今年五月十八日下午三時，在西沙加緬度法界聖城舉行的「陳毓襄鋼琴獨奏會」，吸引了五百多名聽眾參加。這場演奏會是為了籌建萬佛聖城「國際哲學倫理研究院」而舉行的義演，演出十分成功。
陳毓襄當天彈了蕭邦、舒伯特、布拉姆斯、巴拉基烈夫等名家的十首樂曲，她不僅琴藝高超，而且在詮釋樂曲和彈法方面都有獨到之處，彈起琴來時而有雷霆萬鈞之勢，時而如小語呢喃般輕柔，她的音樂中所流露的情感使得許多聽眾情不自禁流下眼淚。在安可曲部分，陳毓襄別出心裁彈起台灣民謠「望春風」，簡單的旋律配上豐富的情感，陳毓襄飛舞在琴鍵上的手指彷彿具有魔力似的，使得美國朋友聽了讚不絕口，台灣來的聽眾則興起思鄉之情，頻頻拭淚。
演奏會結束後，全場五百餘位來賓全部起立報以熱烈的掌聲，久久不歇。本身學習音樂，聽過許多鋼琴演奏會的西沙加緬度警察局長夫人凱柔李歐娜德表示，陳毓襄的獨奏會，是她有生以來所聽過最優美動人的鋼琴演奏會。西沙加緬度的一位當地居民泰瑞戴維斯說，陳毓襄的演奏會十分令人感動，有機會聽她演奏，真是一大福氣。
陳毓襄在一九九三年參加當時鋼琴界獎金最高的波格瑞利曲國際鋼琴大賽，這項比賽規定，必須在其他國際鋼琴大賽中得過獎的人才有資格報名。總共有兩百多名各國鋼琴好手報名角逐，都是三、四十餘歲，琴藝與人生經驗相當成熟的鋼琴家，其中還有多位國際知名的鋼琴演奏家。唯獨陳毓襄以二十三歲初生之犢的姿態，在柴可夫斯基國際鋼琴大賽中獲得第五名的資格參賽。為了平息內心的緊張，當時陳毓襄開始每天誦持「楞嚴咒」五到六遍，並且拜地藏菩薩、拜宣公上人法相、觀想十方諸佛。在這樣用功的情況下，陳毓襄練琴從專心而達到渾然忘我、與音樂合一的境界。
有一天，在頂禮宣公上人法相時，她忽然靈光一閃，覺得這次比賽期間練琴，已練到忘掉自我的境界，早已超越平日的水準，何須去跟別人爭名次、分高下？因此，在決賽時，陳毓襄說：「我真正覺得不是參加比賽，而是上台演奏。我關心的不再是名次，而是我是否在演奏中，將琴藝灌注在每一個音符裡。」她當時發願：「要將琴聲供養十方三世諸佛菩薩，並與法界所有眾生結緣，讓所有聽到我琴聲的人，都能離苦得樂。」將名次置諸腦後的結果是，她和澳洲籍的鋼琴名家麥克哈維共同獲得這項大賽的首獎。
陳毓襄在獲獎之後，遠離媒體的包圍，前往西沙加緬度法界聖城皈依宣公上人，更把將近十萬美元的獎金全數捐給宣公上人辦教育。上人當時勉勵陳毓襄在琴藝上沉潛努力，繼續進步；同時教她要拜《法華經》。
這些年來，陳毓襄不曾忘記上人給她的功課：拜《法華經》，她總是抽空拜或念誦這部經中之王。目前在北美和歐洲，她每年有二、三十場演奏會。每回出門演奏，身邊的行李箱總少不了《法華經》。這項功課幫助她在琴藝上不斷突破，更能夠從容的面對人生。在這次的演奏會之前三個多星期，陳毓襄夢見宣公上人帶領她去拜菩薩。醒過來後，她更加緊念經的功課。
國際哲學倫理研究院的宗旨是希望藉著各宗教、哲學、倫理、文化之間的學習與交流來促進人類的相互了解，走向世界和平。這是宣公上人生前的理想，也是法界佛教總會多年來各分支道場默默努力的目標。例如：恆實法師住持的柏克萊法界宗教研究院就經常參與各宗教間的對話交流活動。今年初恆實法師參與的宗教聯合國組織邀請天主教舊金山教區韋斯特主教以及多位神父修女前往萬佛聖城，和佛教各宗派的代表人士進行對話。韋斯特主教也在萬佛聖城內發表公開演講，並主持望彌撒儀式。
西沙加緬度前任市府經理喬戈登，對於國際哲學倫理研究院的宗旨非常讚賞，認為十分切合當前時代的需要。他甚至希望西沙加緬度法界聖城將來也能成立國際哲學倫理研究院的機構，來幫助當地的民眾。
這次鋼琴演奏會的主要籌辦人恆貴法師很欣慰的表示，我們以世界級的鋼琴演奏來籌款，為國際哲學倫理研究院的興建掀開序幕。希望未來完工後，這座研究院將是一座世界級的研究院。而在那兒的修行人，更是世界級的修行人。
The audience gave her a standing ovation. Carol Leonard, the wife of the West Sacramento Chief of Police, who is knowledgeable about music, said that this was the most beautiful and touching concert she had ever attended in her entire life. A Sacramento local, Terri Davis, said that the concert was very moving and a great blessing to attend. Overseas Chinese Commissioner Jong Chen, who was attending the concert on behalf of Director General Lee of the Taipei Economic and Culture Office in San Francisco, has listened to classical music for more than thirty years and was very familiar with many of the pieces Gwhyneth played. Hence, he could especially feel Gwhyneth’s deep understanding of the piano and was moved to tears by her performance. He considers Gwhyneth one of the best pianists in the United States and feels very honored to have such a talented Chinese pianist in the United States. More than ten years ago, Jong Chen used to go for dinner at the Hotel El Rancho, which is now the City of the Dharma Realm. When he visited this time, he was surprised to see that the resort hotel was now a monastery and felt that this transformation of the former resort was very meaningful. He also thought that the concert sponsored by the City of the Dharma Realm was of the highest quality. He commented, “I never expected a Buddhist organization like yours to sponsor activities so well. If you need my help in the future, please let me know. I will try my best to assist.”
