Insight Meditation Society Information & Insight Meditation Society Links at HealthHaven.com

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The Insight Meditation Society (IMS, formerly Insight Meditation Center)^[1] is a Buddhist non-profit organization located in Barre, Massachusetts.^[2] It was founded in 1975 by Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein, and is rooted in the Theravada tradition.^[3] IMS meditation practices are based most strongly on the teachings of the late Burmese monk Mahasi Sayadaw, who with Ajahn Chah of Thailand was a leading figure behind the recent rapid growth of Buddhist thinking in western developed countries.

IMS offers Buddhist meditation retreats at two facilities – the Retreat Center and the Forest Refuge – in rural central Massachusetts. The Retreat Center is one of the two largest vipassana centers in the United States.

It offers a full yearly schedule of more than 25 meditation courses, ranging in duration from a weekend to three months. Most retreats run for 7–9 days.^[4]

Every year, the Insight Meditation Society runs a three-month course that has been called the "marathon of meditation". Save for triweekly interviews with instructors and nightly lessons, the retreatants observe full silence. In Theravada tradition, after lunch, they do not eat another meal, but are allowed snacks and drink tea.^[5] The center's courses provide instruction and practice in insight (vipassana) and/or lovingkindness (metta) meditations. ^[4]

The Dalai Lama has visited this retreat center.^[6]

[edit] References

^ Maguire, Jack (2001). Essential Buddhism: a complete guide to beliefs and practices. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0671041886. http://books.google.com/books?id=RgYeSM_savwC&pg=PA172&dq=%22Insight+Meditation+Society%22.
^ Jayakrishna, Nandini; Ornish, Dean (2009-09-08). "Being young, here, now". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/08/mass_meditation_center_draws_overstressed_young_adults/.
^ Latin, Don (2005-01-23). "Bridging Eastern and Western Buddhism". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/a/2005/01/23/RVGDGAQAQK1.DTL&type=books.
^ ^a ^b About Us - Insight Meditation Society
^ Goleman, Daniel (1993-03-21). "A Slow, Methodical Calming of the Mind". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/21/magazine/a-slow-methodical-calming-of-the-mind.html?pagewanted=all.
^ "Seek ... and you shall find". 204-07-23. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WO&p_theme=wo&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=104159B4069F7771&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM.

[edit] Bibliography

Fronsdal, Gil (1998). "Insight Meditation in the United States: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," in C.S.Prebish & K.K.Tanaka (1998), The Faces of Buddhism in America, University of California Press. Also available on-line at: http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/articles/InsightintheUS.html

[edit] See also

FWBO Friends of the Western Buddhist Order

[edit] External links

Insight Meditation Society Official website

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[0] Maguire, Jack (2001). Essential Buddhism: a complete guide to beliefs and practices. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0671041886. http://books.google.com/books?id=RgYeSM_savwC&pg=PA172&dq=%22Insight+Meditation+Society%22.

[1] Jayakrishna, Nandini; Ornish, Dean (2009-09-08). "Being young, here, now". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/08/mass_meditation_center_draws_overstressed_young_adults/.

[2] Latin, Don (2005-01-23). "Bridging Eastern and Western Buddhism". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/a/2005/01/23/RVGDGAQAQK1.DTL&type=books.

[autogenerated1-3] About Us - Insight Meditation Society

[4] Goleman, Daniel (1993-03-21). "A Slow, Methodical Calming of the Mind". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/21/magazine/a-slow-methodical-calming-of-the-mind.html?pagewanted=all.

[5] "Seek ... and you shall find". 204-07-23. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WO&p_theme=wo&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=104159B4069F7771&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM.

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Contents

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] See also

[edit] External links