Boston Meditation Center

Date: Thursday, March 21 
Time: 7:15-8:45pm
1120 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA

Weekly drop-in class: no registration required. 

This event is offered in the tradition of dana (Pali for giving or generosity): while there is no set cost of attending, we invite you to consider making a donation to support the teacher and The Boston Meditation Center.

Limitless Heart: Loving Kindness Meditation Retreat
(half day retreat)

Saturday, March 23
9:30am-1:00pm

Registration: Insight Meditation Society

With good will for the entire cosmos, cultivate a limitless heart: Above, below, & all around, unobstructed, without hostility or hate. – Sutta Nipāta 1.150

Program Description When we are in pain, confused, angry, feeling betrayed, or scared, we contract. We close ourselves off from the world in an effort to restore a sense of safety or peace. This pattern of contraction is appealing because it provides temporary relief, yet it closes the heart and numbs the mind. We are left disconnected and unable to see clearly. Metta, or loving-kindness meditation, systematically inclines the mind toward benevolence and love. Cultivating the “metta mind” encourages us to stay present, open, and engaged in our life and the world around us with an attitude of friendliness. Join us for a morning of meditation practice and a Dharma reflection focused on the heart’s potential for limitless kindness. Everyone welcome-open to beginners and experienced practitioners.

Live Guided Meditation, Dharma Talk, Question & Answer Period w/ Chris Crotty
World Wide Insight
Sunday, March 24 2:00-3:30pm (eastern) 11:00am-12:30pm (pacific)
Drop-in online class open to everyone. Log in from wherever you are!  

Confidence in the Dhamma, Confidence in Yourself

I often recall a time many years ago when my grandmother was dying. I was with her during her final days, and sat at the foot of her bed during her last few breaths. A turning point in my life, the death of my grandmother signaled something within me that encouraged and supported my interest in meditation and Buddhist teachings. Referred to in the Pali as samvega, this desire to be awake to life clarifies and heightens our motivation and aspiration to seek greater meaning and freedom in all that we do. 

We don’t need loss or tragedy to connect with the wholesome part of us that seeks wisdom and the alleviation of suffering, we only need to learn how to see the impermanence (anicca) and preciousness of this human life. Meditation practice is the training ground for recognizing impermanence: the abdomen rises and then falls, sounds appear and disappear, moods come and go in the changing emotional landscape of pleasant and unpleasant experience. And then there is the rest of our life–as we attune to the truth of impermanence the very preciousness of life itself begins to penetrate our awareness: the flowers will not last forever, our dear friends will come and go, those we love will grow old. Even how we chop our vegetables matters if we wan’t to be touched by the the richness and joy of a human life.    

In the absence of samvega we are more prone to play out our usual habits and less prone to orient our life toward wisdom. The Buddha referred to this as pamada, describing any phase on our path where delusion has tricked us into thinking satisfaction can be had through material and sensual gain. We strive, we push, we rush, and we suffer the result of disconnection, alienation, and suffering (dukkha).   

I invite you to join me for an exploration of samvega and pamada with an emphasis on cultivating confidence in the Dhamma, the knowledge that the Buddha’s subtle teachings are accessible and that the fruit of practice is available to us in this life time. Known as pasada, this confidence, which is both a trust in the Dhamma and in one’s own capacity for freedom, can be recognized in the knowledge that we have everything we need to be awake and that the Dhamma is inherently reliable.   

In friendship,

Chris 

The Wisdom of Vulnerability
A residential practice and study retreat with Chris at Barre Center for Buddhist Studies

April 4-7, 2019 

Registration: Barre Center for Buddhist Studies

Course Description:
The Buddha himself, despite his spiritual achievements, endured human predicaments and difficulties. This course examines the Buddhist ideal of a life beyond suffering alongside the reality of day-to-day living, balancing the Buddha’s radical optimism with the practical concerns of our human lives: physical and emotional health challenges, past regrets and future desires, social injustice, relational challenges, and enduring questions related to finding and sustaining purpose in our life. Through this approach we learn to appreciate our own vulnerability, empathically acknowledge it in others, and allow it to bring us closer to our own freedom while creating caring communities where connection, compassion, and mutual support encourage each other’s awakening. Combining meditation and sutta study with dialogue and relational mindfulness practices, we will co-create an experience that merges the clarity of wisdom with the acceptance of compassion.

Learning intentions:
• Recognize how self-judgment and doubt can arise in response to archetypal images of progress on the Buddhist path.
• Understand Buddhism’s ideal of cessation (freedom from suffering), while experiencing the value of vulnerability in serving that goal.
• Promote self-awareness and empathic connection amongst group members through relational mindfulness practice.
• Understand how vulnerability can be practiced and expressed through three modes of action: body, speech, and mind.
• Integrate two modes of understanding: relative and absolute.
• Recognize and become familiar with sutta passages that convey both the ideal of going beyond suffering and the inevitable human task of embracing suffering.

