A Celebration of Community, Compassion, and Dharma Practice
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.
Welcome Speech for the Lunar New Year Luncheon (Year of the Horse)
Good morning.
A very warm welcome to the City of Dharma Realm! We are truly honored to gather with city officials, community leaders and partners, volunteers, and new and longtime friends to celebrate the arrival of the Lunar Year of the Horse. We are especially honored and delighted to have Dharma Master Liang from our headquarters in Ukiah joining us in the celebration. Thank you all for taking the time to share in this joyful occasion.
The Spring Festival is one of the most important traditions in the Chinese culture. It is a time to bid farewell to the past and welcome the new, bringing hope and fresh beginnings. People across the world celebrate with joy, reconnecting with family and friends, sharing gratitude and blessings. The Spring Festival reminds us to pause in our busy lives, reflect on the past year, cherish the present moment, and embrace the new year with kindness, compassion, and hope.
This year is the Year of the Horse. In Chinese tradition, the horse symbolizes vitality, courage, loyalty, and perseverance. The galloping horse represents strength, determination, and forward momentum. In today’s world, we face many challenges—environmental, social, and even personal—but the spirit of the Horse reminds us to face difficulties with courage, act with integrity, and support one another, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and positive change.
Today’s luncheon features vegetarian food, which is not only healthy and delicious but also embodies compassion and respect for all living beings. By practicing vegetarianism, we cultivate mindfulness, moderation, and gratitude, nurturing peace within ourselves and extending it to our families, communities, and the wider world.
For those who may be new to us, the City of Dharma Realm was founded by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua as a sanctuary for spiritual cultivation and education. Here we teach and practice the Eight Virtues, provide K–12 education, and host community and international events, such as interfaith conferences and vegetarian fairs, to bring people together in harmony and understanding. Through these efforts, we hope to benefit both our local community and the broader world, inspiring peace, joy, and compassion.
As we enter the new year, may we embrace the “spirit of the Horse”—full of energy, courage, and determination—and move forward bravely in the face of challenges. May the spirit of the Spring Festival, the vitality of the Horse, and the compassion embodied in our vegetarian meal fill our hearts, homes, and community with lasting peace and harmony.
Happy Lunar New Year! Wishing everyone health, joy, and fulfillment in the Year of the Horse!
Mayor’s Speech
Wishing you all a happy Lunar New Year 2026. May this fire horse year ignite your dreams and passions and fuel your passions for a strong year ahead. I am so honored to be present among all of you. We have had a beautiful partnership, and I cannot help but think that the Dharma realm is here at the entrance of our city. Maybe not by coincidence, but to bring the power and passion and hope for our city’s future, as we grow as a city. Because not only did Sutter Health Park, but the Dharma Realm was here before them and has grown and is going to continue to grow to be a beautiful place to bring people together for peace and harmony. What a beautiful presence to have here from for all of you to be present to enjoy this place and to see it grow. I have here our city team. We have Roberta, our Finance person. Roberta and her family, and also Justine Hernandez with the Home Run Program. Our city team has partnered to help bring our youth a stronger future here at the Dharma Realm. We couldn’t be more proud of this partnership to help our children succeed through our Home Run Program, where they participated in internships throughout the city, a paid internship, so that they can continue to learn some valuable skills that help them stay here but also excel in their educational future. And that partnership is what the Dharma Realm has helped us out with this year.
So, thank you so much to all of you for opening your doors and giving us your presence to enjoy this future. The City of West Sacramento, as you see every time you come back year over year, is growing, and we have this partnership where you will build a more beautiful temple. We made some decisions in the last year to accomplish those next steps. So, as you continue to design for the future, we will hear the design from the past as well. And as you plan for the future, we look forward to continuing this partnership. But along the River Front, we are taking a look at just significant growth as we see a lot of structures growing. That is as a result of many who are coming here seeing prosperity and opportunity. And that is what we are as a city wanting to open those doors for all of you to achieve your vision, your dreams to succeed and to help our community. Not only that, but you give back to our city, to all the residents, not just what’s in the front in the Bridge District, which is this area here and the Washington District, but to the entire city. You give back to every single person a better quality of life. And that’s why we are so happy to be here present, on behalf of all the city council members. We’re going to continue to work with you and on behalf of the city team, we’re excited to help continue to build your future here. Thank you very much.
