Armfuls of Poetry
Celebrating Thich Nhat Hanh’s Continuation Day
Photo by Kate Cummings
Join us in celebrating the continuation day, or birthday, of Thich Nhat Hanh. Hosted by Lotus Institute, and featuring special guests, this evening will be a dharma festival filled with music, storytelling, poetry, prayer and meditation. We will also have time for attendees, if they wish, to share how Thay has impacted their lives.
This event is best experienced live. A recording will be shared with everyone who registers, but some practices, like prayers and offerings, will not be recorded.
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Wednesday, October 11, 2023
4:00–5:30 pm pacific time | 7:00–8:30 pm eastern time
Online via Zoom
Event speakers & musicians
Drs. Peggy Rowe Ward & Larry Ward
Peggy and Larry are the co-founders of The Lotus Institute. They are senior Dharma teachers trained under Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and certified trainers with the Trauma Resource Institute. They are the authors of Love’s Garden: A Guide to Mindful Relationships and America’s Racial Karma.
Joe Reilly
Joe is a singer/songwriter, social worker, educator and Dharma teacher from Detroit, Michigan. Joe uses his music to bring people together and to build community across lines of race, class, gender and ethnicity. He is Italian, Irish and Native American (Cherokee). Joe has just released his newest children’s album, Seeds.
Born I
Born I (Ofosu Jones-Quartey) is a meditation teacher, author and hip hop artist. He leads mindfulness retreats across the country, using an emphasis on self-compassion and music as a method of teaching. Born I's latest album AMIDA offers a lyrical journey, infused with Buddhist philosophy and delivered over lo-fi beats.
Diane Little Eagle
Diane is an Alaska Native, Canadian Native, and Austrian. She started meditating in the early 70s, studying with Maharishi. In the early 80s she started studying with Thich Nhat Hanh and became a Dharma teacher in the Plum Village Tradition in 2018. Diane has studied with Khentrul Rinpoche, Garchen Rinpoche, The Dalai Lama, Tukulu Yeshe and her Elders...they have taught her so so much. We are grateful to have Diane as a director on our Lotus Institute board.
Elli Weisbaum & Rob Walsh
Elli and Rob are partners, Wake Uppers and OI members, who are grateful to practice, live, work and play together on the lands of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca and the Mississaugas of the Credit, also known as Toronto, Canada. Elli is the Acting Program Director and an Assistant Professor for the Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health Program at the University of Toronto. Rob is a physical therapist and photographer. They are co-founders of the Wake Up Toronto Sangha.
Salvatore Caruso
A cultural creative, communicator, humorist and advocate for building intentional community in this age of climate disruption, Salvatore is a person of great action. The death of his father at age seven put him on a path of radical care and service for family and community. We are grateful to have Salvatore as a director on our Lotus Institute board.
Ava Avalos
Ava is a dancer, Dharma teacher and doctor currently working as an HIV Specialist in Botswana. She is Latinx from Southern California and integrates her Mexican roots with those of Africa, where she has lived for 20 years. She is a devoted student of yogis Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman and brings her love of the body, dance and yoga to her practice.
Victoria Mausisa
Victoria has a passion for cultivating inclusiveness and community healing. An advocate for racial and social equity, she co-created ARISE Sangha. After a career in healthcare, she now dedicates time in building community in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. We are grateful to have Victoria serve as a director on our Lotus Institute board.
Register here
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