Forever Spring: Celebrating International Awakened Lunar New Year
SUGAR LAND: Universal Door Meditation Center, located in Sugar Land, Texas, celebrated the International Awakened Lunar New Year Festival on January 18th & 19th, 2025.
Kicking off the festival with their Awakened Five Natures, Awakened Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien and Awakened Zen Master Thich Thong Hoi went to every booth in the festival, shining their Light on the monastics, students, laypeople, and donors participating in the festival.
Attracting attendees from across the U.S. — California, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, Dallas, Houston, and beyond — the event welcomed people of all backgrounds, cultures, religions, genders, and ages. Many attendees remarked on the serene, peaceful, and pure energy they felt as soon as they arrived at the sprawling 9-acre property.
A highlight of the evening was the “Spreading the Awakened Light Ceremony,” during which interfaith leaders from various religions were invited on stage to receive candlelight from the Awakened Zen Masters and “to pass the Light down” to the world.
Awakened Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien, from her infinite Wisdom, awakened the Buddha potential of the interfaith leaders and all attendees to instantly realize that the Awakened Mind is the “real mind” and our everyday busy mind is the “false mind”. By holding a fresh flower, and asking Mr. Pallod if it was real, she let all of us realize how we hold on to the fresh flower as real and want it to be beautiful forever when in reality, when that flower wilts and fades away, we suffer. Similarly, in life, we hold onto fleeting concepts and objects such as right/wrong, good/bad, high/low, believing them to be real when in truth, those are creations from our false mind. The Awakened Mind, or Clear Mind, that is already within ourselves is always permanent, never-changing, and has the capacity to return to Awakened Home to live with true happiness and unconditional love. As more and more people live with Awakened Mind and liberate the false mind, the fragrance of “Forever Spring” will spread everywhere, bringing everlasting happiness, and true oneness across the world.
Truly moved by the Wisdom, Compassion, and Great Vow of the Awakened Zen Masters, Ms. Manju Banthiya, representing the Jain faith and JVB Meditation Center, captured the sentiment of many, expressing deep gratitude:
“Thank you so much for the opportunity to meet the Awakened Ones. I am very grateful to them for sharing their Wisdom and Compassion. It was a very magical evening for us. Everything was beautiful and serene. I hope to attend their lectures and meditation in the future. The hospitality and care were heart-touching.”
In addition to the enlightening mind openings, the festival featured Awakened Meditation sessions, vibrant international cultural performances, activities to realize the Awakened Mind for all ages, international food booths, Awakened Calligraphy, and much more…
Looking to the future, Universal Door is excited to begin development on the International Awakened Retreat Center, with plans to include a larger meditation hall, multipurpose activity spaces, and dormitories, providing a conducive environment for participants worldwide to instantly experience the Awakened Mind within. Groundbreaking is scheduled for March 30, 2025, and everyone is invited to attend!
Universal Door offers monthly retreats, weekly meditation classes, and complimentary Awakened Meditation sessions every Tuesday from 7 pm-8:30 pm. For more details, contact the Center at: info@universaldoormeditationcenter.org