Awakening Compassion in Times of Division

We are excited to partner for the first time with the Mind & Life Institute and their Awakening Compassion in Times of Division retreat at Garrison Institute, NY. Both Larry and Peggy will be acting as guiding teachers and mentors during this special program.

Program description:
We’ve never been more connected and yet so divided. Just as technology brings us closer together, we are increasingly polarized, finding affirmation in online echo chambers rather than seeking common ground. Loneliness and isolation are fueling a global mental health crisis just as climate emergencies hasten hunger and the mass displacement of people. We have to find ways to cultivate and amplify compassion to bridge these seemingly intractable divides. The 2024 Mind & Life Summer Research Institute (SRI) will shine a light on compassion through convening researchers and humanists, nonprofit professionals, monastics and contemplative practitioners, activists, and concerned citizens.

June 2–10, 2024
Garrison Institute
New York

Drs. Larry Ward & Peggy Rowe Ward

Larry and Peggy are the co-founders of the Lotus Institute and senior Dharma teachers trained directly under Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village school of Engaged Buddhism. They are the co-authors of Love’s Garden: A Guide to Mindful Relationships. Together, as our organization’s guiding teachers they are dedicated to cultivating the mind of love and opening the bodhisattva path to all humans through retreats, schools, talks and more.