Embodied: Mindfulness Yoga & Meditation

April 13, 2018
1:00pm-4:30

Registration: Boston Meditation Center

Location: Arlington Center

Yoga and Buddhism share the same aim – the liberation of body, mind, and heart. Postures and breath practice support the body and mind for meditation, and mindfulness enables a more intentional, awareness-based yoga. This program is open to anyone interested in exploring the relationship between yoga asana (postures) and insight meditation. Together these mutually supportive practices foster self-awareness and insight into the conditions that underlie greater well-being and personal freedom. 

This half-day retreat includes alternating periods of yoga postures and guided meditation based on the Four Foundations of mindfulness, and is aimed at helping students deepen concentration and investigate the true nature of mind and body. Yoga sessions will draw from yin, kripalu, and vini-yoga, and will be accessible to all-levels of practitioners, including beginners. Beginner and experienced meditators will both benefit.

Embodied: Mindfulness Yoga & Meditation
Chris Crotty with David Schouela

May 25, 2018
2:00pm-5:30

Registration: Boston Meditation Center

Location: Arlington Center

Yoga and Buddhism share the same aim – the liberation of body, mind, and heart. Postures and breath practice support the body and mind for meditation, and mindfulness enables a more intentional, awareness-based yoga. This program is open to anyone interested in exploring the relationship between yoga asana (postures) and insight meditation. Together these mutually supportive practices foster self-awareness and insight into the conditions that underlie greater well-being and personal freedom.

This half-day retreat includes alternating periods of yoga postures and guided meditation based on the Four Foundations of mindfulness, and is aimed at helping students deepen concentration and investigate the true nature of mind and body. Yoga sessions will draw from yin, kripalu, and vini-yoga, and will be accessible to all-levels of practitioners, including beginners. Beginner and experienced meditators will both benefit.

Chris Crotty

David Schouela
David is a workshop facilitator and certified yoga teacher-trainer. He is passionate about helping individuals cultivate increased presence and resilience  through the practices of yoga and mindfulness. David is on the teaching faculty for the trauma-sensitive yoga certificate program offered through the Trauma Center in Brookline, MA. In 2004, David cofounded True North Insight, a Canadian charitable organization offering a full schedule of Buddhist Insight meditation retreats and courses in English and French. David is a founding board member of Boston Meditation Center. 

The Path of Peace & Freedom: Spring Insight Meditation Retreat
With Sayadaw U Inndaka, Chris Crotty, & May Myint Oo 

June 6 – 13, 2019

Location: Insight Meditation Center Newburyport

Co-sponsored by Boston Meditation Center and Insight Meditation Center Newburyport.

Register through either organization: http://bostonmeditationcenter.org https://www.imcnewburyport.org

Retreat Description Insight meditation (vipassana) is the central Buddhist practice aimed at awakening. The Buddha taught that the cause of discontent and suffering can be understood, and this insight, or wisdom, is the natural foundation for greater peace, wellbeing, and freedom. Through the practice of insight meditation we calm and stabilize the mind, and then we investigate the mind’s true nature. We wake up to the truth of life, and we enjoy the freedom of our awakened mind.  

On this retreat, Burmese meditation master Sayadaw U Inndaka and Chris Crotty will guide students in the development of insight through guided meditation, extended silence, individual interviews, and dharma talks. This is a unique opportunity to practice and learn with Sayadaw U Inndaka, and to rest your mind in the quiet natural surroundings of Insight Meditation Center Newburyport.
 
Sayadaw U Inndaka Born in 1952 in Upper Burma, Sayadaw U Inndaka was ordained in 1972 at the famous Mahagandhayon Monastery in Amarapura, Burma. Starting in 1976 he practiced vipassana meditation in the Mahasi Meditation Center in Mandalay; some years later he went to the Chanmyay Yeiktha Meditation Center in Yangon, where he was commissioned to teach meditation. In 1996 he became the abbot of the newly established Chanmyay Myaing Meditation Center on the outskirts of Yangon. In 2009 he established a second center in the northern town of Pyin Oo Lwin, not far from Mandalay. Sayadaw U Inndaka’s books on the practice of metta meditation and the factors of enlightenment have been translated into English and German. Sayadaw U Inndaka teaches Boston Meditation Center’s annual spring residential retreat

Freedom Simple & Profound: The Liberating Path of Insight Meditation
Understanding the Satipatthana Sutta as a Guide for Meditation Practice 

Insight Meditation Center Newburyport

July 13, 2019
9:00-5:00pm (recommended)
9:00-12:30pm (half-day option)

In the Satipatthana Sutta the Buddha’s profound confidence is made clear: …this is the direct path…for the surmounting of sorrow…for the disappearance of dukkha…for the realization of nibbana. The sutta, outlining the four foundations of mindfulness, provide us with a simple map to explore and understand the true nature of our mind. All experience we learn, can be observed directly and understood through these four “great frames of reference:” body, feelings, mind, dharmas. This is the liberating path that leads to wisdom and freedom from distress. Using the Satipatthana Sutta as our guide, Chris will walk students step-by-step through the practice of mindfulness, or insight meditation, through silent periods of sitting and walking meditation. 

