Thursday Night Talks Zoom Link (Apr-May-Jun)

Join Meeting Now

If you want to attend any of our Thursday night talks remotely via Zoom (April 2 through June 25), use this button at the time of the meeting to join in.

Optionally, you may download and import this iCalendar (.ics) file (click here) to your calendar system.

If you don’t have a computer/smartphone/internet access, you can still join a meeting by regular phone. If you’re in California, dial 1-669-900-6833. To find a local number in a different state or country, visit (https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kgzz84Yos).
After you dial the Join-Zoom number, enter the Meeting ID: 894 1555 3957  &  Passcode: 538462.

Note: When Zoom is an option for any event at SIM, you can always locate the Join Meeting link by checking our calendar (click here) for the specific day and time of the event of interest. If a meeting link ever fails, try this alternate link https://www.zoom.us/join and manually enter the posted meeting ID and passcode.

Starting July 2, 2026, the Join Meeting on Zoom details will change to use Meeting ID: 870 6359 1101 and Passcode: 679854.

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Your generosity helps SIM thrive!

“Generosity is the virtue that leads to peace.”

the historical Buddha

Dear SIM Friends,

On December 1, 2022 we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of SIM’s supporting those practicing in the Insight (Vipassana) Meditation tradition. This could not have happened without the dedication of the Sangha, our volunteers, and financial supporters. We are deeply grateful to you.

In addition to our longtime faculty of Dennis Warren, Rich Howard, and Diane Wilde, visiting teachers rounded out a rich year of teaching at SIM.  

Because of your dana in 2022 we were able to:

  • continue to offer hybrid events and classes at the Sacramento Dharma Center, allowing us to meet again in person in the meditation hall, as well as on Zoom. Meeting together strengthens our community. 
  • hold our annual week-long residential retreat at Mercy Center Auburn under the leadership of Senior Teacher Greg Scharf. Our thanks to the volunteer Retreat Committee, Greg, the caring staff at the Mercy Center, and the generous dana of attendees.
  • create the Legacy Project, a plan to carry SIM into the future by nurturing and supporting new teachers in the Vipassana tradition. Details of the Legacy Project will be presented at the December 1 anniversary celebration.

Our fund-raising goals for 2022 include the continued expression of gratitude to our faculty through a year-end dana contribution as well as ongoing support for SIM’s Teaching and Development Initiative, including the new Legacy Project.

As you plan your year-end giving, we sincerely hope that you will continue to support SIM. You can do so through a one-time, year-end contribution and/or signing up for a monthly, automatic on-line contribution to SIM. Monthly contributions are key to our long-term financial health; all donations are received with deep gratitude.

To donate today, use the form shown below or visit https://sactoinsight.org/what-is-dana/.

Sara E. Denzler
Treasurer, SIM Board of Directors

Use the DONATE button below to make a year-end or monthly donation to Sacramento Insight Meditation. To donate online without a PayPal account, enter a donation amount and select “PayPal” along with the button “Donate Now”. Then select “Donate with a Debit or Credit Card“. To donate by personal check, enter a donation amount and select the “Offline Donation” option.

Celebrating the end of the Residential Retreat 2022
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6/25/2026 “Right” Effort in Meditation, Practice and Life” with Dennis Warren

To download this talk, right-click and select ‘save audio as’ or select the 3-dot menu to the right of the speaker icon.

The importance of focusing our attention and investigation on Effort in meditation, practice and life is frequently overlooked or minimized. “Right Effort,” or “Right Energy,” is foundational to our understanding and development of all the core elements of Buddhist practice. It is essential to integrating practice into daily life and relationships. And the way we use Effort is a significant factor in whether the way we conduct our practice and lives is practical and pragmatic, or informed as “spiritual” or “dharmic” in nature. Join us this evening to explore these questions:


What is Right Effort? What makes it “Right?”
Is Right Effort different from Right “Energy?”
Why is Right Effort considered foundational?
What are specific, practical, useable examples of how to work with Right Effort in meditation?
Other aspects of practice? Daily life? Relationships?
What makes Right Effort a significant factor in informing practice and life as spiritual or dharmic?


Whether you’re just beginning your practice, or have been on the path for years, you’ll find something helpful in this evening investigation. We welcome you to join us either in person or via ZOOM. Dennis will be presenting in person. He encourages you to be there in person to meet with old as well as new friends, and enjoy an evening of community and exploring the Buddha’s teachings.

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6/18/2026 “Nibbāna: The Highest Happiness” with Grace Lee

To download this talk, right-click and select ‘save audio as’ or select the 3-dot menu to the right of the speaker icon.

What is Nibbāna? What does it look like when someone is fully enlightened? What might it look and feel like when you are fully enlightened, and how might you practice for this highest of all happiness?

