The City of the Dharma Realm (CDR) welcomed the Lunar New Year with a festive luncheon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. The gathering brought together Dharma Masters from the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB), Gold Sage Monastery, Gold Mountain Monastery, and Gold Wheel Monastery, who joined the resident monastics at CDR. Guests also traveled from Sacramento, West Sacramento, Modesto, and Los Angeles to participate in the celebration.

Among the honored guests were members of the West Sacramento City executive team, including Mayor Martha Guerrero; Director of Finance Ms. Roberta Raper; Planning Commission Vice Chair Dolores Olivarez; and Justine Jimenez, Business Manager of the West Sacramento Home Run Program, and former mayor of San Mateo and the original architect for the Jeweled Palace Temple, Mr. Paul Gumbinger. The festive atmosphere was enhanced by decorations and settings reminiscent of a traditional Chinese household welcoming the New Year, creating a warm and auspicious environment for all attendees.

Although many of the luncheon guests were not Buddhist, several expressed interest in participating in the traditional Meal-Offering Ceremony in the Buddha Hall, followed by the meal offering ceremony in the Dining Hall. With palms joined in reverence, participants chanted the sagely names of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas under the guidance of Dharma Master Shr, experiencing firsthand the harmony and solemnity of Buddhist ceremonial practice. Dharma Master Gwei welcomed the guests and offered a presentation on the meaning of the Lunar New Year and the symbolism of the Year of the Horse. DM Gwei introduced the City of the Dharma Realm both as an education center for monastics and laypeople, and as the home of a K–12 school dedicated to cultivating the Eight Virtues—filiality, fraternity, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame. Dharma Master Gwei reminded attendees of the importance of kindness and compassion, extending heartfelt wishes for a year filled with peace, harmony, and renewed spirit.

Mayor Martha Guerrero followed with remarks expressing appreciation for CDR’s longstanding involvement in the local community. She shared the City’s excitement for the future construction of the Jeweled Palace Temple, which will become a landmark in the heart of West Sacramento, and expressed her hope that collaboration between the City and CDR would continue to flourish for the benefit of the wider community.

A particularly moving moment came when Mr. Paul Gumbinger, the original architect of the Jeweled Palace Temple and former mayor of San Mateo, shared reflections from his early involvement with the project. Now in his nineties, Mr. Gumbinger recounted his first meeting with the Venerable Master in 1992, when he translated the Master’s vision into architectural plans for submission to the City. He spoke movingly of a three-hour conversation he had with the Venerable Master—an encounter that left a lasting impression. The spirited discussion ranged across topics from politics to the broader questions of life. Even though the Master spoke through an interpreter, Mr. Gumbinger recalled feeling that the Master understood him fully even before the translation. It was, he said, one of the most meaningful conversations of his life.

Following the keynote remarks, guests enjoyed a variety of carefully prepared vegetarian dishes, including specialty items to accommodate dietary needs such as gluten sensitivity and salt-oil-sugar-free diets. The nourishing and compassionate cuisine was warmly appreciated by all.

After the meal, Dharma Master Shr introduced the CDR Instilling Goodness and Developing Virtue Schools (IGDVS). DM Shr highlighted the schools’ distinctive curriculum, which integrates meditation, Chinese language study, ethics, and Buddhism as core components of the K–12 education. Dharma Master Shr also explained the Eight Virtues and their role in guiding students to develop upright character and wisdom.

As part of the Lunar New Year celebration, each attendee received a hongbao (red envelope) containing a piece of Dharma wisdom from the Venerable Master,printed in both Chinese and English. Guests were invited to select their own envelope, and many later shared the words of wisdom they received. One memorable moment came when nine-year-old Leo Rodriguez, visiting CDR for the first time with his parents from Sacramento, shared the teaching he discovered in his envelope.

The luncheon was attended by many educators, including volunteer teachers from CDR as well as college professors and active and retired school teachers. Among them were Mr. Christopher Symkowick-Rose from Christian Brothers High School (CBHS) and his family; Ms. Diane Kindermann, Chair of the Board of Trustees at St. Francis High School with her daughter; and Dr. Ting Sun, PhD, co-founder of Natomas Charter Schools, and her 84-year old mother. Mr. Symkowick-Rose spoke about the more than twenty-year friendship between CBHS and CDR, through which students annually visit the monastery to learn about Buddhism. Ms. Kindermann expressed her admiration for CDR’s contributions to the community and her hope that students from St. Francis High School might establish a similar relationship as CBHS with CDR. Dr. Sun reflected on her joy in witnessing the growth and development of CDR and its schools since her first visit in the early 2000s.

The gathering concluded with Dharma Master Shr leading the assembly in briefly reciting the sagely name of Amitabha Buddha before finishing the meal. Participants then joined in the meal-concluding recitation and bowed together in taking refuge with the Triple Jewels. Many guests expressed gratitude for the opportunity to attend such a meaningful event—one that nourished the body with compassionate vegetarian cuisine and uplifted the mind and spirit with the Dharma teachings of the Venerable Master. In this way, the Lunar New Year celebration became more than a festive occasion; it was an expression of Dharma in action. By coming together in sincerity, cultivating compassion, and sharing wisdom, attendees planted seeds of virtue that will continue to grow, benefiting themselves, the community, and the wider world in the year ahead.