Sacramento Insight Meditation

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Dennis Warren
2022-03-24 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Remote Meeting Zoom
To join this remote meeting, note the following:

Join Online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87269584502Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 872 6958 4502 )For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.

This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/ .Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you wish to make a donation, click here.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk - Rich Howard - Compassion Fatigue
2022-03-17 19:00 - 21:15 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Talk topic: Compassion Fatigue

Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard

* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or onsite at the Sacramento Dharma Center

As practitioners of mindful awareness, we want to remain openhearted to the suffering in the world. Our practice teaches us to turn toward conditions as they are, without needing to avoid unpleasant sensations, emotions, or thoughts. This openheartedness leads naturally to compassion, the impulse to take action on behalf of those who are experiencing suffering. However, Western psychology has recognized a condition called “compassion fatigue,” the “secondary trauma” that can result from helping others and that may lead to diminished capacity to empathize or feel compassion. Given all the suffering in the world and our access to it via global media, we may be overwhelmed and start to shut down to the world and those close to us. This evening, we will take a look at how our practice may help us recognize compassion fatigue as it develops and maintain an open heart.

Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83869249314 , Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 838 6924 9314 )

Please use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Rich Howard.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk - Seth Castleman - Honoring Our Lineage of Teachers
2022-03-10 19:00 - 21:15 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Talk topic: Honoring Our Lineage of Teachers

Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Teacher Seth Castleman

* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or onsite at the Sacramento Dharma Center

Thursday Night Talk Dana “Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical BuddhaFor remote meetings, please use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Seth Castleman.

Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85647629321 , Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 856 4762 9321 )

SETH CASTLEMAN is a teacher, writer, and storyteller with over twenty years experience teaching mindfulness and spiritual practice. Castleman is trained in both the Jewish and Buddhist traditions. After 20 years of meditation practice and two years of silent retreat as a lay-person in the US, India, and Nepal and as a monk in Burma, Seth was trained as a teacher by Jack Kornfield at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA. He was authorized as a meditation/dharma teacher in 2008. Following eight years of rabbinical studies in the US and Israel/Palestine, Castleman was ordained in 2011 as a rabbi by one Orthodox, one Conservative, and one Reform rabbi. Castleman has published in two dozen newspapers, periodicals, and anthologies on the intersection of contemplative practice and social justice and the transformational power of brokenness. As a storyteller, Seth has performed in theaters, on radio and television, and at countless kitchen tables. Seth uses myth, storytelling, and humor as central tools in his teaching and counseling work. Seth Castleman is married to Reverend Elizabeth Griswold, making them, quite possibly, the only rabbi—Christian minister married couple in the US. Seth and Elizabeth live in Davis, CA with their three children.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk - Diane Wilde - What about God?
2022-03-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rev. Diane Wilde

Talk topic: What about God?

* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or in-person at the Sacramento Dharma Center

It seems appropriate to discuss a “supreme being” and its compatibility with Buddhist practice — or not. The holiest seasons in the Judeo-Christian and Muslim calendars are approaching in April. Passover, Easter and Ramadan celebrations of God in his/her various manifestations will all be taking place.

There is a widespread assumption that a person can’t be a Buddhist and also believe in a supreme being. Yet at SIM and other Buddhist sanghas, many practitioners often embrace the Buddha’s path and simultaneously maintain a strong allegiance to a belief system whose purpose is the worship and celebration of a “supreme being.” For many, the apparent “atheism” in Buddhism, and personal belief in god can cause confusion. For others there is no problem at all, with a comfortable mixing of both. In Buddhism itself, there are “gods” that are an important component of the culture. We will discuss them as well as the Buddha’s teachings on a supreme being and what a few contemporary teachers think about this issue. Should make for a lively discussion!

Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88314627748 , Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 883 1462 7748 )

Thursday Night Talk Dana

“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical BuddhaPlease use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Rev. Diane Wilde.

(Hybrid) Daylong Retreat - Dennis Warren - Building, then Transcending, A Constructive, Healthy Sense of Self
2022-02-26 08:30 - 16:15 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Daylong Retreat with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
About This Hybrid Retreat

Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or in-person at the Sacramento Dharma Center.
Pre-registration is required and we recommend you pay the registration fee in advance. This helps us determine how many people will attend and how many people the meditation room should accommodate.
To pay now, you’ll find at the bottom of this page registration ticket choices to attend via Zoom or attend onsite. If you attend onsite, you do have the option to pay the registration fee in-person on the day of the retreat or pay online after the retreat starts.
If you buy a ticket for onsite attendance you may still attend the retreat via Zoom.
The link to attend the retreat via Zoom appears in three places:

The Zoom link is at the bottom of this page – select the button “Join Retreat Online” to connect to the meeting.
The Zoom link is included in the automated email sent with your ticket purchase (email subject is “You have tickets!“).
The Zoom link is https://joinconferencing.zoom.us/join, with Meeting ID: 870 0449 8847 and Passcode: [REDACTED]

To give a donation after attending this retreat, click here.

