What’s New At Insight Meditation Center
I am happy to report that the wonderful completion of the first yearlong Buddhist Eco-Chaplaincy training ended. Teaching this with Kirsten Rudestam and Susie Harrington, this program is the fulfillment of a longtime dream of mine. 23 people participated, each with a unique and inspiring orientation toward this relatively new field. Inspired by the success of the program and the important role eco-chaplains have for the huge environmental challenges of our times, Kirsten, Susie, and I are starting the second…
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The horrific killing of George Floyd is heartbreaking. For the loss and unimaginable sorrow of his family and community, I offer my condolences. To Black people in the United States who live every day with the real possibility of violence, police brutality, and an ongoing onslaught of racism, we at IMC regret we have not done more to counter the tide of rising racism. The heart-wrenching police brutality toward peaceful protestors reveals the very deep wound that racism is for our…
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Message from Gil In 2010, together with members of the IMC community, I helped start a non-profit called Insight World Aid (IWA) in order to provide medical and humanitarian aid to impoverished communities. I am still actively involved with IWA which during this time of a COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda has donated $2,200 to the Uganda Buddhist Centre, led by Abbot Venerable Bhante Buddharakita, a regular teacher at the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts. This money allowed the center to…
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IMC teachers and Dharma Leaders are offering small COVID-19 era support groups via Zoom. These a once-weekly opportunity to join changing groups with different teachers to talk together about our experience during these times, how we are practicing with it, and what Dharma resources and teachings we are relying on. You can sign up to a group at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040B45ACA92DA3F85-imcgroups
Q: I notice I feel anxious after I watch or read the news. What can I do? A: It can be helpful to choose to be intentional about when and how to watch or read the news. That is, choose a time when you can be reflective and discerning about the news. Don’t be a passive recipient of what you read. Before learning the news, do something wise and supportive. This might be meditating or spending time outside. Then sit…
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The January-March 2020 Newsletter is Now Available
In an extended discussion of the Buddha’s ethical behavior, the suttas contain the following description of how the Buddha speaks. On Sunday, December 1 I read this as part of a talk addressing one of the most important visibly public issues of our times, i.e., how we speak to each other in our society. Buddha’s Way of Speaking Abandoning false speech, The Buddha refrains from false speech. A truth-speaker, He is reliable, trustworthy, non-deceptive. Abandoning malicious speech, The Buddha refrains…
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I am happy to celebrate the launching of IMC’s new website by expressing much gratitude to all the people who have contributed to our previous website and now to the new one. Our previous website grew gradually in content and pages so that plenty of our material was tucked away, unnoticed. We hope that with the new design much more of the website is easily accessible. You are encouraged to explore it. We have added this “Reflections from Gil” section…
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9:30am – 4:30pm Insight Dialogue is an interpersonal meditation practice that brings the mindfulness and tranquility of traditional silent meditation into our experience with others. Resting on the foundation of traditional Buddhist teachings, this practice offers a way to integrate wisdom and compassion into our relational lives through mindful speaking and mindful listening.In this one-day non-residential workshop, we will use the power of relational meditation practice to understand the habits of heart and mind that lead to stress and distress,…
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Environmental Volunteers EcoCenter, 2560 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA Join us for an afternoon retreat at the Environmental Volunteers’ EcoCenter located at the beautiful Palo Alto Baylands’ Nature Preserve. We will collectively turn off our digital devices and turn our hearts and minds to awe inspiring nature inside and outside. The event is held rain or shine, partly indoors and partly outdoors, sitting and walking. There will be guided meditation, periods of silent sitting and walking, Q/A, and…
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WITH GIL, LILU, AND YINGWEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 7:30 TO 9PMPeople of all Asian and South Asian backgrounds are invited to an informal discussion about IMC and participation in IMC. This is a chance to ask questions, raise concerns, and to describe challenges, joys, and possibilities that might exist at IMC for people born in Asia or descendants of Asian immigrants. People coming to IMC from an Asian cultural background will sometimes notice how different IMC is from the form of Buddhism or other religions they may…
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TAUGHT BY CHRIS CLIFFORD, LIZ POWELL, BRUNI DAVILA & TANYA WISER Meeting Dates: Sunday 1:00 – 2:30: Sept. 8 Sundays 1:00-3:30: Oct 6, Nov 3, Dec 1, Jan 12, Feb 16, March 15, April 19, May 17 Saturday: June 13 9:30 to 4:30 Concluding Daylong Retreat at IRC, Scotts Valley The Buddha’s most explicit path of practice is the Eightfold Path— a set of eight practical approaches to bring Buddhist practice into the width and depth of our lives. The Eightfold Path Program…
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Saturday, August 17, 9:00am – 4:30pm Insight Meditation Center, 108 Birch St, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA Description:This will be a day devoted to cultivating loving-kindness (Metta). The practice of loving kindness was taught by the Buddha to cultivate the natural beautiful qualities of an open and loving heart. The practice begins with ourselves and expands outward for all beings. There will be instructions and and teachings to develop this practice and to work with the challenges that…
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