The Plum Village Community is grieving the passing of our beloved Dharma Teacher Larry Ward (True Great Sound). He was a lighthouse of the Dharma, a revolutionary spirit, and a visionary of Engaged Buddhism. Through his deep seeing and social imagination, he helped water the seeds of a new world rooted in wellness, justice, and harmony — a world nurtured by communities of care and the joy of being ourselves, together.
The revolutionary stands in reality, in the present moment, where bullets and barricades are real, and then that person projects themselves ahead and imagines something different. Whatever they imagine as different, they bring back as a light to shine on their current situation — and that tells them what the truth is. And the truth is what the revolutionary thing is.
Jean-Paul Sartre (As expressed by Larry Ward in The Earth Gate)
A Heart of True Love and Vision
Larry was a revolutionary in the deepest sense— a voice of equanimity and non-discrimination, cultivated through a lifetime of practice, love, and understanding. He embodied what our teacher Thich Nhat Hanh wrote in the foreword to Love’s Garden:
Our goal in practicing mindfulness and the deepest gift it can bring us is the wisdom of nondiscrimination. We are not noble by birth. We are noble only by virtue of the way we think, speak, and act. The person who practices true love has the wisdom of nondiscrimination and it informs all his actions. He doesn’t discriminate between himself and his partner or between his partner and all people. This person’s heart has grown large and his love knows no obstacles.
Many of us have been nourished by the wisdom and love Larry shared together with his beloved Peggy Rowe-Ward, through The Lotus Institute they co-founded and beyond.
The Lotus Institute Remembers Larry
Larry is a lighthouse of love, laughter, and wisdom for countless people across generations, cultures and faiths. His 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 at once rebellious, accessible and drew on teachings across Christianity, Buddhism and beyond.
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, in team meetings and events, he’d always encourage us to go outside, be in the company of birds, deer, and trees, and sit in the natural wonder of this world—and try not to worry too much.
Brother Phap Luu shares his reflections on Larry’s teachings and presence:
Larry was the real deal, a Dharma lion. He was the first to point out to me that MLK Jr. came out against the Vietnam War inspired by Thay’s work. Thay loved him dearly, and always listened deeply to Larry’s insights on building Sangha and teaching the Dharma in the United States. His talks soared in eloquence like a Baptist preacher, his words resonating in the heart of the listener like poetry. May his insights into our country and world’s racial karma continue to bear fruit for generations to come.
A Life of True Great Sound
Larry Ward (True Great Sound) was ordained as a Dharma teacher in 2000 by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in the Plum Village tradition of Engaged Buddhism. A lifelong peacemaker, he wove together Buddhist practice, neuroscience, organizational change, and social imagination. Through what he called “Deep Buddhism,” he integrated mindfulness, trauma healing, and wisdom traditions to support the transformation of racial and collective karma. Larry’s life was shaped by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which set him on a path of service and planetary peacemaking. Over five decades, he lived and worked in more than twenty countries, guiding communities, leaders, and practitioners. He was the author of America’s Racial Karma: An Invitation to Heal and co-author, with Peggy Rowe-Ward, of Love’s Garden: A Guide to Mindful Relationships.
“We are divine manifestations. We are not just names of countries and colors and genders, although we are all that too — but we don’t need to let that get in our way of being revolutionaries in the deepest sense of the word.
Larry Ward (True Great Sound)
Larry Ward’s presence continues to shine like a light in our sangha and in the world, guiding us to live as revolutionaries in the deepest sense: awake and grounded in the present, carrying forward a vision of peace, justice, and harmony, and bringing that vision to life here and now for the benefit of all.
For those who wish to continue to be nourished by Larry’s teachings, please connect with The Lotus Institute and explore the resources below.
Join the conversation