Retreat Theme: Building, then Transcending, A Constructive, Healthy Sense of Self
From a Buddhist perspective, “Self” can be misunderstood as dualistic and problematic: “Self” equals bad & suffering. “No self” equals good and becomes a cure for all our ills. This over-simplified model leaves out the foundational elements of learning how to build a constructive, healthy sense of self and how to live in a way that transcends any sense of self.
This approach to Buddhist practice provides a larger, inclusive, unified view of identity and self that fills life with possibilities, satisfaction and a sense of belonging. This one day will be a relaxed, practical, relevant look at our lives and practices from this perspective. We’ll examine the teachings, psychology and practices that support this approach to practice.
At the moment, it is unclear if this will be a hybrid event – both Zoom and in person. If possible, Dennis wants to have in-person attendance and will encourage as many people as possible to attend in person. Watch for updates on this issue which will be based on our best available assessment of health guidance and safety.

DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/ .Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Summary of Important Dates

12/09/2021 – Registration opens.
02/26/2022 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat.
02/28/2022 – Registration closes the Monday after the retreat at 11:00 am PST.

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, specify if you plan to attend in-person or attend remotely via Zoom. In the “Tickets” section, specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Teacher Tony Bernhard
2022-02-24 19:00 - 21:15 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Teacher Tony Bernhard

* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or onsite at the Sacramento Dharma Center

Thursday Night Talk Dana “Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical BuddhaWe recognize that donating by cash or check at the time you attend this event may not always be convenient for you. If that’s the case, please use this form to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Tony Bernhard.

TONY BERNHARD is a Buddhist chaplain and teacher. He maintains an active practice with inmates in Folsom Prison and hosts sitting groups in Davis. He sits on the board of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies and teaches regularly around the bay area and central valley. His practice is non-traditional, guided by his chaplaincy work in prison, his teaching and by his study of the early Pali scriptures.

Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89889799049 , Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 898 8979 9049 )

(Canceled) Introduction to Meditation with Tony Bernhard
2022-02-24 18:00 - 19:00 | Remote Meeting Zoom
Our apologies: this course is canceled.
Join Online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82116767613Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 821 1676 7613 )For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

TONY BERNHARD is a Buddhist chaplain and teacher. He maintains an active practice with inmates in Folsom Prison and hosts sitting groups in Davis. He sits on the board of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies and teaches regularly around the bay area and central valley. His practice is non-traditional, guided by his chaplaincy work in prison, his teaching and by his study of the early Pali scriptures.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you wish to make a donation, click here.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Remote) Sit & Dharma Talk - Heather Sundberg - Letting Go, Inspired by the teachings of Ajahn Chah
2022-02-17 19:00 - 21:15 | Remote Meeting Zoom
Talk Topic: Letting Go, Inspired by the teachings of Ajahn Chah

Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Senior Teacher Heather Sundberg

The teacher will present via Zoom and this talk will be recorded.

Thursday Night Talk Dana “Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical BuddhaYou may use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 100% of your donation will be shared with Heather Sundberg.

HEATHER SUNDBERG has practiced insight meditation since 1993, and was first invited to teach meditation classes in 1999. Soon afterwards, she participated in the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leader program (CDL2), graduating in 2003. She began teaching Residential Retreats in Insight Meditation in 2004. Next, Heather completed the four-year Spirit Rock/Insight Meditation Society Senior Teacher Training. Additional biographical details are available at http://heathersundberg.com/about.html.

Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84091660102Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 840 9166 0102 )For tips and instructions on how to participate, check this news blog.

(Remote) Sit & Dharma Talk - Dennis Warren - “Mindfulness”, “Mindfulness Based” Programs and Buddhist Mindfulness Are Not the Same Thing
2022-02-10 19:00 - 21:15 | Remote Meeting Zoom
“Mindfulness”, “Mindfulness Based” Programs and Buddhist Mindfulness Are Not the Same Thing

Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren.

There are an endless number of on-line podcasts, events, retreats, magazine articles, websites, books, YouTube videos and personal services describing themselves as involving “Mindfulness” or being “Mindfulness-Based.” Popularized Mindfulness, Mindfulness-Based programs and Buddhist Mindfulness are not the same things.

This evening will explore some of the important commonalities and differences to help us evaluate available practice options and to be clear about what we are doing in our own individual practices.

The subject matter of this evening is appropriate for all stages of practice. Attendance is by ZOOM only.

Thursday Night Talk Dana “Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical BuddhaYou may use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Dennis Warren.

Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82176032581Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 821 7603 2581 )

(Remote) Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Teacher Neesha Patel
2022-02-03 19:00 - 21:15 | Remote Meeting Zoom
Talk Topic: to be announced

Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Senior Teacher Neesha Patel

Thursday Night Talk Dana “Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical BuddhaFor remote meetings, please use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 100% of your donation will be shared with Neesha Patel.

Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82385489991Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 823 8548 9991 )For tips and instructions on how to participate, check this news blog.

NEESHA PATEL, PhD is deeply grateful for the liberative teachings of the Buddha. She has been fortunate to have practiced in both Asia and the US. Her practice has been influenced by the guidance of many wonderful teachers including Sayadaw U Tejaniya and Thai Forest Tradition teachers. She teaches mindfulness meditation at UC Davis and is a participant in the 2017-2021 Insight Meditation Society Teacher Training Program.

(Remote) Daylong Retreat - Diane Wilde - Hey! Stay on the Path!
2022-01-29 09:00 - 16:00 | Remote Meeting Zoom
Daylong Retreat with Buddhist Minister and Community Teacher Diane Wilde
About This Online Retreat

Pre-registration is required and we recommend you pay the registration fee in advance. This helps us determine how many people will attend and how many people the meditation room should accommodate.
To pay now, you’ll find at the bottom of this page registration ticket choices to attend via Zoom or attend onsite. If you attend onsite, you do have the option to pay the registration fee in-person on the day of the retreat or pay online after the retreat starts.
The link to attend the retreat via Zoom appears in three places:

The Zoom link is at the bottom of this page – select the button “Join Retreat Online” to connect to the meeting.
The Zoom link is included in the automated email sent with your ticket purchase (email subject is “You have tickets!“).
The Zoom link is https://joinconferencing.zoom.us/join, with Meeting ID: 856 2275 5195 and Passcode: [REDACTED]

To give a donation after attending this retreat, click here.

Retreat Theme: Hey! Stay on the Path!
When we venture out for a hike in nature, we check first to make sure there is a well-trodden, reliable path we can follow. A path that will keep us safe and will guide us home at the end of the day. information signs posted along the way are helpful. They may tell us us how far we have gone, or suggest we stop for a scenic view ahead, or a warning to stay on the path due to danger ahead. The Buddha too laid out a reliable path that provides guidance for living our lives with ease and safety. It is the Noble Eightfold Path. If we have strayed from the path, or never really followed the path with conviction, we may find ourselves confused and perhaps unsure about the value of our lives. The New Year is a good time for a refresher! The Noble Eightfold Path omits nothing, and nothing is left to chance. The various paths address three different areas of our lives; our deeply held views and the consequences of those views; the truth about how we live our daily lives; and the steps for achieving true freedom through our meditation practice. On this daylong we will review the wisdom found in each pathway. and will also investigate our individual challenges… and which pathway(s) need more focus and effort.
All are welcome.

DIANE WILDE has studied meditation in various traditions since 1990. In 2001 she was a founding member of Sacramento Insight Meditation. She founded Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (aka Boundless Freedom Project) in 2010 and has been a prison chaplain for 18 years. She is a graduate of Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy program and graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leadership Training Program. She is a board member of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies at the Sacramento Dharma Center. In 2015 she was lay-ordained as a Buddhist minister by Gil Fronsdal.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Summary of Important Dates

12/09/2021 – Registration opens.
01/29/2022 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat.
01/31/2022 – Registration closes the Monday after the retreat at 11:00 am PST.

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, in the “Tickets” section, specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.

(Remote) Sit & Dharma Talk - Rich Howard - The Paramis
2022-01-27 19:00 - 21:15 | Remote Meeting Zoom
The Paramis

Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard

Developing a Mind/Heart of Peace The Paramis are qualities of heart that when developed bring the highest blessing, which is peace. In honor of the passing of Thich Nhat Hanh, Rich will use illustrations from the beloved Zen Master’s life for development of the Paramis in daily life. We will see how Thay embodied patience, renunciation, determination, truthfulness, and other qualities of the heart to bring peace at the individual, community, and global scales. Please bring a story of how you have been influenced by Thich Nhat Hanh’s teaching, in person, online, or through his writing: a short quote, a song, a poem, or one of his books. We have invited special guest Helen Hobart to share her experience practicing with Thay.

Rich will donate all the dana he receives from tonight’s presentation to the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation.

Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81034206363 , Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 810 3420 6363 )

Thursday Night Talk Dana For remote meetings, please use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with the Thich Hanh Foundation (via Rich Howard).

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Rich Howard
2022-01-27 18:00 - 19:00 | Remote Meeting Zoom
To participate, note the following:

Join Online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82514332127Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 825 1433 2127 )For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.

