The Lotus Institute
PO Box 1428
Pataskala, OH 43062
Website: thelotusinstitute
Description of Organization:
The Lotus Institute was founded in 1996 by Dr. Larry Ward and Dr. Peggy Rowe Ward, two of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s senior Dharma teachers. The Lotus Institute offers teachings, practice and guidance that nurture a healthy and resilient body and mind. Programs include an in-person retreat, an online event, or a course that blends Buddhist practices with trauma-informed teachings and research in neuroscience and psychology.
Grant(s) Awarded
In 2022, a Support Grant in the amount of $2,000 (in addition to the Hemera Foundation grant of $20,000) was awarded to The Lotus Institute to support the launching of “Lotus Root,” a mobile, multimedia studio for creating a podcast, an interview series, and online classrooms for storytelling and teachings. Lotus Root expands Buddhism beyond in-person experience and offers a connection to practitioners across Buddhism and other traditions. The goals of the Lotus Root Program are to highlight positive and uplifting stories of people on the ground who are helping to build the future of American society, create and hold space to bring underrepresented people into the spotlight of important topics in the future of American Buddhism, and to bring younger people into the world of mindfulness and the art of wholeness.