On February 1, 2025, Fo Guang Shan Chicago hosted the “Neighbor & Community Joy Day,” inviting local residents to celebrate the Lunar New Year and experience Chinese culture firsthand. The event attracted over 150 participants, creating an atmosphere that was both vibrant and serene.
The celebration opened with an exhibition of calligraphy by Fo Guang Shan founder Venerable Master Hsing Yun, alongside the continuing “3,000 Realms of Cloud and Water” special exhibit. Multiple creative and interactive cultural booths were set up, including Bell Ringing for Blessings, Master’s Calligraphy Rubbing, One-Stroke Calligraphy experience, Sutra Calligraphy, One-Character Zen, Life’s Oracle, Lotus Origami, Year of the Snake paper crafts, Prayer Card writing, and Lamp Offering. These activities allowed guests to immerse themselves in Chinese culture, filling the venue with joy and harmony.
During the event, U.S. Representative Bill Foster visited the various booths, praising the cultural integration and the positive social impact of the activities, noting their contribution to spiritual harmony in society. Illinois State Representative Janet Yang Rohr extended her New Year wishes, encouraging everyone to create new opportunities in the Year of the Snake and embrace hope through wisdom. Director Chang Zheng-yu of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Chicago offered blessings, wishing guests the nourishment of the Dharma. Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli greeted the crowd with “Happy New Year” in Chinese and thanked Fo Guang Shan for opening its doors, allowing the community to learn about compassion and wisdom.
Head Priest Venerable Yung Han expressed her gratitude to the guests and local emergency responders for their long-term support of Fo Guang Shan Chicago. She presented them with framed calligraphy by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, “Cloud and Water: Ease and Liberty; Harmony and Joy.” The Venerable shared her hope that the temple would continue to integrate the philosophy of “practicing the Dharma like flowing water”—freely and universally—into community service, providing diverse local support and bringing hope and tranquility to society during uncertain times.
In another session, Venerable Miao Wei guided the public through twenty minutes of meditation and tea tasting, introducing the concept of “Humanistic Living Zen.” She taught participants how to enhance self-awareness and mindfulness of their surroundings through breath-focused practice. More importantly, she encouraged everyone to transcend the idea that Zen is limited to a meditation cushion, urging them to integrate Zen into every moment of daily life.
Venerable Bhante from the True Dhamma NFP Burmese temple attended the event and remarked that despite the two-hour timeframe, the rich and diverse content provided participants with immense inspiration. Local neighbors showed great interest in Sutra Calligraphy, noting that it brought inner peace and helped cultivate patience. Participants ranging from five-year-olds to eighty-year-old seniors focused intently on their “One-Stroke Calligraphy.” One participant remarked that this moment perfectly illustrated Master Hsing Yun’s words: “Do not look at my handwriting; please look at my heart.” The focused expressions and smiles of the participants became the most touching scenes of the day.
Wei-Di Wang, a civil engineering student at the University of Notre Dame, shared that experiencing the calligraphy and wishing booths was a deeply meaningful New Year tradition for him. Bin-Xin Wang, a White Elephant Executive of the Chicago YAD, noted the heartwarming atmosphere created by everyone respectfully copying the Master’s Dharma words. Participant Lauren Chan praised the successful planning of the interactive booths. Her six-year-old son, Lucas, served as a volunteer, enthusiastically showing guests how to write and hang their wishes on the prayer tree, a gesture that moved many. Through diverse cultural exchange, this 2025 New Year celebration showcased the spirit of Humanistic Buddhism, leaving everyone with the hope that in the coming year, “there is always a path forward; light is on the horizon.”