:30 AM — Guided meditation
• ​​10:50 AM — Talk and Q&A
• ​​11:40 AM — Silent meditation
• ​​12:00 PM — Informal Q&A (for anyone interested)

​David Listen has been sharing Chan/Zen meditation and Buddhist teachings for 20 years, leading intensive meditation retreats, classes, and activities at various monasteries, college campuses, and private institutions throughout North America, Europe, and East Asia. Previously known as Venerable Chang Wen (常聞法師), he was one of the few Western monastic disciples of Chan Master Sheng Yen. After more than a decade as a monk, he returned to lay life in 2015 and has continued sharing the Buddha’s teachings in his own creative way.

​David is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and has done extensive work translating the teachings of Chinese Buddhism into English, both on retreat and in published works. He holds a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies, a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling, and is currently licensed counselor in the State of New York. He also has his own life mentoring/coaching practice, guiding people in their cultivation of wisdom and compassion on an individual basis. He currently lives with his wife in New York and hopes to continue to share Buddhism in a practical and down-to-earth way via social media and upcoming publications.