Volusia Buddhist Fellowship and White Sands Buddhist Center hosted Central Florida Change Your Mind Day on Saturday, January 25 at White Sands Buddhist Center, 4640 Knost Drive, Mims.

The event, which is free and open to the public, brought together leaders from area Buddhist organizations to speak about meditation and Buddhist practice.

This year’s scheduled speakers, in order of appearance:

• Ven. Khai Thien, abbot of White Sands Buddhist Center (Vietnamese/Zen)
• Rev. Morris Sekiyo Sullivan, sensei Volusia Buddhist Fellowship (nonsectarian)
• Michael Kane, the Natural Meditation Community (nonsectarian)
• Rev. Koyo S. Kubose, Bright Dawn Center for Oneness Buddhism (nonsectarian/Japanese Mahayana)
• Ven. Drupon Thinley Nyingpo Rinpoche, Drong Ngur Jangchubling Buddhist Center, Wesley Chapel (Tibetan)
• Than Chaokhun Phra Vijitrdhammapani, Wat Florida Dhammaram (Thai/Theravada)
• Todd Fletcher, Padmasambhava Buddhist Center of Central Florida, Lake Helen (Tibetan)

Change Your Mind Day was originally established in 1993 as an international day of Buddhist awareness by Tricycle foundation. In 2004, Volusia Buddhist Fellowship hosted the first Central Florida Change Your Mind Day in DeLand. The annual event rotates to different cities each year. It returned to DeLand this year after being held in Ormond Beach, Cocoa Beach and Kissimmee. Change Your Mind Day 2014 will be held at White Sands Buddhist Center in Mims.

Buddhism is the fifth largest religion in the world and the fastest-growing religion in the United States. According to the 2008 Pew Forum Religious Landscape Survey, more than 2 million Americans identify themselves as Buddhist.

Change Your Mind Day 2015 is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, January 24, in DeLand. Time and location TBA.