What’s New At Insight Meditation Center
Taught by Jennifer Block, Gil Fronsdal, Paul Haller & a variety of guest teachers. A year-long training in Buddhist chaplaincy and spiritual care giving, oriented to Buddhist practitioners with at least four years of committed practice. Its aim is to provide a strong foundation in Buddhist chaplaincy for volunteer chaplains, those working toward being professional chaplains, and those serving the pastoral needs of their local sanghas. Information: www.sati.org , or karuna@sati.org
On July 17, a group of Sangha members from IMC/IRC will walk the walk. Our intention is to help relieve suffering in our community by raising funds through donations. The funds will benefit dozens of organizations working to stop new HIV infections and support people living with HIV/AIDS. Here’s how you can help: Donate directly to AIDS Walk SF through our team. Register & join our team, IMC/IRC Compassion Team, and help us raise funds. Walk with us in person or as…
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The April – June 2016 Newsletter is Now Available
The Winter / Spring 2016 Insight Retreat Center Newsletter is now available in HTML & PDF
The January – March 2016 Newsletter is Now Available
January 2, 2016, 9am-12:30pm After the busyness of the holidays, this mini-retreat offers a quiet and grounding place where we can slow down, deepen our meditation, connect with our bodies, and reflect on our intentions for the coming year. No experience is necessary. We will alternate between meditation in movement and in stillness. You do not have to be flexible to do yoga or have a particular body type; you need only to be as you are. Gentle postures invite…
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TAUGHT BY MATTHEW BRENSILVER, MAX ERDSTEIN AND NIKKI MIRGHAFORI January – July 2016, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Fridays: Jan 29, Feb 26, March 25, April, 22, May 20, June 24 Saturday: July 9 The Seven Factors of Awakening are qualities cultivated on the path to liberation. These seven – mindfulness, investigation, energy, joy, tranquility, concentration, and equanimity – refer to both psychological qualities we can develop as well as practices to be undertaken. When fully developed, they are know…
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Saturday, November 14, 6:30 – 7:30 pm – reception 7:30 – 8:30 pm – Dramatization 8:30 – 9:00 pm – reception At IMC IMC will host a grand dramatization of the great passing away of the first Buddhist nun, the Buddha’s foster mother, Mahāpajāpatī. The dramatization will be based on an ancient poem that confidently asserts the spiritual potential of women. It also celebrates the role Buddhist nuns have for teaching the Dharma and displaying the attainment of liberation. Dramatizing the…
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On Saturday, November 14 the Sati Center will host a symposium highlighting the accomplishments of women scholars in the early years of Buddhist Studies in the West, on the one hand, and portraits of women as presented in the scriptures of early Buddhist literature on the other. We will celebrate the contributions of these women as part of a benefit to support the pioneering Theravada Buddhist nuns living at Aloka Vihara in the Sierra foothills. Bring a bag lunch. Lunch…
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The great value of mindfulness practice can be found in the ordinary activities of daily life. It is not necessary to engage in extraordinary pursuits to realize the full depth and breadth of Buddhist practice. Listening is one of the ordinary, daily activities that can serve as a powerful vehicle for cultivating mindfulness, insight, and freedom. Dharma practice is to develop the ability to “see clearly;” listening well is a way to do this. Through listening we can better appreciate…
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October – December 2015 Newsletter is now Available
The Summer-Fall 2015 IRC Newsletter is now available.
Renunciation is one of the most beneficial, empowering, and freeing practices of Buddhism. As its purpose is to heighten the best qualities of our hearts and minds, renunciation is not meant to diminish our lives but rather to enhance them. Abstaining from intoxicating drinks and drugs—the fifth ethical precept—is an important Buddhist practice that can reveal the power of renunciation. On the surface, the fifth precept differs from the first four in being more personal than interpersonal. Killing, stealing, sexual…
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