What Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple does

Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple is a 501c3 non-profit religious organization founded in 2003 by Venerable Bhante Sujatha (a Sri Lankan-born monk) and physically opened in its current form on May 26, 2012, in Woodstock, Illinois, approximately one hour northwest of Chicago. The temple operates in the Theravada Buddhist tradition and welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds to practice meditation, study Buddhist teachings, and participate in community events. It is entirely volunteer-run, with no paid monastic staff, and Bhante Sujatha does not take compensation from the organization.

The temple's core offerings include guided meditation sessions focused on Mindfulness and Lovingkindness (Metta), Buddhist teaching and discussion classes (Sutta Study, Dhammapada), day-long retreats, blessing ceremonies for individuals, families, homes, and pets, weddings and last rites, and a children's program (Buddha Kids) for ages 4-10. Service is delivered in a converted 19th-century worship building at 221 Dean Street, with off-site sessions at the Unitarian Universalist Society in Geneva, IL and the Matheson Memorial Library in Elkhorn, WI, plus virtual classes via Zoom and a podcast distribution channel. The supporting technology stack is minimal — a WordPress website (donated by 82Birds), a Square-based online gift shop, Eventbrite ticketing, and standard social media — with no proprietary software or AI components.

The business model is a donation- and pledge-driven non-profit with no fee-bearing core programs. The temple requires approximately $7,000 per month in operating expenses (including a $2,000 mortgage on the building) and is funded ~100% by community donations and monthly pledges. Revenue sources include recurring monthly pledges, episodic donations, gift shop merchandise sales, and ceremony-related offerings. Distribution is primarily local/regional (Illinois and Wisconsin) with a global reach through podcasts and virtual classes. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors (President Tyler Lewke, Vice President/Executive Director Rebecca Jessoe, Secretary Grant Goehler, Director Erin Denk) alongside the Abbot and a second resident monk, Bhante Rahula.

Name

Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple

Legal name

Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple

Website

https://bluelotustemple.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple is a 501c3 non-profit, volunteer-run Buddhist community in Woodstock, Illinois, offering free meditation, Buddhist education, blessing ceremonies, and children's programs, funded entirely by donations and monthly pledges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Spiritual Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Buddhist Monastic Universities & Dharma Colleges (EDAHAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Yoga & Meditation Experiences (Studio Classes, Guided Meditation, Mindfulness) (THAJAHAA), Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA)

Keywords

• Buddhist temple services
• Guided meditation programs
• Religious education classes
• Spiritual community center
• Mindfulness instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Woodstock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Monthly Pledges: The temple is entirely self-sustaining through generous support of donors. They rely 100% on donations from people like you. Monthly pledging is critical for long-term sustainability. The temple needs $7000 per month to stay open.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple is a community meditation center that provides free guided meditation sessions (Mindfulness and Lovingkindness/Metta), Buddhist educational classes (Sutta Study, Dhammapada, Introduction to Buddhism), blessing ceremonies for individuals, families, homes, and pets, weddings and last rites, and children's mindfulness programs (Buddha Kids ages 4-10). All services are offered free of charge and sustained entirely through donations and monthly pledges from the community.

