Vietnamese Guanyin Compassion Practice Center Makes First Lunar New Year Visit to Xiangyun Temple in Austin

By Hsi-Hsiu, The Life News Agency, Reported in Austin

On the afternoon of February 28, about 120 Vietnamese American devotees from the Guanyin Compassion Practice Center in Houston traveled by two buses to Xiangyun Temple in Austin, Texas for a Buddhist worship visit and cultural exchange. The group was led by three Dharma masters. Many devotees wore the traditional Vietnamese “Áo Dài,” adding a festive Lunar New Year atmosphere to the temple.

Venerable Jueji, the supervising monastic of Xiangyun Temple, warmly welcomed the visitors and presented them with calligraphy and Spring Festival couplets written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. Venerable Yongjia distributed oranges and “peace rice” to the guests, offering blessings for increased wisdom and merit, peace, and auspiciousness.

On behalf of the Guanyin Compassion Practice Center, Venerable Zhiyuan expressed gratitude and led the devotees in Vietnamese chanting and prayers for blessings in the main shrine hall. The solemn Sanskrit chanting deeply moved those present. During the visit, the New Year decorations in the main hall and the Dharma sayings of Venerable Master Hsing Yun drew many visitors to stop and reflect, with several saying they felt deeply inspired.

This visit demonstrated the Vietnamese Buddhist tradition of paying homage to the Buddha during the Lunar New Year, while also strengthening friendship and cultural exchange between the two temples. Xiangyun Temple stated that it will continue promoting Humanistic Buddhism, supporting the transmission of faith and harmony among diverse communities in the future.