About us
Located in Wenham, MA, Wenham Insight Meditation Center is dedicated to helping people reduce suffering through the development of mindfulness and self-awareness. We provide a place for classes and weekly practice, where people can come together to support their meditation practice under the guidance of experienced teachers.
Our mission is to help people develop the self-awareness and inner peace necessary to live life in a skillful way. We do this by providing a serene, contemplative space for the practice of insight meditation, under the gentle guidance of experienced teachers, and in the context of a supportive community of fellow practitioners. We warmly welcome beginners and experienced practitioners of all faiths.
Wenham Insight Meditation Center (WIMC) represents a marriage of two insight meditation lineages: one, represented by Chris Crotty, is a Burmese insight practice that primarily uses mindfulness of the breath as an anchor, and the other, represented by Michael Bresnan, is a Thai/Lao insight practice that primarily uses a meditative hand movement as an anchor.
We advocate the following core principles:
The recognition that there are degrees of relief from suffering – up to its total cessation.
The complete cessation of suffering is possible for each of us with diligent practice.
This release from suffering is based on seeing clearly, for oneself, the actions of one’s body and mind in the present moment, and begins with the distinguishing of physical reality from conceptual thought.
The realization of this cessation of suffering is most likely when both formal meditation practice and practice during daily life are supported and combined.
Our practice community avoids ritual and dogma, and does not discourage practice in other spiritual traditions. We aspire to cultivate an atmosphere of openness, gentleness and mutual support.
Upcoming events
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Online Buddhist Reading Group
·OnlineOnline(Zoom Only)
Join Zoom Video: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81004248471?pwd=ZUQ2bU1BNGpQdG9uWEVpU1VScUtBQT09
Meeting ID: 810 0424 8471
Password: cfmimTo join us on Zoom, you’ll need at least a free Zoom account and the Zoom software installed on your desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Join us on Zoom, Tuesdays at 6pm, for our weekly Drop-In Sutta Reading Group led by Max Johnson. Every week, we will read a different classic sutta (the oldest type of recorded Buddhist teaching), with an emphasis on reading to support our meditation practice.
- Each week will be a stand-alone session that does not require any preparation or prior reading. Participants are welcome to drop in as infrequently or frequently as they like.
- We will always read the texts on Zoom aloud together as a group. There will never be homework assigned or reading expected outside of the group (though participants are also free to further their reading between classes if they choose).
Those who prefer to just listen and follow along will not be required to read aloud. As we read, we will pause to discuss the text and share our questions and comments in order to learn from one another.
We will occasionally read non-sutta texts like commentaries, scriptures from different traditions, and articles written by modern practitioners. Participants will have opportunities to choose and bring texts/articles to the group so that we can all enrich our understanding of practice.
Reading ancient texts can boost a meditation practice, and can jumpstart a waning practice by inspiring energy, effort, and curiosity. Many have found the suttas to be interesting, accessible, fun, and relevant to our modern lives (maybe surprisingly so!) They have also been found to lead to the development of wisdom and the shedding away of stress.
No prior experience with the suttas is necessary. Everyone is welcome! — Beginners and experienced meditators are encouraged to attend.
Email 4anglemindfulness@gmail.com if you have any questions.
To attend this event, please pre-register on WenhamInsight.org
1 attendee
Past events
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