2025-04-26 Fo Guang Shan Miami Partners with City of West Palm Beach for Mindful Art Carnival and Buddha’s Birthday Celebration

Originating from an invitation by the City of West Palm Beach, the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Miami Chapter hosted the “Mindful Art Carnival and Buddha’s Birthday Celebration” on April 26 at the City Zen Garden, drawing over 500 enthusiastic attendees.

As this was the city government’s first time organizing a Buddha’s Birthday event, it held great significance not only for the local Asian community in South Florida but also received special attention and anticipation from city officials.

The Miami Chapter offered the public the opportunity to bathe the Buddha and organized various mindfulness and artistic activities such as Tea Meditation, Zen meditation experiences, collaborative Zentangle tile drawing, and more. The Fo Guang Friends group also performed traditional Chinese arts, including instrumental music, Tai Chi, and Dunhuang-style dance. Additionally, they launched a promotion where anyone who registered for the "Vege Plan A" received a “Mini Tasting Veggie Plate,” which attracted over 200 registrations from the public.

Sherryl Muriente, Director of Public Space Development and Planning for West Palm Beach, remarked in her opening speech that this was the first time a Buddha bathing ceremony was held at the City Zen Garden. She expressed her delight in collaborating with BLIA Miami to bring an afternoon filled with mindfulness and cultural art to the citizens of West Palm Beach and looked forward to future partnerships for next year’s Buddha’s Birthday.

Margarita Pinkos, Board Member of the Norton Museum of Art, stated that BLIA Miami had given the people of West Palm Beach a chance to celebrate Buddha’s birthday, understand cultural traditions, taste vegetarian cuisine, and enjoy vibrant performances. She emphasized that especially during critical times in the nation, such cultural and artistic connections help bring communities together in unity.

Marcia Andrews, Vice Chair of the Palm Beach County School Board, enthusiastically praised the event:"It’s amazing to attend this event! Experiencing mindful art, blessing the Buddha, watching and learning various cultural performances, being with friends, family, and fellow residents—plus tasting vegetarian food and understanding the immigrant culture behind it—all celebrate how we are a nation united in diversity. I thank BLIA Miami for the invitation to participate in such a meaningful cultural heritage event."

Young attendee Louisa Yang shared her excitement, saying this was her second time attending the Buddha’s Birthday celebration. Her greatest takeaway was learning how to “center herself”, which is especially important for those living in a noisy, fast-paced city. She realized through the meditation experience that mindfulness isn't limited to silent environments—it’s about learning to find peace within any situation and reflecting on the self.

Tricia Rae Ross said that coming to celebrate the Buddha’s birthday with friends was a meaningful experience. After discovering Fo Guang Shan Miami a few months ago, she felt an unbreakable bond and started visiting regularly. She shared how the Buddha’s teachings, the energy of mindfulness, and the kindness of Fo Guang members have deeply touched her.

Jennifer Eguikiz described the celebration as a beautiful experience. Whether it was mindful art-making, cultural performances, or delicious vegetarian food—each activity seamlessly connected with the others, creating moments of deep emotion. She appreciated how the organizers designed the event so thoughtfully, helping participants understand the deeper meaning behind each experience. She thanked them, saying:"Like magicians, they transformed the peaceful and sunny City Zen Garden into a living cultural and artistic experience—allowing residents to join in celebrating the Buddha’s birthday with joy!"

Venerable Ruyuan, the guiding Dharma teacher of the Miami Chapter, expressed gratitude to the City of West Palm Beach for the invitation. She shared that beyond the Buddha bathing ceremony, they hoped to bring citizens the power of compassion, mindfulness, and creativity, and to pass on the message of “bringing joy, giving confidence, inspiring hope, and offering convenience” to every participant—for a better community and a better world.