GRACE TALICE LEE is a queer, nonbinary, autistic, direct descendant of immigrants and refugees. Grace has loved the Dhamma for several lifetimes, but in this current birth they began meditation training in 2016, started teaching in 2025, and co-led their first residential retreat in 2026. She offers several books about Dhamma practice, including a travelogue about a 2-week pilgrimage to the Thai Forest Masters which is freely available for download at www.karunabv.org/books.

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6/11/2026 “The Long and Winding Path to Freedom” with Rich Howard

To download this talk, right-click and select ‘save audio as’ or select the 3-dot menu to the right of the speaker icon.

A long hike requires many resources: a healthy body, food and water, the right clothing and gear, not to mention motivation and a sense of direction. The practice of mindfulness, meditation, and ethical living has been described as a noble path, and it may not be a straight line! For many of us, it is a long and winding path that requires physical, emotional, and spiritual supports. Let’s take this evening to discuss and share some of the supports we have found for our practice.

After a dharmette by SIM Community Teacher Rich Howard, we will break into small groups in person and online to consider a series of questions to explore where we are on the path, where we are headed, and what resources might support us on the way.

Question 1:
What benefits have you noticed from your practice? Name one former unwholesome habit or mind state that has weakened or disappeared. Or one relationship that has healed (including with yourself!) If you are new to the practice, what conditions in your life brought you here?

Question 2:
How do you integrate the dharma into your daily life? What aspirations do you have for your practice?

Question 3:
What resources support your practice most right now? What is the balance of practice, study, and community in your life?

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(Hybrid) Daylong Retreat with Diana Clark

,
Hybrid Event

September 26 @ 8:30 am – 4:30 pm PDT

Daylong Retreat with SIM Teacher Diana Clark

For biographical details of the teacher Diana Clark, click here.

Note – The retreat schedule of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm is currently tentative.

About This Hybrid Retreat
  • The teacher will present in-person at the Dharma Center. Participants may attend this Hybrid event via Zoom or in-person at the SDC.
  • Pre-registration is required and we recommend you pay the registration fee in advance using the registration button shown below. Since your registration choice indicates if you’ll be attending via Zoom or in-person, registering early helps us determine how many people the meditation room should accommodate.
  • After you’ve registered you may later offer a donation in gratitude of the teacher. To offer teacher dana, visit https://sactoinsight.org/retreat-dana-online/.
Summary of Important Dates
  • mm/dd/2026 – Registration opens approximately six weeks prior to the start of the daylong.
  • 09/26/2026 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat.
  • 09/26/2026 – For registration after the retreat, send a message to the registrar to arrange payment.
Registration
$25 – $50 Registration fee

After registration opens, select one of the following registration “ATTEND” buttons to indicate if you’ll be attending via Zoom or in-person. The fee is $25.00 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 $35 or $50 dollars. 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 for this event, please click here to review SIM’s Registration Refund Policy.

After we receive your registration payment, SIM will confirm your registration within 48 hours. Thanks for your patience.

Questions for the Registrar?

If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.

Teacher Dana

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. To make a donation for this event using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.

How to Attend Remotely via Zoom
  • The link to attend the retreat via Zoom appears in three places: The Zoom link is on 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 “Attend on Zoom” registration.
  • The Zoom link is https://joinconferencing.zoom.us/join, with Meeting ID: to be announced and Passcode: to be announced

Hybrid (in-person and online)

3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM)
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States

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(Hybrid) Daylong Retreat with Rich Howard

,
Hybrid Event

August 29 @ 8:30 am – 4:30 pm PDT

Daylong Retreat with SIM Teacher Rich Howard

For biographical details of the teacher Rich Howard, click here.

Note – The retreat schedule of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm is currently tentative.

About This Hybrid Retreat
  • The teacher will present in-person at the Dharma Center. Participants may attend this Hybrid event via Zoom or in-person at the SDC.
  • Pre-registration is required and we recommend you pay the registration fee in advance using the registration button shown below. Since your registration choice indicates if you’ll be attending via Zoom or in-person, registering early helps us determine how many people the meditation room should accommodate.
  • After you’ve registered you may later offer a donation in gratitude of the teacher. To offer teacher dana, visit https://sactoinsight.org/retreat-dana-online/.
Summary of Important Dates
  • mm/dd/2026 – Registration opens approximately six weeks prior to the start of the daylong.
  • 08/29/2026 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat.
  • 08/29/2026 – For registration after the retreat, send a message to the registrar to arrange payment.
Registration
$25 – $50 Registration fee

After registration opens, select one of the following registration “ATTEND” buttons to indicate if you’ll be attending via Zoom or in-person. The fee is $25.00 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 $35 or $50 dollars. 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 for this event, please click here to review SIM’s Registration Refund Policy.

