On February 10, the first day of the Lunar New Year, Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Chicago hosted a “Lunar New Year Cultural Open House.” The event welcomed nearly 250 neighbors and devotees from diverse cultural backgrounds to participate in the tradition of “joyful spring walking,” offering the first incense of the year, and viewing the “Commemorating Founder Venerable Master Hsing Yun: Cloud and Water Travels” photo exhibition. The ceremony included a blessing service conducted entirely in English, praying for a year of “Cloud and Water: Ease and Liberty; Harmony and Joy.”
Head Priest Venerable Yung Han presented each visitor with a lotus flower symbolizing joy and harmony. She remarked that the teachings of Venerable Master Hsing Yun—the “Three Acts of Goodness and Four Givings”—are not mere slogans but practices to be integrated into daily life to create social happiness and peace. Superintendent Venerable You Heng introduced the cultural activities, which allowed neighbors to experience Humanistic Buddhism through stations such as calligraphy rubbing, Bodhisattva scratch art, lamp offerings, prayer cards, lantern making, paper lotus folding, and copying “Vegetable Root Talks” (Cai Gen Tan).
U.S. Congressman Bill Foster visited the cultural booths and noted the profound influence of Buddhism on thousands of years of Chinese art and culture. He commended FGS for bringing positive energy to society and promoting peace through cultural exchange. Illinois State Representative Anne Stava-Murray wished everyone a Happy New Year, stating that she felt a powerful strength from the fusion of Dharma and traditional culture.
State Representative Janet Yang Rohr highlighted the historical significance of the Lunar New Year and thanked the temple for integrating cultural innovation into community life. She proudly presented a certificate to FGS Chicago acknowledging the 103rd General Assembly’s resolution to designate the Lunar New Year as a significant holiday in Illinois. Deputy Director-General Wei-Cheng Lee of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Chicago also praised FGS for its global commitment to culture, education, and purifying the human mind.
The temple was filled with joyful scenes: neighbors and friends exchanging greetings, university students learning about New Year customs, and families taking photos with the “Dragon Baby” mascot. Whether it was young couples praying for their future or three generations of a family seeking health and safety, the atmosphere reflected the Master’s principle of “giving others joy.”
BLIA Chicago President Ke-Ying Wang expressed his hope that such activities would unite the strength of members to achieve greater goals in the spirit of the association’s founding. Superintendent Mai-Ping Chou noted that interacting with diverse ethnic groups is a vital step in localizing Humanistic Buddhism, while Superintendent Yu-Wen Huang praised the creative collaboration between monastics and volunteers in modernizing and internationalizing the propagation of the Dharma.