downtown meditation community insight meditation programs Programs Open to All Students Sunday Night Meditation This ongoing weekly “drop in” class includes sitting meditation, a dharma talk, questions and answers, and time for getting to know one another. Students should have experience in insight meditation. June Sutta Study In this class we’ll explore one of the suttas (discourses of the Buddha). The class will include instruction, discussion and meditation. Particular attention will be paid to the relevance of the teaching to our contemporary urban lives. Mindfulness of Mind States – In this five-week course, we'll learn to develop the Third Foundation of Mindfulness (Frame of Reference): Mindfulness of Mind States. Learning to work in a skillful way with thoughts and emotions is, of course, an important part of dharma practice. During this cycle of teachings, we'll have an opportunity to take an in-depth look at this aspect mindfulness; we'll look at how to cultivate this mindfulness in formal sitting and off-the-cushion postures. The course will include meditation, instruction, discussion, and suggested practice activities. Please note that this is an intermediate level course; students should have taken a beginners' course and should have a regular meditation practice. Five Week Beginners' Course This five-week course will provide instruction in the fundamentals of insight meditation. Emphasis will be placed on learning the practices of sitting and walking meditation, and developing mindfulness in daily life. Explanation of the teachings central to insight meditation will be part of each class. Each class will include time for discussion and student’s questions. The course is suitable for students with no previous experience, as well as experienced meditators who wish to renew their practice. To register, please contact the New York Open Center at: www.opencenter.org The course is listed as “Insight Meditation – The Practice of Mindfulness” in the Open Center catalog. Programs for Group Members To find out about being a Downtown Meditation Community member, please go to the Being A Member page. June Insight Meditation Retreat This day-long retreat will be held in the traditional insight meditation form, allowing participants to experience stillness and insight in a supportive environment. The day will include periods of sitting and walking meditation. There will be a dharma talk and opportunities for interviews. *Please note that this is a program for DMC group members. Heedfulness Workshop In this three-week course we’ll learn to develop the practice of heedfulness. Heedfulness is one of the most important skills that the Buddha taught. In this spirit, his last words to his disciples were, “Continue to be heedful.” Practicing heedfulness, we’re able to understand our actions and choose to act and live in a skillful way. The practice of heedfulness is a integral component of daily life practice (natural meditation). In this workshop, we’ll learn to deepen our practice of heedfulness through instruction, dialog and various practice activities. *Please note that this is a program for DMC group members. Breath Meditation Workshop This five-week course is designed for students with a working familiarity with the steps of breath meditation, as taught in Downtown Meditation Community, including directed thought, evaluation and spreading (steps 1-3). In the workshop we will explore our relationship to this method for developing concentration and we’ll learn how to deepen our practice of breath meditation. The practice of breath meditation (anapanasati) is a practice that we are always seeking to evolve and the course will support us in our ongoing development. The course will include instruction, discussion and suggestions for practice. Students should have taken the eight week course, “Developing the Way of Mindfulness.” *Please note that this is a program for DMC group members. Vedana: The Second Frame of Reference Working with vedana (feeling tone) is one of the most important aspects of developing mindfulness and insight. In developing the Second Frame of Reference we learn to establish insight into our relationship to pleasant and unpleasant experience, our habitual and painful tendencies toward liking and disliking. In this three-week course, we’ll seek to deepen our understanding of this critical element of the Buddha’s teachings and we’ll learn to implement the teaching in our practice, on the cushion and in the natural meditation context. The course will include teaching, discussion, and suggestions for practice. *Please note that this is a program for DMC group members.
Downtown Meditation Community Residential Retreats Downtown Meditation Community
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