What is Meditation Practice?

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Insight meditation (vipassana) is the practice of paying attention to our present-moment experience with kindness and without criticism.. By gently and continually directing our attention to what is happening now, we cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom.

 

Through the development of mindfulness one can reduce stress and anxiety, learning to detach from reactions, gain self understanding and improve one’s general well-being. Meditation is the training of attention. Getting better control of your attention is the foundation of changing your brain, and thus your life, for the better.

 

It is you saying to the world (and yourself): I'm going to step off the hamster wheel now. This time is for me. It is a way to center in being rather than doing (what a relief!). Incidentally, this is how we can affect change in the world. Being more available for ourselves, we have more to offer others.

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FAQs

 

When do you plan to open the center again?

All of our programs are currently being offered on Zoom to safeguard the health of our sangha and the community at large. We are monitoring the situation with Covid-19 closely and will make an announcement via email when we feel it is safe enough to open the center to in-person offerings again. If you would like to stay abreast of news, please sign up for our email list (here). Join us on zoom by visiting our progams page.

 

What if I’m not Buddhist?

While we offer the teachings of the Buddha, the practices of meditation, mindfulness, kindness, and generosity are universal. You do not need to believe anything, wear anything, or be anything you’re not. All are welcome here. Come as you are.

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Do I sit on a chair or cushion?

This is up to you and depends on your body. To meditate you need to be comfortable enough to sit still for several minutes. People often start in a chair and then move to a cushion when their body allows.

 

What is Pali?

Pali was the language in which the Buddha taught. From time to time, we use Pali words in dharma talks and on our website. Always feel free to ask whoever is offering the teachings what specific words mean. For a glossary of Pali terms, please click here.

 

What is Dana?

In the Buddhist tradition, the teachings are considered so valuable you can’t put a price on them. For more than 2,600 years, teachers and communities have been supported by the practice of dana, a Pali word that translates as “generosity.” Just as students depend upon teachers, teachers depend upon students. Through a practice of mutual generosity, teachers share the Dharma, and practitioners support the teachings through gifts of money, resources, and service. This system has allowed the teachings of the Buddha to become available to all people, regardless of socioeconomic background, and has supported the spreading of the teachings through countless generations.

 

The ShowMe Dharma Center only exists through the generosity of the people who value what we offer. We would not be here without your generous support of our center and leadership. Dana is not a payment or a fee. It is a gesture of the heart and a beautiful practice of mutual support and sharing. Your support allows us to pay the rent, maintain the facility and support the teachers and classes.

 

There are many ways to give dana. For more information about offering a gift, please visit our donation page. For information about volunteering, please visit our volunteers’ page. If you would like to read more about the practice of generosity, please refer to “The Gift of Generosity” an article written by Phillip Moffitt.

 

What if I can’t afford a retreat fee or to offer a donation?

No one is turned away from any program we offer for lack of funds. All of our programs, classes, and retreats provide scholarships.

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