This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

RICH HOWARD has been an active practitioner and volunteer at SIM since 2004. His area of interest is bringing meditative awareness into everyday life. He participated in SIM’s 2007 India Pilgrimage and is a graduate of SIM’s second Practice Development and Leadership (PDL) program. He served on the Board from 2010 until 2015, the last two years as president. He was one of the SIM representatives to the Inter-Sangha Coordinating Committee, predecessor to the Sacramento Dharma Center Board, which now runs our shared space for Buddhist sanghas in Sacramento. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Africa in the 1970s and is fluent in Spanish. His teachers are Dennis Warren, Tony Bernhard, and Steve Armstrong. Rich completed online courses with Steve on the Abhidhamma (the Buddhist psychology) and the Manual of Insight. He took Gil Fronsdal’s online course on the Majjhima Nikaya (Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha). His interest in the environment led him to the One Small Planet training with Kerry Nelson and the Ecosattva training with One Earth Sangha. In 2018, he completed a 10-month Dhamma Awareness Training with Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters called Touching the Earth. In 2019, he completed Meg Gawler’s 8-month course Preparing the Ground for Samadhi.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you wish to make a donation, click here.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Remote) Sit & Dharma Talk - Dennis Warren - Healing and Our Biographical Narratives
2022-01-20 19:00 - 21:15 | Remote Meeting Zoom
Healing and Our Biographical Narratives
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81262809252Passcode: [REDACTED] by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 812 6280 9252 )For tips and instructions on how to participate, check this news blog.

Thursday Night Talk Dana “Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical BuddhaFor remote meetings, please use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Dennis Warren.

Topic details:
Buddhist practice has a unique approach to problem solving and healing. The teachings, methods and underlying psychology dismantle the confusing, and sometimes overwhelming, emotional energy of difficult reactive patterns and our attachment to a biographical narrative that identifies us as damaged. This approach focuses on how we relate to the narrative, not the biographical details of the narrative.
This evening will explore two practical questions:

What is the Buddhist approach to problem solving and healing?
What role does our individual biographical narratives play in this process?

The subject matter of this evening is appropriate for all stages of practice. You can attend in person or by ZOOM.

(Remote) Sit & Dharma Talk - Seth Castleman - Have a Little Faith!
2022-01-13 19:00 - 21:15 | Remote Meeting Zoom
Have a Little Faith!
Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Teacher Rabbi Seth Castleman
Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86043707674
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-9128 ( Meeting ID: 860 4370 7674 )
For tips and instructions on how to participate, check this news blog.

Thursday Night Talk Dana “Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical BuddhaFor remote meetings, please use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Seth Castleman.

RABBI SETH CASTLEMAN is a teacher, writer, and storyteller with over twenty years experience teaching mindfulness and spiritual practice. Castleman is trained in both the Jewish and Buddhist traditions. After 20 years of meditation practice and two years of silent retreat as a lay-person in the US, India, and Nepal and as a monk in Burma, Seth was trained as a teacher by Jack Kornfield at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA. He was authorized as a meditation/dharma teacher in 2008. Following eight years of rabbinical studies in the US and Israel/Palestine, Castleman was ordained in 2011 as a rabbi by one Orthodox, one Conservative, and one Reform rabbi. Castleman has published in two dozen newspapers, periodicals, and anthologies on the intersection of contemplative practice and social justice and the transformational power of brokenness. As a storyteller, Seth has performed in theaters, on radio and television, and at countless kitchen tables. Seth uses myth, storytelling, and humor as central tools in his teaching and counseling work. Seth Castleman is married to Reverend Elizabeth Griswold, making them, quite possibly, the only rabbi—Christian minister married couple in the US. Seth and Elizabeth live in Davis, CA with their three children.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk - Diane Wilde - Are You Listening?
2022-01-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Are You Listening?
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rev. Diane Wilde
* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or in-person at the Sacramento Dharma Center
Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89174387201
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 891 7438 7201 )
For tips and instructions to join the meeting, check this news blog.

Thursday Night Talk Dana

“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
We recognize that donating by cash or check at the time you attend this event may not always be convenient for you. If that’s the case, please use the form below to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Rev. Diane Wilde.

