Lotus Yoga Virginia

MISSION

The mission of the LOTUS Center for All Faiths (LCAF) is to promote world peace and interfaith harmony through a greater understanding of the unity underlying the diversity of the various spiritual paths.

PURPOSE

The outreach arm of the Light Of Truth Universal Shrine (LOTUS) at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville, LCAF organizes educational interfaith programs—including a year-long series of classes at Yogaville on each of the faiths depicted on the Integral Yoga Yantra—it oversees the celebration of the main holidays of the major faith traditions, and it coordinates interfaith prayer services at Yogaville. Additionally, LCAF staff members attend interfaith gatherings coordinated by other organizations and they invite representatives from local and national faith-based groups to give talks at Yogaville. LOTUS Center for World Faiths (LCWF) was created in 1996 by Sri Swami Satchidananda. The name was changed to LOTUS Center for All Faiths in 2012 to include the many spiritual paths that exist in addition to the major world faiths.

GOALS

LCAF’s long-term goals are to facilitate more interfaith programs and retreats, to create an interfaith resource center, to develop both printed and digital educational materials that will advance interfaith understanding, and to realize Swami Satchidananda’s dream of a LOTUS University.

ACTIVITIES

In addition to its programs, LCAF has been involved in a variety of multimedia projects. These include:
• LOTUS.org: the Light Of Truth Universal Shrine website;
• LOTUS: Light Of Truth Universal Shrine: a full color book about the shrine and world faiths;
• Documentaries: The Interfaith Vision of Sri Swami Satchidananda, Many Paths, One Truth, and With One Voice;
• Interfaith Calendar: annual full color printed calendar that includes multi-faith holidays and observances.

COLLABORATIONS

LCAF actively collaborates with other interfaith organizations:

• LCAF is a member of the Cooperation Circle of Central Virginia (a part of the United Religions Initiative), the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN), and the Temple of Understanding, among other such organizations.

• LCAF continues its outreach work through staff members’ attendance at such interfaith events as Interfaith Harmony Week at The United Nations in New York, the Islamic Society of North America’s annual conventions in Washington D.C., NAIN annual conferences, Parliament of the World’s Religions gatherings.

• LCAF staff members have served on the board of National Public Radio’s Interfaith Voices.

• LCAF has an honorary advisory council of notable interfaith advocates who support the mission and vision of the LOTUS and LCAF.