Mr. Gumbinger’s Speech
Pleasure to be here. Good morning to all of you, and I bring you greetings from my family to your family and…uh…thank you Dr. Wu. Thank you Madame Mayor and the Dharma Masters who I’ve known so long. Thank you very much. This is a story that goes back to 1992, almost. It was 34 years ago. I was a little younger then. And I’m a little older than most of you today, but it’s really great to be here, and to recall some of the glimpses into history. Well, in 1992 is when I first met the Venerable Master, and that meeting occurred…by…it was a meeting that was put together. Dharma Realm has an office building in the city of Burlingame in the San Francisco Bay Area. The then mayor of the city of Burlingame, Harrison, who was a mutual friend of the Master and myself, put the meeting together. And so, the day arrived when I would meet the Master, I went to the they own…I think they still own the uh the building here on Murchison Drive in Burlingame. I went there…it was really quite an empty building when I went. There wasn’t any office furniture or any of that, and I was led in to meet the Master, and the only furniture in the room where we were to meet were a sofa, coffee table, and that was it. So, the Master asked me to sit beside him. He sat on the sofa on my right, and he get me to sit right next to him, right up tight. We were really in one another’s space, so to speak. So, he proceeded to tell me of his vision. This was, at one time, called Sacramento Way Place. And he wanted to develop, first of all, an activity center where people of…everyone would come to meet, have conferences, all for the better of the country. And part of that was a new temple. and he wanted to build the temple, a temple like a pagoda, and he told me that it was to be an octagon, and it was to have three floors.
Now on the first floor, the lower floor, on the surface level, was to be the dining hall. On the second floor was to be the meeting rooms or the lecture halls, and the top floor, the third floor was to be the Buddha Hall. So, it was like, he told me that I could understand in Christianity, the trinity, body, mind and soul. The body being the dining hall, the meeting rooms, the mind and the body, and finally, the Buddha Hall being the spirit. So, it was to have a very ceremonial elevated entrance from the south. And so we talked about that for some time, and then out of the blue he says to me, “Who are you going to vote for in the next election?” I was somewhat taken back. I never expected that the Venerable Master would ask such a question. Now I have to reflect in a moment’s time what that would mean. How would I answer this? I knew that he was quite conservative, and I was somewhat liberal. So, I said, “I’m voting for Bill Clinton.” And he looked at me, and that started this amazing conversation. He was rattling off that we would suffer because of Clinton’s most liberal policies. Soon the world would be devoid of children because the world would be filled with gay people. And I said, “Well, let’s see now. What if the world were filled with monks and nuns?” And he thought for a while and he said to me said to me, “Ah, but you as mayor could decree that they could have sex.” Now, that’s exactly what he said. I wish I didn’t have to tell you that, but those were his words. What do I do? We had a scribe. There was a monk in the room, who sat on the floor, who was the translator translating from Mandarin to English and English to Mandarin. And so, we went on and had this marvelous most high-level conversation that I’ve ever had in my whole life. We talked about politics, religion, and on and on. We covered almost every topic that you could think of. And along the way, the scribe said, “I’ve never heard the Master speak like that. Never.” Cause he was writing as fast as he could and trying to translate. Well, this whole time went on for about three hours. Our conversation lasted for 3 hours, and we were drinking hot tea the whole time, sitting there, and finally I said, “Do you mind if I excuse myself for a minute?” And came back and I said, “You know, I know who you are. I know that you have close ties to the President George Bush, Sr. and I said I elected to tell you that I was voting for Clinton to get a rise out of you. And before the monk could translate, he smiled and just had this broad grin across his face. So, we went on in 1993 I was awarded the privilege of designing the temple because he wanted to obviously have this temple built as soon as possible. So, we worked together quite closely, and we designed the temple.
Then in 1994, this went on to the City of West Sacramento. You know, the city offices at that time were in a trailer and unlike the beautiful City Hall that you now inhabit, and the staff was very good. They helped us, and we passed the planning commission. But, oh well, the downtown business owners appealed the approval of the planning commission on the grounds that the facility would not create a tax base. So, it went to the City Council and the City Council approved the project, approved the Conditional Use Permit. Now let me just read what that commit would do. It was for a college, a nunnery, a monastery, student housing, senior housing, and visitors housing. That was the conditional use from it that still is in play today. So, then the Venerable Master passed away, I believe in 1995, and the project sort of went on hold. But new life was breathed into the project, and at the same time the pandemic came along and the whole new team was formed and part of that formation was to create a public outreach so people would know what was it all about? You know, because they weren’t really known. They kept to themselves pretty much here, but they wanted others to know that this facility was open to all. So we worked together. The meetings were held by Zoom, and even then we had our masks on. So finally we worked through that, and I believe that was in 2020. And we went on, and the Planning Commission finally approved the project last year. I believe it was August of last year. So, we finally got the temple approved. Thank you very much. So, I wish you all a very happy Chinese New Year. Gung Hay Fat Choy. And I wish you all happiness and prosperity in the year to come. Thank you very much.