Dharma reflections will be integrated throughout the day which will conclude with a question and answer discussion period. Students will leave with a clear understanding of the Satipatthana Sutta as a model for practice along with a handout covering the four foundations of mindfulness in detail to support further practice and study.  

Half-day and full-day options are available (Full-day recommended). Those who attend the morning will receive instruction in the first two foundations, day-long participants will receive instruction in all four foundations. 

Guided Meditation, Dharma Talk, Question & Answer Period w/ Chris Crotty World Wide Insight Sunday, Nov 10 2:00-3:30pm (eastern) 11:00am-12:30pm (pacific) Drop-in online class open to everyone. Log in from wherever you are!  

Attachment and Non-Attachment: The Dharma of Relationship
with Chris Crotty, M.A. & Julia Barry, LMFT, SEP

Date TBD
Registration: Boston Meditation Center

One of the basic tenants of Buddhist practice is that attachment causes suffering. Western psychology promotes secure attachment in relationship as central to physical, emotional and psychological well being, health and happiness. How do we resolve this paradox? How do we resolve our need for deep connection in relationship alongside our wish for the deep happiness espoused by Buddhist teachings? How can meditation help us achieve greater ease, skill, and satisfaction in our relationships?   In this program we will explore Buddhist teachings on impermanence and not-self, as well as attachment theory, which addresses how our early childhood relationships inform our adult views and behaviors. The format will include meditation instruction, Buddhist and western teachings on attachment, and relational mindfulness practices.   We are all in relationship, whether it be intimate partnership, family, friendship or community – all are welcome and encouraged to attend this program! This program will serve as a foundation for future programs focusing on Buddhism, meditation, and relationship and is recommended for anyone who may want to further their practice and understanding in these disciplines.

Teachers Chris Crotty Julia Barry, LMFT, SEP

North Shore Center for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation

Date: Wednesday, Nov 28
Time: 7:00-8:15pm
72 Grapevine Rd, Wenham, MA 01984

Drop-in class: no registration required  

This event is offered in the tradition of dana (Pali for giving or generosity): while there is no set cost of attending, we invite you to consider making a donation to support the teacher and The Center for Mindfulness and Insight Meditation.

Calm, Still, Quiet: Winter Residential Retreat
w/ Chris Crotty
Assisted by Sarah Mitchell

January TBD

Registration options:
Residential: $300
Commuter: $200

Retreat location: Insight Meditation Center Newburyport
Registration: Boston Meditation Center (BMC)

In winter, the stars seem to have rekindled their fires, the moon achieves a fuller triumph, and the heavens wear a look of a more exalted simplicity.  – John Burroughs

Winter is a natural time for turning inward, while retreat provides an opportunity to focus attention on your meditation practice and contemplate the Buddha’s teachings. In this second annual Winter Residential Retreat with Chris, the outer stillness of the natural world supports us in quieting our mind, and directly experiencing the calm and stillness of concentration. With a mind free from distraction, we use mindfulness (insight meditation) to investigate the path to peace taught by the Buddha and perfected during retreat practice for over 2500 years. Combining periods of sitting and walking meditation, with Dharma teachings, the Winter Residential Retreat is held in noble silence. This retreat is suitable for those who have not yet sat retreat, as well as ongoing practitioners who wish to further their practice–meditation instruction and dharma talks will accommodate all experience levels.   

Calm, Still, Quiet: Winter day-long Retreat
w/ Chris Crotty
Assisted by Sarah Mitchell

January TBD
$90

Retreat location: Insight Meditation Center Newburyport
Registration: Boston Meditation Center (BMC)

In winter, the stars seem to have rekindled their fires, the moon achieves a fuller triumph, and the heavens wear a look of a more exalted simplicity.  – John Burroughs

Winter is a natural time for turning inward, while retreat provides an opportunity to focus attention on your meditation practice and contemplate the Buddha’s teachings. In this second annual Winter retreat with Chris, the outer stillness of the natural world supports us in quieting our mind, and directly experiencing the calm and stillness of concentration. With a mind free from distraction, we use mindfulness (insight meditation) to investigate the path to peace taught by the Buddha and perfected during retreat practice for over 2500 years. Combining periods of sitting and walking meditation, with Dharma teachings, the Winter retreat is held in noble silence. This day-long retreat is comprised of the middle day of a three day residential retreat, and is suitable for those who have not yet sat retreat, as well as ongoing practitioners who wish to further their practice–meditation instruction and dharma talks will accommodate all experience levels.