The Year of the Dragon began with great vibrancy at Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Chicago, featuring a series of cultural exchanges and New Year blessing activities. On February 17, the temple welcomed two large buses carrying over 100 devotees from the Quang Minh Vietnamese Buddhist Temple in Chicago, led by Venerable Minh Hanh. Head Priest Venerable Yung Han delivered a welcoming address and introduced the temple’s New Year cultural programs. BLIA Chicago Vice President Yun Guo provided English translation, while Superintendent Yu-Wen Huang provided Vietnamese translation.
Venerable Minh Hanh led the assembly in chanting blessings in Vietnamese before the Triple Gem. Subsequently, Venerable Yung Han led the group in reciting “A Prayer for the New Year” by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in English. The guests were presented with “Cloud and Water: Ease and Liberty” auspicious red envelopes and small gourd ornaments. Many first-time visitors joyfully participated in offering incense, lighting lamps, seeking Dharma words, and writing prayer cards. Participants showed great interest in the Master’s “Dharma Words for Life,” seeking interpretations on concepts like “Living to Three Hundred” and “Emptiness Precedes Existence.” Second Subchapter President Piao-Jin Xu and volunteers warmly received the guests with Vietnamese snacks and longan red date tea.
Located in Chicago’s Uptown area, Quang Minh Temple serves as a center for both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhist communities. Venerable Minh Hanh praised FGS Chicago for its immediate English translations, noting that localizing Buddhism is an excellent way to ensure the transmission of the Dharma. He also remarked that the well-organized structure of monastics and lay followers, all practicing the “Three Acts of Goodness,” significantly strengthens community cohesion.
During their dialogue, Venerable Minh Hanh, who spent five years practicing in India, shared his insights on the challenges and future of Buddhism in India. He expressed confidence that by following the Buddha’s teachings and nurturing the seeds of faith through education, Buddhism will eventually flourish in India once again.
Venerable Yung Han highlighted that FGS founder Venerable Master Hsing Yun placed immense value on culture and education, establishing the Fo Guang Cultural Enterprise to publish Buddhist texts in multiple languages globally. Superintendent Mai-Ping Chou also introduced FGS initiatives in India, such as the Samanera and Female Buddhist Academies, which focus on cultivating talent and overcoming the impacts of the caste system.
To conclude the visit, Venerable Yung Han presented the Vietnamese edition of “Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom in Humanistic Buddhism” and a Maitreya Buddha statue to Venerable Minh Hanh. BLIA members sang “May the Buddha’s Light Shine on You” to bid farewell to the group, marking a successful and auspicious New Year visit for the devotees of Quang Minh Temple.