2025: Our community meditation gatherings remain online for now... 
...but if there is enough interest and help, we could consider a change

     During the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020-21, our community shifted from in-person gatherings to online (Zoom) gatherings, as many people and groups did.
     After the lockdown was lifted and workplaces and organizations resumed in-person meetings in 2021-22 and beyond, our community decided to continue to hold our gatherings in an online-only format.  The reason was that our community's small size and lack of a sufficient number of practice leaders made it unsustainably burdensome to meet in person.
     We regularly receive inquiries from people interested in joining a community of practice that meets in person.  Although this is not us at the moment, it could conceivably be us in the near future, especially if practitioners interested in this are willing to step forward and consider becoming regular practice leaders.  

What is involved in being a practice leader?
     In the past, when we met at Motion Center Yoga in Pawtucket (84 Fountain St.), being a practice leader involved:
  • arriving around 20 minutes early to turn on heaters (in colder months)
  • setting up meditation cushions and chairs
  • greeting, welcoming, and orienting practitioners (e.g., what the format is; where bathrooms are)
  • announcing the beginning and end of the meditation period
  • reading a short reading from a relevant book or article (either from the Insight Meditation tradition or a related meditation tradition)
  • facilitating a simple forum for reflection and discussion (guidelines provided)
  • closing up the space when the gathering is over
     Motion Center may well be open to hosting us again.  If the community decided to pursue that path, and Motion Center agreed, being a practice leader would again include the elements above.
     If, on the other hand, people are interested in pursuing other meeting spaces, such as meeting in a participant's home (which some participants have graciously offered), some of these steps would no longer apply (e.g., turning on the heat).
     The more practice leaders we have, the less often each practice leader would need to take a turn.  For example, if we had four practice leaders, then each one could take a turn once every two months.
 
     If you are interested in becoming one of our practice leaders, please let us know!
     And, if you are interested in joining us (simply as a practitioner), whether in our current online format or in the event that we resume in-person gatherings, please also let us know!  You may use the "Contact Us" page.


     We are a small community dedicated to supporting the practice of Insight (Vipassana) Meditation and the study of the Dharma, the Buddha's teachings on how to live a fulfilling and helpful life that addresses the suffering of each person and all beings. 
      Our community exists to support and nurture the practice and study of the Dharma for anyone in the greater Providence area and beyond. We seek to know each other and to help one another along this path. We welcome newcomers warmly!
     We are aligned with the Insight Meditation Society, and look to teachers affiliated with it for most of our dharma teaching. The Insight Meditation Society was founded in 1976. Located in Barre, Massachusetts, IMS describes itself as a spiritual refuge for all who seek freedom of mind and heart. It offers meditation retreats rooted in the Theravada Buddhist teachings of ethics, concentration and wisdom. These practices help develop awareness and compassion, giving rise to greater peace and happiness in the world.

Insight Meditation

     Vipassana meditation, which can be translated as insight meditation, is a simple yet profound practice from among the central teachings of the Buddha. Fundamentally, we simply sit, and know, with full awareness, that we are sitting. More specifically, the practice encompasses two interwoven phases: the development of tranquility (shamatha) that makes way for clear seeing (vipassana) of things as they really are. The practice helps participants cultivate deeper awareness that fosters compassion for self, others, and the world.
     Sitting meditation practice is the cornerstone of our 1st & 3rd Thursday sittings. However, other practices, including walking meditation and lovingkindness (metta) practice, are also central to the insight meditation tradition, and are incorporated into periodic community practice events. All are also encouraged to incorporate these practices, as well as the awareness and kindness that they help cultivate, into our everyday lives in whatever way fits best. Participants are able to discuss these during the sharing time at our Thursday gatherings--an experience that can provide encouragement through the group’s support.
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