2026-02-21 Rebooting the Mind: BLIA Miami Chapter Partners with Norton Museum of Art to Create a 10-Minute Parallel Universe

Amidst the joyful and bustling Lunar New Year celebrations, how does one find a moment of inner peace? On February 21, the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Miami Chapter partnered with the Norton Museum of Art to launch the "2026 Year of the Horse Lunar New Year Celebration: Art & Meditation" event. This immersive experience, combining contemporary art with Buddhist wisdom, attracted nearly two hundred West Palm Beach community members to embark on a 10-minute journey into a "parallel universe" amidst the holiday hustle and bustle.

The event took place in the Korma Gallery of the Norton Museum, a space that is itself a massive work of art. The gallery walls feature a 2019 site-specific installation titled Lucent Garden by British contemporary artist Paul Morrison. Featuring a local 80-year-old Floridian Banyan tree as its central visual element, Morrison worked alongside local teams to hand-apply approximately 14,000 sheets of 24K gold leaf, creating a majestic yet serene and solemn ambiance.

Venerable Ju Yuan, Advisory Monastic of the BLIA Miami Chapter, explained that the curators cleverly utilized concepts of "borrowed scenery" and "time travel between ancient and modern" to create a localized Florida equivalent of Jetavana Grove for the community. Just as ancient disciples gathered to listen to the Buddha preach, modern community members wore wireless headphones to listen to Venerable Miao Guang recite the New Year Prayer written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan. During these 10 minutes of unplugged time, Venerable Miao Guang’s guidance transitioned participants from visual awe to inner tranquility, completing a full "mental reboot."

Charlee Nolanc, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the Norton Museum of Art, attended and experienced the session firsthand. As someone who meditates regularly, she admitted that participating in a guided meditation with headphones in a public space was a brand-new challenge. She shared: "I closed my eyes with an open mind. After 10 minutes, the noise of the outside world faded away, leaving only a calm, peaceful, and wise voice, where every word carried deep wisdom. It felt like I was completely recharged and refreshed."

BLIA Miami Chapter Advisor Han-Cheng Mei expressed special gratitude to Venerable Miao Guang for guiding the audience through the exhibition tour, explaining the curatorial vision, and reciting Master Hsing Yun’s New Year Prayer. He reflected that these 10 minutes were not only part of the New Year celebration, but also a profound dialogue with oneself. He emphasized that amidst the festive excitement, this brief detachment allowed everyone to learn how to "be present with oneself in the moment" and look forward to the coming year with renewed inner strength.

By breaking down cultural and spatial boundaries, this "Art & Meditation" event enabled the community to appreciate the beauty of Western art while experiencing the depth of Eastern meditation, infusing the 2026 Year of the Horse Lunar New Year with peace, harmony, and wisdom.