Topic details:
Did you know that listening is a learned skill? Unlike speech which comes naturally to us, REALLY listening isn’t an innate trait. Why is that? Listening requires taming the ego-driven addiction to being center stage, and trying to take over another’s “air time”. To speak is to articulate words that convey meaning, and to listen is to understand the true intent behind words being spoken. When the Buddha spoke about Right Speech, he was including both sides of the communication equation; skillful means of intentional speech as well as intentional listening. Skillful listening means listening mindfully to others, especially when we habitually discount what “they” have to say. It also means listening deeply to our own innate wisdom, which we too frequently ignore because it may not align with our long-held beliefs about ourselves. Learning how to deeply listen is a skill that changes attitudes and beliefs as well as enhancing empathy and community. Deep listening is a great skill to learn for the new year.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk - Gullu Singh - 5 Subjects for Daily Recollection
2021-12-30 19:00 - 21:15 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Five Subjects for Daily Recollection
Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Senior Teacher Gullu Singh
* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or in-person at the Sacramento Dharma Center
Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83577477772
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 835 7747 7772 )
For tips and instructions to join the meeting, check this news blog.
Gulwinder “Gullu” Singh is a corporate real estate attorney who also a Dharma teacher at InsightLA and Spirit Rock Meditation Center. He has taught mindfulness at the University of Southern California, been a guest lecturer at UCLA Law School and has taught mindfulness in law firms, at bar associations and in law firm and corporate settings. Although he was exposed to meditation as a child, he found his own practice when he started his legal career, working at firms where the job was extremely stressful.
Gullu completed InsightLA’s one-year Mindfulness Facilitator Training, Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s 2-year Dedicated Practitioner Program, the training to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and the 4-year Spirit Rock Meditation Center Teacher Training Program which focuses on teaching in the silent retreat setting. Gullu is a core teacher in the Mindfulness in Law Teacher Training as well as the InsightLA Mindfulness Facilitator Training.
Gullu graduated from Duke University in 1990 and got his J.D. from the University of Southern California Law Center in 1993, where he was on Law Review. He then worked at two preeminent BigLaw Firms before founding Landmark Law Group, Inc. in 1998. He was recognized as a California Super Lawyer in 2009.
Gullu is deeply inspired to share meditation as a path to freedom and also as an antidote to stress, a way to cope more effectively with the challenges of work and life and to inject more sanity, compassion and wisdom into this world.

Thursday Night Talk Dana
“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
For remote meetings, please use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 100% of your donation will be shared with Gullu Singh.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk - Rich Howard - Beginnings and Endings
2021-12-23 19:00 - 21:15 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Beginnings and Endings
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard
* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or in-person at the Sacramento Dharma Center. The teacher will present on location.
Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89485691687
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 894 8569 1687 )
For tips and instructions to join the meeting, check this news blog.
Thursday Night Talk Dana
“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
For remote meetings, please use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Rich Howard.
Topic details:
While the end of a calendar year is somewhat arbitrary, it offers us a chance to look back on the previous year and to look forward to the year to come. In terms of practice, we can think of these activities as Wise Reflection and Wise Intention. For this evening, we will be using a beginning – the first section of the Dhammapada, which Jack Kornfield calls “the most beloved of all Buddhist texts, both poetic and profound.” Titled “Dichotomies” in Gil Fronsdal’s translation (Shambhala, 2008), this text contains reminders of the power of our thoughts and actions, and discernment in choosing a path of happiness and away from quarrels.
The placement of a text at the beginning of a collection was not arbitrary when the Pali Canon was assembled – important texts like this one were intentionally placed first. We will take a slow tour through this poem and see what it offers for our year-end reflection and intention. Feel free to have your own copy of the Dhammapada at hand; it is often fruitful to see how different translators approach a text.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with Rich Howard
2021-12-23 18:00 - 19:00 | Remote Meeting Zoom
To participate, note the following:
Join Online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86219248344
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 862 1924 8344 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

RICH HOWARD has been an active practitioner and volunteer at SIM since 2004. His area of interest is bringing meditative awareness into everyday life. He participated in SIM’s 2007 India Pilgrimage and is a graduate of SIM’s second Practice Development and Leadership (PDL) program. He served on the Board from 2010 until 2015, the last two years as president. He was one of the SIM representatives to the Inter-Sangha Coordinating Committee, predecessor to the Sacramento Dharma Center Board, which now runs our shared space for Buddhist sanghas in Sacramento. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Africa in the 1970s and is fluent in Spanish. His teachers are Dennis Warren, Tony Bernhard, and Steve Armstrong. Rich completed online courses with Steve on the Abhidhamma (the Buddhist psychology) and the Manual of Insight. He took Gil Fronsdal’s online course on the Majjhima Nikaya (Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha). His interest in the environment led him to the One Small Planet training with Kerry Nelson and the Ecosattva training with One Earth Sangha. In 2018, he completed a 10-month Dhamma Awareness Training with Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters called Touching the Earth. In 2019, he completed Meg Gawler’s 8-month course Preparing the Ground for Samadhi.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you wish to make a donation, click here.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Onsite) A Year to Live (12 month course)
2021-12-19 14:00 - 16:00 | CA
A Year to Live
This is part of an twelve month course lead by SIM’s community teacher, Reverend Diane Wilde. This is not a remote offered course. For location, schedule, and other course details, visit https://sactoinsight.org/activities/study-groups/a-year-to-live/.

Registration Details
This course and the waiting list is currently full. If you need to contact the course registrar for any reason, click here.

