Animal Blessings
A Dharma Festival
“I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think.”
– Rumi
Dear community,
We invite you—and your furry friends—to a special event honoring and celebrating the teachings shared with us by our animal companions, whose presence often reminds us of interconnection, care, and belonging. This is our second Dharma festival of 2026, a donation-based gathering filled with ceremony, ritual, art, and voices from across spiritual traditions.
For Animal Blessings, we welcome Father Adam Bucko—Episcopal priest, author, and activist—who will join Lotus’ guiding teacher, co-founder, and senior Dharma teacher in the Plum Village tradition, Dr. Peggy Rowe Ward.
Together, we’ll reflect on the wisdom animals offer and the ways they guide our lives. The gathering will include music, meditation, teachings, and ceremony, closing with a ritual to extend blessings to all beings.
The event will be recorded. Please register below via Zoom, and if you’re able, return to this page to make a donation in support of the program. You can also watch this short video teaching from Father Adam Bucko on the topic of Engaged Contemplation.
Tuesday, May 5
7:00–8:30 pm ET
4:00–5:30 pm PT
Register via Zoom
Registration is handled through Zoom. You’ll receive an automated email with your Zoom link—keep it handy, as it’s your ticket to the event. After you register, you can return to this page to make a donation in support of the program.
Make a Donation
Across many spiritual traditions, we practice dana, or generosity, by offering financial contributions for the teachings. Animal Blessings, and all of our dharma festivals, are offered for free with donations deeply appreciated. Every dollar contributes value to our organization and the livelihood of our staff and teachers. Lotus Institute is a US-based, 501(c)3 nonprofit.
Meet the Teachers
Father Adam Bucko
Father Adam Bucko has been a committed voice in the movement for the renewal of Christian Contemplative Spirituality and the growing New Monastic movement. He is the acclaimed author of Let Your Heartbreak Be Your Guide: Lessons in Engaged Contemplation. He has taught engaged contemplative spirituality in Europe and the United States. Adam serves as a director at The Center for Spiritual Imagination at the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, New York.
Together, with his partner, Kaira Jewel Lingo, they lead The Buddhist-Christian Community for Meditation and Action.
Dr. Peggy Rowe Ward
Peggy is the co-founder, guiding teacher, and executive director of The Lotus Institute. She is ordained as a lay Dharma teacher in the Plum Village tradition of Engaged Buddhism. Known for her joyful spirit, Peggy helps students discover and embody their most creative and authentic selves. She guides a path of deep insight using practices such as movement, writing, art, and ritual.
Peggy holds an EdD in Adult Education and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology. She is co-author, with her husband Larry, of Love's Garden: A Guide to Mindful Relationships. She has taught in graduate programs in social work, psychology, and counseling psychology, and her doctoral research focused on dreamwork.