After the concert, Gwhyneth said that out of the more than five hundred concerts she has played, this is one of the concerts that gave her the most satisfaction. Very humbly, she gives all of the credit to the sixty volunteers who prepared for the event. These volunteers came from our branch temples throughout California, including the Institute for World Religions & Berkeley Buddhist Monastery in Berkeley, the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) in Talmage, Gold Mountain Monastery in San Francisco, Gold Sage Monastery in San Jose and Gold Wheel Monastery in Los Angeles in addition to the Dharma protectors and laypeople from the City of the Dharma Realm in Sacramento. Gwhyneth said that these volunteers rose early, retired late and worked hard to prepare for the event. Not a single person complained or quarreled with one another. “Everyone acted as if they were going to play on stage themselves instead of I.” She had never seen such enthusiastic staff. She said that these volunteers gave her a lot of spiritual support and were the main reason for her success in this performance. She had participated in some other concerts in the past where she did not feel such support from the staff. She said, “It makes a big difference whether or not people support you.”
Originally, Gwhyneth wanted to rent a nine-foot-long grand piano for the concert at the City of the Dharma Realm. However, the day before the performance, she was only able to get a smaller seven- foot one. While practicing on the seven-foot piano, she was not very satisfied with its sound. However, she could not do anything about it. When she tried the piano on the day of the concert, she found to her surprise that the sound from the piano turned out great. Even the people sitting in the very last row could hear the lightest note she played. “A seven-foot piano sounds like a nine-foot one. Inconceivable!” She felt very different playing in this concert. She hopes there will be opportunities in the future to play for a Wayplace again. Nevertheless, the piano performance at the City of the Dharma Realm brought her a new assignment. Dharma Master Sure recommended that she not only bow to and recite the Dharma Flower Sutra, but also memorize the entire sutra. Dharma Master Sure believed that combining the Dharma Flower Sutra with music would produce the most beautiful melody. In addition, Dharma Master Chih suggested that Gwhyneth Chen recite the Earth Store Sutra as well. With a smile, Gwhyneth commented, “Quite a few assignments!”
Dharma Master Heng Gwei, one of the organizers of the concert, delightedly expressed that since we have sponsored a world-class piano performance as the prologue for the IIPE, she hopes that after the IIPE is established, it will be a world-class institute with world-class cultivators. Dharma Master Shr , another organizer from Gold Wheel Monastery in Los Angeles, also talked about all kinds of difficulties encountered in the planning including the concert hall’s ventilation problem, which was resolved wonderfully on its own on the day of the event. Dharma Master Shr smiled and said, “Everything turns out for the best!”