Dear friends and beloved community,

On the morning of Tuesday, August 19, our beloved teacher, Lotus Institute co-founder, and dear friend, Larry Ward, passed away at his home in Rhode Island. He was 77 years old.

In recent years, he lived with peripheral neuropathy and prostate cancer, facing these challenges with courage and grace. Even through these difficulties, he continued to teach, guide, and support the staff at Lotus Institute, his students, and the wider communities he touched.

Larry would often share his morning practice of the Five Remembrances, beginning each day—before his feet touched the ground—in contemplation of our impermanence and interbeing.

He is a lighthouse of love, laughter, and wisdom for countless people across generations, cultures and faiths. Larry’s voice, the lion’s roar, grew even louder this year as we all faced the challenges of a world on fire. His expression of the Dharma was inspiring, rebellious, accessible and no-nonsense. He often drew on his studies and teachings from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Jungian psychology, and beyond.

Larry, alongside his wife and teaching partner Peggy Rowe Ward, was among the early lay teachers in the Plum Village tradition. He was ordained in 1994 as a lay minister and 2000 as a Dharma teacher. On Christmas Eve in 1994, Thich Nhat Hanh, or Thay, gave Larry his Dharma name, True Great Sound.

Together, Larry and Peggy became revolutionary pillars of the Plum Village tradition, mentoring monastics and students of all ages at Deer Park Monastery, Plum Village in France, and during global retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh.

In Love’s Garden: A Guide to Mindful Relationships, co-written by Larry and Peggy, he invited readers to reflect deeply on their relationships with partners and loved ones, offering practical exercises to cultivate joy and love in daily life.

In his acclaimed book America’s Racial Karma: An Invitation to Heal, Larry encouraged readers to confront the enduring legacies of racism and colonialism and the intergenerational trauma they produce—while remaining hopeful that, together, we can heal and co-create beloved community, free of illusions of separateness.

His Dharma talks brought light to times of darkness, while his poetry gave voice to the unspoken truths of our hearts—in morning birdsong, in ancestral footsteps, in fairytales, and in the bodhisattvas of justice and belonging. His opening words, “Greetings, beloved ones. A poem for you…”, always brought a smile to the faces of those in the Zoom room.

Through it all, his radiant smile, joyful belly laughs, and boundless compassion made us feel safe and at home—reminding us that we are doing our best, and that we are enough, just as we are. At Lotus Institute, during sharing circles in staff meetings, he’d always encourage us to go outside, be in the company of birds, deer, and trees, and sit in the natural wonder of Mother Earth—and try not to worry too much.

Peggy is surrounded by the loving care of family and friends, who are showing their support with casserole dishes, hugs, stories, music, rituals and open hearts. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Soon, we will have an opportunity to gather and remember Larry and the things he loved. For now, we ask you to join us in providing your collective energy and support to Larry in this time of transition.

We invite you to read and share in the heartfelt stories contributed by many in this Instagram post.

With a tender, open heart,
Matt Dorma
Friend, colleague and student
August 19, 2025