(Canceled) November Daylong Retreat
2021-11-27 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
* * * This retreat is canceled. * * *
If you need to contact the retreat registrar for any reason, click here.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk - Dennis Warren - Establishing Mindfulness
2021-11-18 19:00 - 21:15 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
The Historical Buddha’s Guidance on Establishing Mindfulness In Meditation
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or in-person at the Sacramento Dharma Center.
Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85067961606
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 850 6796 1606 )
For tips and instructions on how to participate, check this news blog.
Thursday Night Talk Dana
“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
For remote meetings, please use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Dennis Warren.
Topic details:
The Historical Buddha’s formula for being skillful in meditation starts with “establishing Mindfulness” as a foundational element. This guidance points to the fact that the kind of Mindfulness needed in meditation does not just happen or appear by itself. It is something that needs to be intentionally established, monitored and sustained every time we meditate in order for our meditation practices to be skillful.
During this evening we’ll take a hands-on-look at: What does it mean to “establish Mindfulness” in our meditation practices? What does one do to establish Mindfulness? How do we know if it has been established? If established, how is it sustained?
These are basic, practical, experiential questions that provide a framework for helping us evaluate the soundness and quality of our meditation practice.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
2021-11-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Remote Meeting Zoom
To join this remote meeting, note the following:
Join Online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88623255021
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 886 2325 5021 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/ .
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you wish to make a donation, click here.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk - Diane Wilde - Equanimity
2021-11-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
EQUANIMITY: It’s complicated! Early Buddhism Taught Three Different Types
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rev. Diane Wilde
* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or in-person at the Sacramento Dharma Center. Tonight the teacher will present in-person.
Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86396082826
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 863 9608 2826 )
For tips and instructions to join the meeting, check this news blog.
Thursday Night Talk Dana

“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
We recognize that donating by cash or check at the time you attend this event may not always be convenient for you. If that’s the case, please use the form below to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Rev. Diane Wilde.
Topic details:
According to Bhikkhu Analayo, early Buddhist teachings suggest that “equanimity” as a practice, is not monolithic. In fact, in the earliest teachings, there are three types of equanimity, and one of them (as defined in a particular instance) should NOT be developed but abandoned. This may be surprising as equanimity is often referred to as the “crown jewel” of Buddhist practice. The person who develops equanimity (as it is normally defined) is said to be in balance, not clinging to greed or aversion, and sees clearly. It is viewed as a necessary mental state for anyone who wishes to abandon suffering. A recent research paper by Bhikkhu Analayo suggests that equanimity is much more nuanced than most of us have realized. We will discuss the various modes of equanimity and how they relate to our practice in today’s world.

(Hybrid) Daylong Retreat - Rich Howard - The 3 Trainings
2021-10-30 09:00 - 16:30 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Retreat Theme –
The Three Trainings: A Question, a Dialogue, and a Choice
A Daylong Retreat with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard
About This Hybrid Retreat

Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or in-person at the Sacramento Dharma Center.
Pre-registration is required and we recommend you pay the registration fee in advance. This helps us determine how many people will attend and how many people the meditation room should accommodate.
To pay now, you’ll find at the bottom of this page registration ticket choices to attend via Zoom or attend onsite. If you attend onsite, you do have the option to pay the registration fee in-person on the day of the retreat or pay online after the retreat starts.
If you buy a ticket for onsite attendance you may still attend the retreat via Zoom.
The link to attend the retreat via Zoom appears in three places:

The Zoom link is at the bottom of this page – select the button “Join Retreat Online” to connect to the meeting.
The Zoom link is included in the automated email sent with your ticket purchase (email subject is “You have tickets!“).
The Zoom link is https://joinconferencing.zoom.us/join, with Meeting ID: 892 8253 1249 and Passcode: [REDACTED]

To give a donation after attending this retreat, click here.

Retreat Theme: The Three Trainings: A Question, a Dialogue, and a Choice

The three trainings of the eightfold path are the training in moral integrity (sila), the training in meditation (bhavana), and the training in wisdom (pañña). They are taught in many places in the Pali Canon, nowhere more powerfully than in the Samaññaphala Sutta (Digha Nikaya 2). This sutta, the story of an encounter between the historical Buddha and King Ajatasattu, contains a survey of the other philosophical traditions of the Buddha’s time, a summary of the essence of the Buddha’s teachings illustrated with beautiful similes, and (spoiler alert!) a sad refusal by the King to accept this teaching as the basis for transforming his life. Inspired by two chapters on this sutta (characterized as “almost a Greek tragedy”) in Krishnan Venkatesh’s book “Do You Know Who You Are?” and a book-length essay by Mu Soeng “The Question of King Ajatasattu” (“rightly called one of the most important texts in the Pali Canon”), we will explore in depth how we might answer the King’s question reframed for ourselves: what is the fruit of practice, and what are we willing to do to attain it? This day of practice and dialogue will help deepen our understanding and bring it into our practice and our lives. It will continue the teaching offered on October 14, although both events stand alone.
All are welcome.
RICH HOWARD has been an active practitioner and volunteer at SIM since 2004. His area of interest is bringing meditative awareness into everyday life. He participated in SIM’s 2007 India Pilgrimage and is a graduate of SIM’s second Practice Development and Leadership (PDL) program. He served on the Board from 2010 until 2015, the last two years as president. He was one of the SIM representatives to the Inter-Sangha Coordinating Committee, predecessor to the Sacramento Dharma Center Board, which now runs our shared space for Buddhist sanghas in Sacramento. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Africa in the 1970s and is fluent in Spanish. His teachers are Dennis Warren, Tony Bernhard, and Steve Armstrong. Rich completed online courses with Steve on the Abhidhamma (the Buddhist psychology) and the Manual of Insight. He took Gil Fronsdal’s online course on the Majjhima Nikaya (Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha). His interest in the environment led him to the One Small Planet training with Kerry Nelson and the Ecosattva training with One Earth Sangha. In 2018, he completed a 10-month Dhamma Awareness Training with Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters called Touching the Earth. In 2019, he completed Meg Gawler’s 8-month course Preparing the Ground for Samadhi.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Summary of Important Dates

