Welcome to The Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center
The Blue Lotus is a community temple located just off the town square in Woodstock, Illinois, an hour north-west of Chicago! We welcome all people and faith traditions to practice meditation, learn about Buddhism and share in community together.
Our commitment: To practice compassion in all our actions and add more love to the world.
Our mission: To promote individual peace of mind, compassion for all beings, spiritual growth, and an ethical way of life based on Buddhist principles.
Through loving kindness meditation and the development of mindfulness, we strive to enlighten individuals as to the cause of suffering, the path leading to the cessation of suffering, and an understanding of the true nature of our existence.
We host many events at the Temple to support you and your practice. You can find them all listed on www.eventbrite.com
Temple Hours
The Temple is open and attended :
Monday 10.00 am – 04.00 pm
Tuesday 10.00 am – 04.00 pm
Wednesday 10.00 am – 04.00 pm
Thursday Closed
Friday 10.00 am – 04.00 pm
Saturday 09.00 am – 12.00 pm
Sunday Closed
Meditation Schedule
Monday: 7:00PM to 8:00PM – In Person
- Tuesday: 10:00AM to 11:00AM – In Person
- Wednesday: 7:00PM to 8:00PM – In Person
- Friday: 6:00AM to 7:00AM – *Silent meditation
- Saturday: 10:00AM to 11:00AM – In Person
- *Fourth Monday of the Month: Blessing Ceremony: 7:00PM to 8:00PM – In Person
- Outside of Temple Meditation:
- Thursdays at Matheson Memorial Library in Elkhorn, WI: 7:00PM to 8:00PM
- First Saturdays at Peace Tree Yoga in Burlington, WI: 4:00PM to 5:00PM
- Sundays at the Unitarian Universalist Society in Geneva, IL: 6:00PM to 7:00PM
Our Services
The Blue Lotus offers Guided Meditation Sessions that focus on Mindfulness and Lovingkindness. The Guided Meditation Sessions are one hour long and include a Lovingkindness (Metta) Meditation and a Mindfulness Meditation, followed by Chanting from our devotional booklets lead by the Monastics. The session concludes with a wisdom talk (Dhamma) teaching about the application of Buddhist principles in our everyday personal practice.
You will find many offerings throughout the year that support the application of Buddhist principles to everyday life – from day long retreats lead by our Monastics and other visiting teachers to regular Sutta Study classes that deepen the understanding and knowledge of the Buddha. Please refer to our calendar for more information and to register.
Our Monastics regularly offer Blessing Ceremonies for individuals, family, homes, pets and more. Wedding and Last Rites ceremonies are also performed by the Monks and Nun. Monthly offerings are listed on our calendar. Please contact us if you are interested to make an appointment.
We are happy to make Buddha Kids classes available for children ages 4-10. These classes are offered on the third Saturday of each month from September to May. They are held downstairs during regular meditation sessions from 10-11AM. Children are taught the tools and benefits of mindfulness and Lovingkindness through lessons, games and crafts. Please contact us for more information.