Insight Meditaion Center of Pioneer Valley

burma buddha IPV

photo submitted by Insight Med. of PV

photo submitted by Insight Med. of PV

Name of Organization:

Insight Meditation Center of Pioneer Valley is a non‑residential urban community center. Its mission is to offer the Buddha’s teachings to all who are interested, to help sustain and deepen meditation practice and to bring wisdom and compassion into daily life.

Insight PV is dedicated to being a welcoming community to all. Insight PV is firmly committed to welcoming diversity of race, class, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, cultural and religious background, and ability within our midst, so that all might feel included and comfortable in practice.

Contact Information

Mailing Address: 116 Pleasant Street • Suite 242 • Easthampton, MA • 01027

Phone: 413-527-0388

Email: With questions about offerings, schedule, retreats, classes, please contact: general@insightpv.org.

 

Lineage: Dhamma Dena and Insight PV The Insight Meditation Center of Pioneer Valley was first named Dhamma Dena Meditation Center, and Dhamma Dena remains a part of our Center’s identity. Dhamma Dena was a lay-woman recognized by the Buddha for her profound wisdom.

Ruth Denison, who was the root teacher of our founder Arinna Weisman, named her center after Dhamma Dena, and we named ours Dhamma Dena also, in part to honor Ruth’s importance in the lineage, and in gratitude for her undaunted efforts to bring the Buddha’s teachings to Westerners and to women in particular.

The teachers at Insight PV have roots in the Theravadan lineages of Buddhism. Most have practiced meditation at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and at other Insight Meditation centers in the United States. Many have also practiced Vipassana meditation at centers in Southeast Asia. Some have supplemented their Theravadan roots with practice in other Buddhist lineages and other body and mind practices.

Retreats, Evening Talks & Events Schedule available on Website:    www.insightpv.org 

Drop-In Sittings

Mondays: Sitting 5:30 – 6:15 pm, discussion 6:15 – 6:45 pm  Wednesdays: Sitting 7:00 – 8:00 pm, dharma talk to follow. Fridays: Unguided sitting 5:45-6:30 pm

The drop-in sittings are an opportunity to support your practice and sit together with other sangha members in a relaxed atmosphere. There is an optional discussion time for those who would like to participate. A teacher or practice leader will be present to faciliate the evening, except on Fridays. (Once per month, the dharma discussion is replaced by a newcomer orientation as discussed below.)

Courses

Courses meet on weekday evenings at InsightPV from 7:15 – 9 pm unless otherwise noted. 4-6 weeks in length.  There is a suggested registration contribution for classes, and also an opportunity to practice dana to the teachers.

Costs & Funding Information: Dana

  The principle of generosity, or Dana, is intrinsic to the 2,500 year old tradition of Buddhism. In the days of the Buddha, the teachings were considered priceless and thus offered freely. Through the reciprocal generosity of students and teachers, the teachings have flourished and allowed may people to develop greater wisdom and compassion. Practicing dana is a central part of the teachings. Generosity is a beautiful and joyful quality, an opening of the heart into sharing. It creates an atmosphere of non-separateness, an expression of our interconnectedness and interdependence. Through generosity, we practice letting go of clinging, which frees the heart. It is the foundation of all spiritual growth and the practice of all religions.  Insight PV is honored to continue the dana tradition of sharing the teachings of the Buddha freely and without charge. The donations from classes, retreats, and sittings, added to the donations from fund-raising events, mail appeals, and gifts from dedicated friends of the Center, enable Insight PV to pay rent and other administrative expenses. Teachers and community dharma leaders at the Center are not paid for leading classes and retreats. The only financial support they receive for their teaching is in the form of dana. Your contributions to the teachers helps them with the expenses of a lay life and supports them so they can devote more of their lives to teaching, and keeps this beautiful tradition of dana alive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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