09/13/2021 – Registration opens.
10/30/2021 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat.
11/01/2021 – Registration closes the Monday after the retreat at 11:00 am PDT.

Registration Ticket Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, use the “Tickets” section at the bottom of this page. Specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.

(Remote) Introduction to Meditation with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard
2021-10-28 18:00 - 19:00 | Remote Meeting Zoom
To participate, note the following:
Join Online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85170824677
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 851 7082 4677 )
For instructions on how to join the meeting, click here.
This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

RICH HOWARD has been an active practitioner and volunteer at SIM since 2004. His area of interest is bringing meditative awareness into everyday life. He participated in SIM’s 2007 India Pilgrimage and is a graduate of SIM’s second Practice Development and Leadership (PDL) program. He served on the Board from 2010 until 2015, the last two years as president. He was one of the SIM representatives to the Inter-Sangha Coordinating Committee, predecessor to the Sacramento Dharma Center Board, which now runs our shared space for Buddhist sanghas in Sacramento. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Africa in the 1970s and is fluent in Spanish. His teachers are Dennis Warren, Tony Bernhard, and Steve Armstrong. Rich completed online courses with Steve on the Abhidhamma (the Buddhist psychology) and the Manual of Insight. He took Gil Fronsdal’s online course on the Majjhima Nikaya (Middle-length Discourses of the Buddha). His interest in the environment led him to the One Small Planet training with Kerry Nelson and the Ecosattva training with One Earth Sangha. In 2018, he completed a 10-month Dhamma Awareness Training with Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters called Touching the Earth. In 2019, he completed Meg Gawler’s 8-month course Preparing the Ground for Samadhi.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you wish to make a donation, click here.
At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk - Seth Castleman - I WANT BURNING
2021-10-21 19:00 - 21:15 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
I WANT BURNING: Finding passion and meaning in life and dharma practice
Sit & Dharma Talk with Visiting Teacher Rabbi Seth Castleman
* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or onsite at the Sacramento Dharma Center. The teacher will attend the meeting in-person.
Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89712116819
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-9128 ( Meeting ID: 897 1211 6819 )
For tips and instructions on how to participate, check this news blog.
Thursday Night Talk Dana
“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
For remote meetings, please use the form above to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Seth Castleman.
RABBI SETH CASTLEMAN is a teacher, writer, and storyteller with over twenty years experience teaching mindfulness and spiritual practice. Castleman is trained in both the Jewish and Buddhist traditions. After 20 years of meditation practice and two years of silent retreat as a lay-person in the US, India, and Nepal and as a monk in Burma, Seth was trained as a teacher by Jack Kornfield at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA. He was authorized as a meditation/dharma teacher in 2008. Following eight years of rabbinical studies in the US and Israel/Palestine, Castleman was ordained in 2011 as a rabbi by one Orthodox, one Conservative, and one Reform rabbi. Castleman has published in two dozen newspapers, periodicals, and anthologies on the intersection of contemplative practice and social justice and the transformational power of brokenness. As a storyteller, Seth has performed in theaters, on radio and television, and at countless kitchen tables. Seth uses myth, storytelling, and humor as central tools in his teaching and counseling work. Seth Castleman is married to Reverend Elizabeth Griswold, making them, quite possibly, the only rabbi—Christian minister married couple in the US. Seth and Elizabeth live in Davis, CA with their three children.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk - Rich Howard - The 3 Trainings
2021-10-14 19:00 - 21:15 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
The Three Trainings: A Question, a Dialogue, and a Choice
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard
* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or in-person at the Sacramento Dharma Center
Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84726026792 Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 847 2602 6792 )
The three trainings of the eightfold path are the training in moral integrity (sila), the training in meditation (bhavana), and the training in wisdom (pañña). They are taught in many places in the Pali Canon, nowhere more powerfully than in the Samaññaphala Sutta (Digha Nikaya 2). This sutta, the story of an encounter between the historical Buddha and King Ajatasattu, contains a survey of the other philosophical traditions of the Buddha’s time, a summary of the essence of the Buddha’s teachings illustrated with beautiful similes, and (spoiler alert!) a sad refusal by the King to accept this teaching as the basis for transforming his life. Inspired by two chapters on this sutta (characterized as “almost a Greek tragedy”) in Krishnan Venkatesh’s book “Do You Know Who You Are?” and a book-length essay by Mu Soeng “The Question of King Ajatasattu” (“rightly called one of the most important texts in the Pali Canon”), we will explore in depth how we might answer the King’s question reframed for ourselves: what is the fruit of practice, and what are we willing to do to attain it? This evening’s introduction will help prepare for the SIM daylong on October 30, although both events will stand alone as opportunities to look at the teachings, our practice, and our lives.