After we receive your registration payment, SIM will confirm your registration within 48 hours. Thanks for your patience.

Questions for the Registrar?

If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.

Teacher Dana

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. To make a donation for this event using a credit card or PayPal account, click here to DONATE ONLINE.

How to Attend Remotely via Zoom
  • The link to attend the retreat via Zoom appears in three places: The Zoom link is on 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 “Attend on Zoom” registration.
  • The Zoom link is https://joinconferencing.zoom.us/join, with Meeting ID: to be announced and Passcode: to be announced

Hybrid (in-person and online)

3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM)
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States

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(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk with Seth Castleman

,
Hybrid Event

October 1 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm PDT

Insight Meditation and Dharma Talk with Visiting Teacher Seth Castleman

For biographical details of the teacher Seth Castleman, click here.

* The teacher will present in-person at the Dharma Center.
Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or onsite at the Sacramento Dharma Center.

Offer a Teacher Donation

Seth Castleman will receive at least 75% of your donation.

Use the following donate button and select Thu Oct 1 – Seth from the dropdown list.

DONATE – Thu Talk
How to Attend Remotely

Join online meeting: https://zoom.us/join or join by phone at 1-669-900-6833
( Meeting ID: to be announced and Passcode: to be announced)
For tips and instructions to join the meeting, click here to check this news blog.

Hybrid (in-person and online)

3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM)
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States
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(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk with Diana Clark

,
Hybrid Event

September 24 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm PDT

Insight Meditation and Dharma Talk with SIM Teacher Diana Clark

For biographical details of the teacher Diana Clark, click here.

* The teacher will present in-person at the Dharma Center.
Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or onsite at the Sacramento Dharma Center.

Offer a Teacher Donation

Diana Clark will receive at least 75% of your donation.

Use the following donate button and select Thu Sep 24 – Diana from the dropdown list.

DONATE – Thu Talk
How to Attend Remotely
Join Zoom Meeting

Join online meeting: https://zoom.us/join or join by phone at 1-669-900-6833
( Meeting ID: 895 2162 7007 and Passcode: 933142)
For tips and instructions to join the meeting, click here to check this news blog.

Hybrid (in-person and online)

3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM)
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States
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(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk with Diane Wilde

,
Hybrid Event

September 17 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm PDT

Insight Meditation and Dharma Talk with SIM Teacher Diane Wilde

For biographical details of the teacher Diane Wilde, click here.

* The teacher will present in-person at the Dharma Center.
Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or onsite at the Sacramento Dharma Center.

Offer a Teacher Donation

Diane Wilde will receive at least 75% of your donation.

Use the following donate button and select Thu Sep 17 – Diane from the dropdown list.

DONATE – Thu Talk
How to Attend Remotely
Join Zoom Meeting

Join online meeting: https://zoom.us/join or join by phone at 1-669-900-6833
( Meeting ID: 895 2162 7007 and Passcode: 933142)
For tips and instructions to join the meeting, click here to check this news blog.

Hybrid (in-person and online)

3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM)
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States
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(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk with JD Doyle

,
Hybrid Event

September 10 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm PDT

Insight Meditation and Dharma Talk with Visiting Teacher JD Doyle

For biographical details of the teacher JD Doyle, click here.

* The teacher will present.
Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or onsite at the Sacramento Dharma Center.

Offer a Teacher Donation

JD Doyle will receive at least 75% of your donation.

Use the following donate button and select Thu Sep 10 – JD from the dropdown list.

DONATE – Thu Talk
How to Attend Remotely
Join Zoom Meeting

Join online meeting: https://zoom.us/join or join by phone at 1-669-900-6833
( Meeting ID: 895 2162 7007 and Passcode: 933142)
For tips and instructions to join the meeting, click here to check this news blog.

Hybrid (in-person and online)

3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM)
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States
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(Hybrid) Sit & Dharma Talk with Walt Opie

,
Hybrid Event

September 3 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm PDT

Insight Meditation and Dharma Talk with SIM Teacher Walt Opie

For biographical details of the teacher Walt Opie, click here.

* The teacher will present in-person at the Dharma Center.
Hybrid events can be attended via Zoom or onsite at the Sacramento Dharma Center.

Offer a Teacher Donation

Walt Opie will receive at least 75% of your donation.

Use the following donate button and select Thu Sep 3 – Walt from the dropdown list.

DONATE – Thu Talk
How to Attend Remotely
Join Zoom Meeting

Join online meeting: https://zoom.us/join or join by phone at 1-669-900-6833
( Meeting ID: 895 2162 7007 and Passcode: 933142)
For tips and instructions to join the meeting, click here to check this news blog.

Hybrid (in-person and online)

3111 Wissemann Drive (or *ZOOM)
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States
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