What’s New At Insight Meditation Center
November/December 2025 Dear Friend, The Buddha taught all who came to him without expecting anything in return. IMC and IRC follow this example by offering teachings and practice opportunities freely. By removing financial barriers, we create an environment where generosity and gratitude flourish naturally—ideal conditions for Dharma learning and inner transformation. This practice of dana—giving freely—provides a unique opportunity for spiritual growth. Practitioners learn to receive teachings as gifts rather than commodities. Teachers discover the joy of sharing their knowledge…
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Thursday, December 25, 2026: 12:00 – 2:00 pm In-person at IMC IMC Dharma Friends Event Please join us for a vegetarian potluck at IMC from 12:00p m until 2:00pm. Help setting up and cleaning up afterwards will be needed, with the goal of closing up IMC at 2:30pm. Hosted by Gloria Schulz. Everyone invited, no RSVP needed.
Saturday, January 17: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: Gil Fronsdal Practicing mindfulness on retreat is one of the foundations for maturing insight meditation. The simplicity, silence and support of retreats contribute to letting go of many of the distractions that get in the way of clear seeing. Retreats also are a wonderful environment for developing a continuity of awareness for an extended period. The schedule consists of alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation,…
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Saturday, January 24, 9:00am – 4:00pm In-person at IMC Offered by: Ying Chen, David Lorey, Diana Clark and Kim Allen Connection grows when our words are wise. In the passages on wise speech in the Pali Canon, the Buddha encourages us to speak from the heart – in ways that support our practice and our engagement with the world. This daylong retreat will include periods of sitting meditation, teachings, small group discussion, and Q&A. This event is intended for people…
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Saturday, January 31, 9:30am – 4:00pm In-person only at IMC Part of a Series: Foundation in Freedom: Progressive Instruction in Mindfulness Meditation with Kodo Conlin and Ying Chen Offered by Kodo Conlin and Ying Chen Part and parcel of the Buddha’s path to liberation is the cultivation of mindfulness. Our Insight tradition is rich in ways to grow mindfulness in relationship with all aspects of our experience, no part left out. Let’s share in four Saturday daylong retreats for the…
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The IMC Winter 2026 Newsletter is available online. You can read past newsletters in PDF format on the Newsletter page of the Insight Meditation Center website. You can also find the Winter Schedule of Events — called the Jan to Mar Schedule of Events — under the CALENDAR link on the IMC website.
Saturday, November 22, 2025 9:30 am – 4:30 pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: bruni dávila Speaking is a rich area for Buddhist Practice. In the Eightfold Path, the Buddha gave us guidance on how to engage in speech that unifies and is beneficial for oneself and others. With mindfulness practice, we can learn to discern, from a place deep within, speech that gives rise to peace and wellbeing from that which does not. This daylong retreat will include silent and…
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Thanksgiving Day (November 27th) vegetarian potluck at IMC from 11:30am until 2pm. Help setting up and cleaning up afterwards will be needed, with the goal of closing up IMC at 2:30pm. Hosted by Gloria Schul. Everyone invited
Saturday, November 29, 2025: 8:30 am — 10:00 am On Zoom Topic: Start a Conversation about Climate Change Led by Elaine Salinger, climate activist and Citizens Climate Lobby leader and facilitated by Hilary Borison and Jan Messer It has been shown that getting people to talk about climate change is one of the most effective ways to reduce our use of dirty energy and reduce the effects of climate change. During this month’s meeting, we will briefly discuss the most effective…
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9:25 Silent Meditation 10:00 Presentation and conversation with GRIP graduates hosted by IMC member Kim Moore, the director of the GRIP Training Institute For the regular Sunday morning talk we will have back Kim Moore and graduates from the GRIP Training Program developed by Insight Practitioners for men incarcerated in the California State Prisons. The morning will include an inspiring conversation rooted in lived experience, transformation, and restorative justice. We have had graduates from GRIP speak on Sunday morning some…
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Saturday December 13, 2025 8:30 am – 5:00 pm In-person only at IMC Offered by: bruni dávila Practicing mindfulness on retreat is one of the foundations for maturing insight meditation. The simplicity, silence and support of retreats contribute to letting go of many of the distractions that get in the way of clear seeing. Retreats also are a wonderful environment for developing a continuity of awareness for an extended period. This particular daylong retreat is meant for people who already understand…
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Sunday, December 21, 2026: 11:10 am Where: Let’s meet in the Edgewood Park parking lot at 11:10 am for a 3+ mile hike — approximately 3 hours. What: We will celebrate this celestial event walking through local ecosystems with some periods of silence bringing our awareness to the present, paying attention to our senses. There will be a time of sitting with a ritual and a gathering together. Join: Kristen Benson, anEco Buddist Chaplain through Sati Center. A chaplain of…
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by Gil Fronsdal When it was evening, the venerable Sariputta rose from meditation and went to the Blessed One. After paying homage to him, he sat down at one side. The Blessed One then said to him:“Sariputta, your faculties are clear. The color of your skin is pure and radiant. What abiding do you often dwell in now, Sariputta?” “Now, venerable sir, I often abide in emptiness.” “Good, good, Sariputta! Now, indeed, you often abide in the abiding of a…
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I will be offering a number of new programs in 2026 outside of IMC. – Gil 1) Buddhist Practice for Building Bridges to Peace and Justice: A Dialogue between Mohsen Mahdawi and Gil Fronsdal Tuesday, January 13, 6:00 pm. PST On Zoom What does it mean to practice peace when you’re facing deportation for being a peacemaker? In April, while working to bridge divides between Israelis and Palestinians, Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi was detained by ICE and nearly deported—accused without…
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Saturday, September 6, 2025: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm In-person at IMC & broadcast live on YouTube YouTube Livestream | IMC Website Livestream Offered by Tanya Wiser Rest the mind, abide moment by moment in embodied presence, and nourish the heart. Join us for a day of dedicated practice in this daylong retreat. Together, we will practice mindfulness, allowing our awareness to rest in the heart-mind while cultivating our capacity for wise and caring attention. This retreat offers a supportive…
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