(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk- Diane Wilde - Live and Die in the Anthropocene
2021-10-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Hybrid (in-person and online), 3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM), Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Learning to Live and Die in the Anthropocene
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Teacher Rev. Diane Wilde
* Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or in-person at the Sacramento Dharma Center
Join online meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83748969989
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 ( Meeting ID: 837 4896 9989 )
For tips and instructions to join the meeting, check this news blog.
Thursday Night Talk Dana

“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.” – The Historical Buddha
We recognize that donating by cash or check at the time you attend this event may not always be convenient for you. If that’s the case, please use the form below to donate by credit card or your PayPal account. Enter the amount you’d like to give and 75% of your donation will be shared with Rev. Diane Wilde.
Topic details:
The vast majority of us, if we are at all concerned about our planet, are suffering from “climate anxiety”, a new mental phenomena that is now recognized by psychotherapists. We have good reason for having anxiety, especially those of us living in California. Fires, drought and daily reminders of our tenuous environmental situation causes two different responses: to completely ignore the situation or succumb to nihilism. Neither of these responses is helpful for the earth or the individual. Our Buddhist practice sheds much needed light on how we move forward in these challenging times.

(CANCELED) Daylong Retreat - Dennis Warren
2021-09-25 | CA
* * * This retreat is canceled. * * *
One Day Retreat with SIM’s Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
Retreat theme: The Body in Question – An Investigation
The Body in Question – your body – will be the focus of this one-day retreat. The body at rest, in motion and in relationship to others and the events around it. Our time together will involve investigations and experiments in sitting meditation, common daily movements and active forms of movement – yoga, Qi Gong, golf, dance and may more – as meditation.
Our body, and how our body moves, form core elements of our identity, our skills and our relationships with other. Being more conscious and purposeful in understanding how to be in the body, stay in the body and fully experience the body is foundational to contemplative practice and to living fully.
A key question we’ll examine: How can we help our body and its movements become a more vivid and enriching parts of our contemplative practice and our life whatever its current condition and limitations?
It would be helpful to review Dennis’ talk on August 12th entitled “Is Movement Meditation?” (click here) as preparation for this one day.
The subject matter of this one day is appropriate for all stages of practice. The principles we’ll explore will be relevant and adaptable to the condition of your particular body and its limitations.
All are welcome. (Pre-registration is required.)
DENNIS WARREN is SIM’s Founding Teacher and has been teaching mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practices since 1998. He recently completed his 11th year as a Volunteer Clinical Professor in Mindfulness in the Division of Pain Medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. He is certified as a Mindfulness Teacher, Professional Level (CMT-P), by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. He is a graduate of the professional trainings in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. He also is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Medication Center’s Dharma leaders training program. You can learn more about Dennis’ background and activities at https://www.denniswarren.net/ .
Dennis has been participating in residential meditation retreats, and has maintained a daily meditation practice, in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition for over 30 years. 2018 was his 20th year of teaching Insight Meditation and mindfulness practices in residential, retreat, educational, medical, corporate and community settings. In 2007 and 2014, Dennis led month long pilgrimages and moving retreats in Thailand, India and Nepal. A third is being planned for late 2021.
Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha. If you prefer to make a donation for this event online using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.
Summary of Important Dates

09/03/2021 – Registration opens.
9/22/2021 – Sorry. This retreat is canceled.

Registration Details
Registration is $15.00 per person due before the start of the event. If you are able and interested in further supporting SIM financially, you have the option of a registration fee of either $25 or $35 dollars. To pay the registration fee online, specify if you plan to attend in-person or attend remotely via Zoom. In the “Tickets” section, specify the number of people you are registering to this retreat and click the button “Get Tickets”. You’ll be automatically directed to a secure web-page where your registration payment can be made by credit card as a guest (no PayPal account required) or payment can be made by PayPal after you sign-in to your PayPal account if you have one.
For the registration fee, we also accept personal checks. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information.
Before registering to this event, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.

How to attend this retreat
This retreat is canceled.
