Sheng Yen taught in the United States starting in 1975, and established Chan Meditation Center in Queens, New York, and its retreat center, Dharma Drum Retreat Center at Pine Bush, New York in 1997. He also visited many countries in Europe, as well as continuing his teaching in several Asian countries, in particular Taiwan. Sheng Yen gave dharma transmission to several of his lay Western students, such as John Crook, who later formed the Western Chan Fellowship, and several other Western disciples such as Simon Child, Max Kalin, and Zarko Andricevic. Sheng Yen's health was poor in the last couple years of his life, although he still gave lectures in Taiwan. Death Sheng Yen died from renal failure on February 3, 2009, while returning from National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei. He had endured the illness for many years, but refused a kidney transplant. In accordance with East Asian age reckoning, the Dharma Drum Mountain organization states that Sheng Yen died at the age of 80. Officially, according to the Western way of reckoning age, Sheng Yen died at the age of 78. Hours after his death, tributes from eminent Buddhist monks and Taiwanese politicians and celebrities, including President Ma Ying-jeou, Vice President Vincent Siew, DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, kung fu star Jet Li, and actress Brigitte Lin, began to pour into Dharma Drum Mountain monastery. As stipulated in his will, Sheng Yen forbade the use of extravagant funeral services, including the construction of memorials or monuments. Sheng Yen received a simple Buddhist ritual attended by the President and dignitaries, and was buried in the Life Memorial Garden near the monastery. His ashes were divided into five sections, with each section filled by the Abbot, senior disciples, President Ma, Vice President Siew, and other laity. Dharma heirs Monastics: Monks: Chi Chern Guo Ru Guo Yuan Guo Pin Guo Dong Huimin Guo Xing Guo Jun Nuns: Guo Jing Guo Kuang Guo Yi Guo Zhao Western Lay practitioners: Jimmy Yu (Guo Gu) John Crook, PhD, DSC Simon Child Max Kalin Zarko Andricevic Gilbert Gutierrez In the Chan lineage of Sheng Yen, a "Dharma heir" receives the dharma transmission based on his or her selfless administrative contributions to Dharma Drum Mountain and practice of Chan. However, a Dharma heir may not have had a personal experience of self-nature or Buddha-nature, the nature of śūnyatā, in which case the person would also receive yinke