Universal Door Meditation Center (UDMC) was founded in 2003 by Awakened Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien (AZMTDT) in Houston, Texas. She established UDMC as a place open to people of all ages, cultures, religions, and backgrounds to come and have their awakened potential awakened, to return to their Awakened Mind, and to merge with Awakened Source, to live with true happiness and unconditional love, liberated from the source of suffering.

Her Great Vow is to let all people know that they have the potential to become Awakened; within each person, there is already the Awakened mind, which is clear, stable, and unconditionally happy. However, it has been covered by the many aspects of the false mind or illusion: attachments to perceptions, habits, beliefs, and patterns that block us from realizing who we are and who we are not. The stress and conflicts of life are common, but not normal. We do not have to continue to live that way; by opening our wisdom mind,  AZMTDT guides us step by step to experience the Awakened mind, and finally to return to Awakened Home, the original true Home and completely liberate the source of suffering.

The programs at UDMC include weekly meditation sessions in both Vietnamese and English, healing mind and body "movement meditation" sessions, an outstanding youth & teens program every Sunday, an active Parents group, weekly awakening public Dharma Talks by AZMTDT, monthly retreats (one, three, or five days in length), workshops, ceremonies, and special events.  UDMC also offers complimentary Awakend meditation session on Tuesday evenings.