Celebrating the Year of the Pig – A Chinese New Year's Resolution to Realize Heaven on Earth

The Chinese New Year is sometimes called the Lunar New Year because it is based on both the phases of the Moon and the Sun. The Lunar New Year is celebrated by many Asian countries, with only five nations typically sharing the same Lunar New Year Day as the Chinese populations of the world: Korea, ÂuLạc (Vietnam), Mongolia, Tibet, and Japan.

The Chinese civilization is one of the oldest and most widespread in the world. Accordingly, there are many traditions surrounding the Chinese New Year. Most customs stem from the Chinese ideal of Fú - lù - shòu, which translates as blessings, prosperity, and longevity. Each of these three attributes is associated with a deity. Together, they are known as the “Three Stars.”

During the Spring Festivals of years past, our Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai has spoken time and again about the significance of our age-old customs. “Just right for the New Year. You like hearing about the turtle. It is like wishing you long life. Good! Longevity! Longevity! Good! Long life – but also good blessings. You need to have good blessings to enjoy your long life. You must first do good deeds, and then have long life, then you will have more time to pursue spiritual practice, and to make up for our sins. Then, when we leave this temporary inn called “the world,” we can bring the blessings with us to Heaven, we will surely be awarded with a high-status abode.”

Dumplings are among the must-have foods during the New Year’s Eve dinner. They are shaped like the gold and silver ingots of old, symbolizing prosperity. All other food items displayed on the kitchen table during the Spring Festival have special significance.

On February 22, 2007, the last time our Association celebrated the Year of the Pig, Master expounded on how to conduct ourselves in our lives if we wish to enjoy the splendor of Heaven in the present life and thereafter: “So let’s hope that the human beings will awaken within themselves these superior qualities, which make us the crown of the creation. Let them wake it up! Wake them up! And then we will be all in Heaven, really. If no more killing, this planet shall be Heaven.”“The most important is to, please, choose to be vegan. The vegan diet is not an option anymore. It is a must. It is an obligation if we want to save our only planet.”