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Enter Your Life
Enter your life
like a great epic poem. Ride
the colors of change
with the wind unattached.
In the light of the coming
and going of all things, savor
the stars in the dark blue sky, trust the sun in your heart to guide you home.
Here between earth and sky, listen! Hear your footsteps in the leaves of time. Fix your gaze on the horizon of not yet but.
Stay in this moment and ask
in this great symphony, What is my instrument? What is my music? What is my song? Surrender to the crucible’s alchemy
as it creates the mandala of your holy life.
Cross the lake of life’s great mystery
as a fearless swan, embodying grace, peace, and compassion as you
head toward the distant shore.
Dr. Larry Ward, True Great Sound (Jan 30, 1948 - Aug 19, 2025)
from Morning Night: Poems on Spirit, Race, and Nature
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Dear Beloved Community,
When Dr. Larry Ward transitioned to ancestor, tributes poured in from across the Buddhist community and beyond, a testament to the impact he had and continues to have. Here ARISE offers a combination of poetry and teaching by Larry and tributes to Larry. We miss him and we know that Larry continues, through his works and the impact he made and continues to make on others, and through the sangha/Beloved Community.
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Contents: Tribute from Marisela Gomez, published in Tricycle Tribute from Victoria Mausisa, from the ARISE blog Guided Meditation from Larry Ward: Creating A Field of Merit Tributes from Valerie Brown and Kaira Jewel Lingo, published in Mindfullness Bell Announcing the Launch of Larry Ward’s New Book - Morning Night: Poems on Spirit, Race, and Nature, Dharma Talk in tribute to Larry by Valerie Brown, given at Upaya Zen Center Dana for the Lotus Institute and Peggy Ward Gatha for Racial Healing
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From Marisela Gomez “Dr. Ward was a trailblazer in our Plum Village tradition. He represented to many, especially Black, Indigenous, and folks of color, that we were valued in the tradition. As we continue our healing from racialized and other forms of oppression, it is important to see ourselves in the community: He saw all of us. When we saw Dr. Ward, we knew that ‘every little thing is gonna be alright.’”
Read the rest of Marisela’s tribute as well as those of others in Tricycle magine.
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From Victoria Mausisa And Larry reminded us to nourish our joy and to shine our own light every day. To nourish our good seeds within us. To nurture our joy. To dance, sing, play. He said: “Embrace your humanity. You were born to be real, not perfect. Let go of fear and ignite your light.” Read the rest of Victoria’s tribute on the ARISE blog.
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Guided Meditation: Creating A Field of Merit
(Click on image to access video or click here.)
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From Valerie Brown Dr. Ward, together with Sister Kaira Jewel, was highly instrumental in organizing and launching the first BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) retreat in North America at Deer Park Monastery, which brought together hundreds of BIPOC practitioners from around the world…. Larry’s efforts and commitment to bring the practice of mindfulness in the Plum Village tradition to a broad audience, and especially to historically socially marginalized groups, planted seeds that now flourish with diverse sanghas worldwide.
Read the rest of Valerie’s tribute in Mindfullness Bell magine.
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From Kaira Jewel Lingo Larry was both a Baptist minister and a Buddhist Dharma teacher, a combination that for him never posed a conflict. He felt that Jesus and Thích Nhất Hạnh were deeply aligned, and his life reflected the way these two traditions could harmonize. At times, his voice carried the power and fire of the Black Baptist tradition, and at others, the gentleness and clarity of the Buddha’s path—blending seamlessly into something uniquely his own.
Read the rest of Kaira Jewel’s tribute in Mindfullness Bell magine.
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Announcing Larry’s New Book:
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Morning Night: Poems on Spirit, Race, and Nature, the first published collection of poems and illustrations by Dr. Larry Ward, officially launched on October 30th. It is available now.
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Dharma Talk in Tribute to Larry by Valerie Brown
On October 29th, Valerie Brown offered this dharma talk at Upaya Zen Center: Inner Sangha: Healing & Transformation with the Life and Teachings of Larry Ward
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Dana for Lotus Institute and Peggy Ward Dana is a gift given from the heart.
It brings joy and benefit to both the giver and receiver. The Lotus Insitute was founded by Larry and Peggy Ward offering tools and transformative experiences to heal trauma and co-create the world we want. Larry and Peggy worked together to offer the dharma wherever it was needed, without thought to accumulate wealth, and with Larry’s passing,
In honor of both dear Larry and Peggy, we ask that you give as you are able to the Lotus Institute and/or Peggy Ward.
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A Vow A vow is like the Wind at your back,
Like the path
To the ocean above
The sangha shore. A full and open heart
Of just one person
Is enough to change the world. The full and open heart
Of two people can cause the sun and moon To move and the stars
To shine brighter
Than ever.
Dr. Larry Ward, True Great Sound (Jan 30, 1948 - Aug 19, 2025) from Morning Night: Poems on Spirit, Race, and Nature
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Gatha for Healing Racial, Systemic and Social Inequity
Aware of the suffering caused by racial, systemic, and social inequities, we commit ourselves, individually and as a community, to understanding the roots of these inequities, and to transforming this suffering into compassion, understanding and love in action. As a global community of practitioners, we are aware of the disproportionate racial violence and oppression committed by institutions and by individuals, whether consciously or unconsciously, against African Americans, Indigenous peoples and people of color across the United States and beyond. We know that by looking deeply as individuals and as a community, we can engage the collective wisdom and energy of the Sangha to be our foundation for Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Mindfulness, and Right Insight. These are the practices leading to nondiscrimination, non-harming, and non-self which heal ourselves and the world.
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