photo of two young people with hands in anjali
BMC group photo 12/2018
BMC summer retreat at IMCN
Chris, Sayadaw, Mimmi
Chris and Rod
About
Boston Meditation Center (BMC) is a Buddhist sangha in the Insight tradition serving greater Boston and the East Coast. Emphasizing the development of wisdom and kindness through traditional practices made accessible and relevant to modern-day lives, BMC welcomes everyone who seeks greater freedom and happiness in their lives. Central to our vision is the belief that the path of awakening is attainable by all and should be available to all. Our guiding teacher is Chris Crotty.
We offer weekly meditation classes and dharma talks, as well as daylong and residential retreats.
Announcing BMC’s New Managing Director – from Chris Crotty
In March BMC underwent a significant transition. Sarah Mitchel, BMC’s Managing Director, stepped down from her position. For nearly two and a half years Sarah has been instrumental in sustaining BMC, improving how we work together, and helping BMC grow. She has taken the lead on innumerable important tasks and larger projects, managed our daily work flow, and she has been thoughtful, clear, and considerate in her approach and in her relationships. During this time, Sarah has also been a sincere and devoted practitioner, taking time to further her practice through retreats and study programs with different teachers. Personally, I have learned a lot from Sarah, and for both this and her contribution to BMC, I am grateful. Thank you, Sarah!
Our new Managing Director, Ryan Cunningham, has already begun to settle into the role. Ryan has done some training with Sarah in order to get acquainted with BMC’s daily operations, and they have already begun to share their experience and expertise acquired over many years of working with organizations like ours and helping them succeed. Ryan has had a leadership presence in local contemplative spaces for a long time: they are a Dharma practitioner, experienced yoga teacher, and body worker integrating yoga and manual therapy. We look forward to working with Ryan, learning from Ryan, and providing them with a new dharma home to further their vocational path. Welcome, Ryan!
For more information see our Staff page.
Regular Offerings
BMC currently meets every Thursday from 7:00pm to 8:30pm ET. Meetings typically begin with 20 to 30 minutes of guided meditation, followed by a dharma talk and discussion with our guiding teacher, Chris Crotty, or another teacher or facilitator.
BMC also meets every day from 6:30am to 7:15am ET for daily morning meditation. As a silent, peer-led practice period, morning meditation provides a consistent time and structure to begin or sustain a personal, daily meditation practice.
Donations are gratefully accepted.
Though grounded in the Theravada tradition, we strive to expose our members to diverse approaches to the dharma by occasionally hosting teachers from other traditions, such as Tibetan or Zen Buddhism.
Next Day Program:
May 22- Healing and Resiliency as the World Falls Apart
A Half-Day Workshop with Lama Rod Owns
Description
The world is unsteady and chaotic. Many of us are being confronted with the reality of death and change in a way we thought we never would. In the face of all this, it is hard to maintain our physical and emotional balance. Resiliency is such an important skill to develop right now. Resiliency is about how well we are able to meet the challenges of our lives with a sense of openness and curiosity that helps us to regain our balance. Balance means understanding how to return back to a sense of being grounded in order to meet challenges directly.
In this workshop, we will explore healing and resiliency through meditation, breath practice, gentle movement, visualizations, and group discussions.
When
Saturday, May 22 from 9:30am to 1:00pm ET
Where
A Zoom link will be emailed before the program.
Investment
$25 Base
$35 Sustaining
$45 Contributing
Paying at the highest level you can afford helps us make our programs available to as many people as possible. There is also an opportunity to offer additional dana (generosity) for the teacher at the end of the program.
Please let us know if finances are an obstacle. Scholarships are available for anyone experiencing financial hardships.
Teacher
Lama Rod Owens is Buddhist minister, author, activist, yoga instructor and authorized Lama, or Buddhist teacher, in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School and is a co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation. Owens is the co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Has been published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, and offers talks, retreats and workshops in more than seven countries.