On February 1, Bodhi Meditation New York welcomed its annual “Spring Blessing Carnival.”
That day, while snow and icy winds swept the outdoors, stepping into the carnival revealed a completely different world—warm, lively, and brimming with festive joy.
This year’s carnival featured two main venues—the Meditation Center and a hotel location. With a rich variety of activities blending stillness and movement, it offered a meaningful way to prepare for the New Year. Attendees prayed for blessings, formed auspicious connections, and purified body and mind, while also enjoying games and cheerful interactions. Amid laughter and heartfelt wishes, everyone came together to welcome the Year of the Horse with renewed hope and positive energy.
I. Meditation Center Venue: Pray for Blessings · Abundant Good Fortune
Highlights at the Meditation Center:
🔹 Scan to Check In · Receive a Voucher Instantly
Attendees presented their tickets and scanned the QR code at the reception desk to register, and immediately received a $10 voucher. The voucher could be used toward food, games, or a variety of blessing gifts, allowing everyone to feel warmly welcomed and blessed from the very first step into the Center.
🔹 Golden Basin Hand Washing: Wash Away Old Troubles · Welcome a New Beginning
Before the Buddha, attendees washed their hands in the golden basin, symbolizing the cleansing of past year’s obstacles and attachments. At the same time, they made a wish to let go of an old habit, embracing the New Year with a purified heart and welcoming a better, renewed self.
🔹 Oracle Reading: One Lot, One Guiding Light
Attendees offered sincere prayers before the Buddha and drew a Bodhi oracle lot. Experienced teachers on site then provided personal interpretations, answering questions and offering guidance—soothing uncertain hearts and illuminating a clearer path ahead.
🔹 One-on-One Energy Healing: Settle Body and Mind · Welcome the New Year with Ease
Teachers offered one-on-one energy healing for attendees, helping to relieve stress, relax the body and mind, and infuse the New Year with a sense of stability and warm, supportive energy.
🔹 Fortune Bell for Prosperity: One Ring · Good Luck Follows
Attendees joyfully rang the clear-sounding fortune bells, symbolizing the awakening of auspicious energy for the New Year. With each ring, they prayed for the blessings of Yellow Jambhala—inviting smooth finances, prosperity, and abundant good fortune throughout the year.
🔹 Chinese Zodiac Fortune Zone: Know Your Fortune · A Smoother Year of the Horse
Attendees explored their personal zodiac fortunes for the year ahead, gaining insight to plan in advance and respond with ease—allowing the New Year to unfold with greater stability, harmony, and auspiciousness.
🔹 “Abundance Rice” Offering: One Dollar to Plant Blessings · Fortune Passed Through Generations
With just $1, attendees could personally offer “Abundance Rice” before the Buddha, symbolizing the planting of blessed fields and prayers for lasting abundance and well-being for themselves and their families. During the Chinese New Year period, participants could return to the Center to receive the blessed rice—bringing these wishes home and extending kind intentions to even more people.
🔹 Blessed Dharma Items from the Grandmaster: One Sacred Item · One Blessing of Protection
A variety of Dharma items were available at the Center, each compassionately blessed by the Grandmaster to offer peace, protection, and auspiciousness to those who received them. Among them, the blessed mystery keychains were especially delightful—filled with surprise and joy, as attendees happily received the Grandmaster’s blessings and protection.
🔹 Spring Couplets Sharing: Bring Blessings Home · Complete the New Year
Spring couplets and Fu characters personally inscribed by the Grandmaster carried wishes of protection, peace, and smoothness for the whole family, along with auspicious blessings for a joyful and harmonious Year of the Horse. Loved by many, these blessings were warmly welcomed into homes to complete the New Year celebration.
🔹 A Fresh Start for the Year of the Horse: Capture the Moment · Preserve Happiness
The “Year of the Horse—A Fresh New Beginning” photo zone drew many families and friends to stop and take commemorative photos together. True happiness lies in genuine connection, and it is the warmth of shared moments that makes life truly fulfilling.
II. Hotel Venue: Joyful Interaction · Lively and Festive
The hotel venue was beautifully decorated and filled with energy. Laughter and applause echoed throughout the space as children ran and played, while adults gathered to chat and reconnect. Everywhere, the joyful atmosphere of the New Year could be felt in full bloom.
Highlights at the Hotel Venue:
🔹 Vibrant Stage · A Spectacle of Joy
The stage featured a wide array of engaging performances, along with heartfelt testimonials from practitioners who shared how encountering the Grandmaster brought profound transformation to their lives. These sincere, real-life stories deeply moved and inspired the audience, allowing everyone to truly feel the health, happiness, and positivity brought by Bodhi Meditation.
Throughout the program, interactive games and multiple rounds of lucky draws were seamlessly woven in, repeatedly lifting the atmosphere to new heights. Cheers, laughter, and applause filled the hall, creating a space brimming with joy, gratitude, and heartfelt emotion.
🔹 Interactive Games: Win Prizes · Gain Joy
The game area was buzzing with excitement as both adults and children eagerly joined in. Through their own efforts, participants won prizes—children cheered with delight, while adults rediscovered their childlike joy. Everywhere, the scene was filled with warmth, laughter, and heartfelt happiness.
🔹 New Year Market Stroll: Browse and Taste · Take Auspiciousness Home
The New Year market brought together festive foods, daily-use items, and New Year decorations, with Year of the Horse-themed charms proving especially popular. Attendees browsed, sampled, and selected their favorites—taking home plentiful good omens and lingering happily among the lively stalls.
🔹 Grand Prize Surprise: Good Fortune Arrives · Blessings Fulfilled
The grand prize lucky draw marked the pinnacle of the event, as the highly anticipated iPhone 17 made its exciting debut. When the winning number was announced, thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall. The top prize was ultimately won by a devoted volunteer, bringing the carnival to a deeply moving and meaningful conclusion.
III. Gratitude in Gathering · A New Year Filled with Blessings
This Spring Blessing Carnival not only immersed everyone in the rich festive spirit ahead of the New Year, but also created countless opportunities to form wholesome connections and accumulate blessings through prayer, joyful interaction, and meaningful encounters.
Heartfelt gratitude to:
· all the volunteers who gave selflessly behind the scenes,
· the merchants who offered their enthusiastic support, and
· every attendee who joined us in celebration.
May everyone be blessed with:
peace and good health, harmony and happiness at home, smoothness and auspiciousness in all endeavors, and great fortune in the Year of the Horse.
Through interaction, we formed virtuous connections; through celebration, we welcomed the New Year—
carrying home full hearts, bright smiles, and abundant blessings,
opening a new year that is auspicious, beautiful, and filled with hope.