There is no conversation. It has been a hard day for all. Up since 4:15 A.M., all have gone through the same rigorous schedule, including a total of about eight hours of sitting meditation. Their mental and physical states vary. Some are distracted and discouraged by the pain and strain of long sitting. Others have transcended their physical problems and have settled their minds enough to begin experiencing deeper meditative states. All are bonded in a common undertaking ─ to practice Ch'an.

To some this means spiritual realization, to others, perhaps a way to improve their emotional lives or health. These distinctions do not matter to Master Sheng-Yen. He speaks to all as fellow travelers on the path. When Master Sheng-Yen enters to give his talk, the mood is already palpable with a feeling that only be described as reverence. This reverence, although personified in Master Sheng-Yen, actually transcends his person. This is no accident, for it is Master Sheng-Yen himself who imbues in his students a profound sense of the teaching of the Buddha, and the example of the Bodhisattvas. This mood is all the more poignant for being devoid of any sense of worship: the Buddha is perceived as a teacher and exemplar, not a god.

Though frail of body, Master Sheng-Yen conveys a sense of great spiritual energy. From morning till night, his presence dominates and sets the tone; the mental climate of the retreat is the collective mind of all present, but it is also shaped and guided by the master's personality. To experience Master Sheng-Yen's rebuke is to be truly humbled; to receive his compassion is to be moved to tears. He is also a very funny man, capable of hilarious feats of story-telling and mimicry. When delivering the lessons of the Dharma, his dark eyes blaze with zeal, so that even the English translation which follows can become superfluous. When he comforts a suffering student in front of everyone, all are comforted.