dharma.org.au
What
is Insight Meditation?
Insight Meditation
(also known as Vipassana) refers to both Buddhist
meditation practices and a largely Western form of
Buddhism. A feature of Insight Meditation as a
form of Buddhism is that it is either free of
ritual or has minimal ritual. It draws on the
practices (dharma practices) and wisdom of
Theravada Buddhism, which has been practiced for
centuries in Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka. Many
Insight Meditation teachers have also been
influenced by Zen and Tibetan Buddhism.
There are different
styles of Insight Meditation. Some common threads
are that they all place importance on acting in an
ethical way, and they all have a focus on settling
the mind, developing a level of clarity, and
looking carefully at one's experience. Aims of
Insight Meditation include coming to a deep
understanding of ourselves and the nature of the
world, as well as developing compassion for all
living beings.
Quarterly
Insight Meditation News
We have a quarterly
email news which gives a little more information
than is on the website about what is coming up and
what is happening in our national (mainly East
Coast) network. You can get on the list for these
emails by sending an email to:
We're happy to take
you off the list at any time. Just let us know. We
don't give names or addresses on this list to
anyone.
Groups in particular
areas (DharmaCloud, Bluegum Sangha, Sydney Insight
Meditators, Tallowwood Sangha, Heart Insight in
Brisbane and others) have their own lists. Look
under the "Groups/Centres" heading for contact
details.
Links - Insight Meditation
further afield
There are many
Insight Meditation centres and groups overseas.
Three of the larger centres are these:
Links
- General
Links - Audio
Links
- Social Action in India
The
Insight Meditation community has supported a
variety of social programs. The initiative which
has been the main focus, since it started twenty
five years ago, has been the Bodhgaya
Development Association (BDA), an Australian
group supporting a school and
other programs for the poor in India. The original
BDA website is still online and contains
some of the history of, photos of and reports on
the programs.
The Buddhist
community has also supported BODHI
Australia (the Benevolent Organisation for
Development, Health and Insight).
Past Events
Dharma
Yatras 2006-2015
Dharma Gatherings: 2006, 2007,
2008
Site Information
This site is for
dana-based programs run by teachers on the teacher page,
related groups, and dana-based programs run by
overseas Insight Meditation teachers who have
taught at one of the three large centres listed
above. Up to four retreats by any teacher can
appear on the retreat table. To contact the site
administrator email
Retreats get posted
when the details are set and bookings are open.