Product overview

Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple is a community meditation center offering a unified set of spiritual services rather than a modular technology product. Its core offerings include guided meditation programs, Buddhist educational classes (Dhamma Studies, Sutta Study, Introduction to Buddhism), blessing ceremonies, and children's programs. The temple also provides content through podcasts and an annual booklet, and operates an e-commerce gift shop through Square Site. All services are interconnected components of the temple's mission to promote peace of mind, compassion, and ethical living based on Buddhist principles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided Meditation Programs One-hour guided meditation sessions offered free of charge, including Lovingkindness (Metta) Meditation, Mindfulness Meditation, chanting from devotional booklets led by the Monastics, and a concluding wisdom talk (Dhamma) on applying Buddhist principles to everyday practice. Available to the general public regardless of faith tradition.
• Buddha's Teaching & Discussion Classes Day-long retreats led by Monastics and visiting teachers, plus regular Sutta Study classes that deepen understanding and knowledge of the Buddha's teachings. Free of charge.
• Blessing Programs and Ceremonies Blessing ceremonies offered by Monastics for individuals, families, homes, and pets; wedding ceremonies and last rites performed by Monks and Nun. Scheduled monthly and by appointment.
• Buddha Kids Children's Program Mindfulness and Lovingkindness classes for children ages 4-10, taught through lessons, games and crafts on the third Saturday of each month from September to May. Held downstairs during regular meditation sessions from 10-11 AM.
• Virtual Dhamma Studies Classes (Zoom) Online virtual classes including Dhammapada Class on Zoom and Sutta Study Class, exploring Buddhist teachings and scriptures.
• Introduction to the Blue Lotus and Buddhism Orientation class for newcomers, held on the third Wednesday of each month, providing guidance on Buddhist principles and practice at the temple.
• Dhamma Podcasts Audio recordings of Dhamma teachings and meditation discussions available for download or streaming, covering topics such as Removing the ism from Buddhism and the importance of daily practice.
• Online Gift Shop Web-based store operated through Square Site for purchasing temple merchandise.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ free guided meditation sessions yearly
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Rock River Valley Blood CenterminorOthersCommunity partnership for blood drives. The Rock River Valley Blood Center and Blue Lotus Temple partnered to host a community blood drive at the temple location.
• 82BirdsminorOthersWeb design services donated by 82Birds. For more than 8 years, the Blue Lotus website and online community was made possible by the generous donation of 82Birds.
• Unitarian Church in Woodstock / Congregational Unitarian Church of WoodstockminorOthersShared space partnership. The Congregational Unitarian Church of Woodstock generously shared their space for the temple's early practice when the temple was first established. The church also continues to host meditation sessions.
• McHenry County CollegeminorOthersEducational institution where Bhante Sujatha taught meditation classes beginning in 2003, which contributed to the establishment of the Blue Lotus Temple.
• Matheson Memorial Library (Elkhorn, WI)minorOthersOff-site meditation location partner. The temple holds weekly meditation sessions at the library on Thursdays from 6:00PM to 7:00PM.
• Unitarian Universalist Society (Geneva, IL)minorOthersOff-site meditation location partner. The temple holds meditation sessions every second Tuesday of the month at this location.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New York Insight Meditation Center: NYC Insight meditation center providing classes, daylong retreats, and community programming open to all backgrounds; comparable to Blue Lotus in using dana/donation-supported programming to broaden access beyond Buddhists.
• Insight Meditation Society: Long-established Buddhist meditation retreat center in Barre, Massachusetts offering residential retreats, daily meditation, and study programs; comparable to Blue Lotus as a Theravada-aligned community teaching meditation and Buddhist principles to a multi-faith audience.
• Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society: LA-area Buddhist society operating drop-in meditation classes, study groups, and ceremonies on a donation basis; closely parallel to Blue Lotus in offering free community-led sessions anchored in Buddhist teachings.
• Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC: DC-region community offering free/low-cost sittings, classes, and retreats in the Insight Meditation tradition; structurally similar to Blue Lotus as a volunteer-supported urban/suburban sangha teaching Mindfulness and Lovingkindness.
• Spirit Rock Meditation Center: California-based Insight meditation center offering retreats, daily sittings, and teacher-led Dharma programs open to the broader community; mirrors Blue Lotus's model of free ongoing meditation programming paired with teacher-led Dharma study.
• Shambhala Mountain Center: Colorado-based Buddhist meditation, retreat, and study center offering group meditation, residential retreats, and Dharma programs; mirrors Blue Lotus's blended retreat-and-classes format.
• Bhavana Society: West Virginia Forest monastery and retreat center in the Theravada tradition offering meditation, Dhamma study, and residential programs; comparable to Blue Lotus as a monastic-led Buddhist community serving both local and remote practitioners.

Broad incumbents

• Plum Village: Global mindfulness community founded by Thich Nhat Hanh operating retreat centers and online meditation/Dharma programming; comparable to Blue Lotus in delivering Buddhist-rooted mindfulness to a multi-faith Western audience, though at much larger scale.
• SGI-USA: Large established U.S. Buddhist organization with thousands of local discussion and practice centers nationwide; comparable to Blue Lotus as a community-led Buddhist entity that welcomes newcomers and offers free gatherings, but at materially greater scale.

Emerging players

• Tara Brach / Insight Meditation Community of Washington DC (teacher/brand): Prominent Western Insight teacher offering online meditation, Dharma talks, and a community sangha; adjacent to Blue Lotus as a digitally distributed mindfulness/Buddhist teaching operation competing for the same practitioner audiences through podcasts and online classes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bluelotustemple
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/bluelotustemple
• Facebookfacebook.com/bluelotustemple
• Instagraminstagram.com/bluelotustemple
• Pinterestpinterest.com/bluelotustemple

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple