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
Latest News
Thanks to a few incredibly generous donors, Boston Meditation Center is the official owner of a brick-and-mortar space! With your help, our sangha will have a new, permanent home at 440 Somerville Ave. in Union Square. Construction has begun and we’re due to open in Spring 2020.
As a traditionally Buddhist organization, BMC runs entirely off of the donations and generosity of our community. That’s why we’ve launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe. We’re in need of $19,500 to cover all remaining costs. Please consider supporting this exciting new project and help turn this space into a true refuge.
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. We are currently located in Cambridge (Harvard Square).
Weekly Meditation
BMC currently meets every Thursday from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. at Karma Yoga Studio in Harvard Square (1120 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge).
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. 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:
January 25: Insight Meditation and Compassionate Awareness
A Half-Day Meditation Retreat with Matthew Daniell
Description
Insight meditation teaches us to calm and steady attention in the present moment through simple mindful awareness, see into the changing nature of all experience. This wisdom practice allows us to naturally let go of unwise clinging that harms ourselves and others.
Compassionate Awareness is a quality of heart and mind that allows us to embrace suffering in ourselves and the world with greater spaciousness, warmth, and committed responsiveness. This engaged awareness can be cultivated through intentionally embracing open hearted attitudes and formal intentional practices that run counter to much of our “me first” conditioning.
Together, wisdom and compassion are considered like the two wings of a bird, both essential for living a wise, kind, and engaged life. In this half day retreat we will systematically explore cultivating these complementary practices in a way that can become unified and that naturally integrates formal and daily life practices. Beginners and experienced students alike are welcome to attend.
When
Saturday, January 25, 2020
12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where
The Arlington Center
369 Mass Ave
Arlington, MA
Cost
$35 Base
$45 Sustaining (actual cost of the program)
$55 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.
Registration
To register, select your preferred pricing option from the drop-down menu below and then click the button to submit payment via PayPal; in a day or two you will receive a confirmation email. Please email us at info@bostonmeditationcenter.org with any questions.
Teacher
Matthew Daniell has been practicing Buddhist meditation for over 30 years. He studied Zen in Japan, Tibetan Buddhism in India, and Insight Meditation in India, Burma, Thailand, and the United States. His teachers include Munindra, Dipa Ma, Larry Rosenberg, Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, and Jack Kornfield. Matthew is a founder of the Insight Meditation Center of Newburyport, as well as its primary and guiding teacher.
Next Residential Retreat:
Summer 2020 Residential Retreat
BMC’s next residential retreat is June 7–12, 2020 (5 nights) with the Venerable Sayadaw U Indaka and Chris Crotty. We are very fortunate to have another opportunity to practice with the Venerable Sayadaw during this fourth annual retreat. This year’s retreat will focus on the practice and teachings of Metta (Loving-kindness). The retreat will take place at the beautiful and spacious Won Dharma Center in Claverack, NY, and is open to beginners and experienced students.
Registration will be available here soon. Please check back in January 2020.