November 12, 2023
@
8:00 am
–
November 19, 2023
@
11:00 am
PST
Insight Meditation Retreat with Greg Scharf
GREG SCHARF, an Insight Meditation Society guiding teacher, has practiced with Western and Asian teachers in the Theravada tradition since 1992. He has been teaching residential retreats since 2007, including the annual Three-Month Retreat at IMS. Greg’s love of nature and the outdoors deeply informs both his practice and teaching.
Retreat Theme: Finding a True Refuge
In a world of change and unpredictability, in times that often feel chaotic and confusing, where do we look for ease and security? Often, in our search for a dependable refuge, we mistakenly turn to that which is essentially unreliable and unable to provide the stability we seek.
Insight (or Vipassana) meditation is the simple, direct observation of the mind/body process with relaxed, open and careful attention. As we connect with our experience from a place of spacious stillness and steadiness, we learn to meet the changing conditions we encounter with greater ease and balance of mind. As our understanding deepens, equanimity in the face of change grows, and we discover a refuge that is to a great extent independent of life’s changing conditions.
This retreat is open to beginners and experienced practitioners alike and will include meditation instruction, Dharma talks, practice meetings with the teacher, and optional mindful movement. A Meditation retreat is a rare opportunity to take time away from our usual activities for the express purpose of turning inward in order to deepen our understanding of what it actually means to be human. Time on retreat connects us with what we truly value in life and gives us the time & space to deepen our understanding of who & what we really are.
Registration (Closed)
This retreat accommodates 27 registrants. Beginning Saturday, September 9, this webpage will accept online registration payments. Before making any payment, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
The registration fee will be $900 with an opportunity to later make a donation to support the retreat teachers. The registration fee covers the costs of accommodations, meals, and administration. We encourage you to pay the full registration fee if your finances allow you to do so. If needed, contact the retreat registrar with your request to pay a 50% deposit.
Audio Recordings
For a limited time, talks and meditations recorded during the retreat are available to everyone that attended. To access the audio files, click here.
Scholarships
We encourage you to pay the full registration fee if your finances allow you to do so; however, in recognition of potentially challenging times, partial scholarships might be available if needed. To request a partial scholarship, pay a $225 deposit fee after registration opens and before September 30th. Then watch for a follow-up email from the retreat registrar. SIM has a limited number of partial scholarships available based on need. If the $225 deposit payment is currently not possible, contact the retreat registrar to apply for a scholarship with other options.
Scholarship Donations
If you’d like to contribute into the scholarship fund to help someone else be able to afford this special dharma opportunity, enter the amount you’d like to donate in the DONATE NOW box. Donating into the fund won’t register you for the retreat.
Cancellations
- Through September 30th, full refund if requested by this date if someone on the waiting list takes the reservation.
- On or after October 15th, deposit will be retained by SIM. Balance may be refundable if the spot is filled by a wait-listed person. Otherwise, the balance will not be refunded. A waiver of this policy will be considered in limited circumstances based on a request demonstrating financial hardship.
Schedule – Summary of Dates
- September 9 – Registration opens; online payments accepted.
- September 30 – Last day to request full refund (see cancellation policy listed above).
- September 30 – Last day to request a scholarship (see scholarship details listed above).
- October 15 – Last day to request refund of balance paid (see cancellation policy listed above).
- October 15 – Registration payment in full due.
- TBD – Registration closes, date to be announced.
- November 12 – The retreat begins (check-in starts at 3:30 PM).
- November 19 – The retreat ends (check-out at 11:00 AM).
COVID-19 Protocols
Our priority is to protect the wellbeing of everyone who attends the SIM Annual Retreat. The SIM Board will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and required and recommended safety measures from federal, State and local health agencies, and the Mercy Center, with consideration of our Sangha demographics.
At a minimum, we will require proof of vaccinations and boosters (if eligible) for COVID-19 at least two weeks before the retreat, along with proof of COVID rapid testing within 24 hours prior to attending and a second rapid test two days into the retreat (SIM will provide tests if needed).
Additional protocols will very likely include masking when indoors with others, and social distancing as space allows.
SIM will update the protocols to reflect the situation in the summer.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
(Onsite) The Noble Eightfold Path (5 of 9)
July 16, 2023 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm PDT
This class is part of a nine-month course with teacher Diane Wilde. For course details, click here.
If you are a course participant and would like to make a donation, use the form below.
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States + Google Map 916-386-9844
View Venue Website
(Onsite) The Noble Eightfold Path (4 of 9)
June 25, 2023 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm PDT
This class is part of a nine-month course with teacher Diane Wilde. For course details, click here.
If you are a course participant and would like to make a donation, use the form below.
Sacramento Dharma Center Building
Sacramento, CA 95826 United States + Google Map 916-386-9844
View Venue Website
02/02/2023 “Would you recognize an enlightened person?” with Diane Wilde
Audio DharmaWould you recognize an enlightened person? This is a question that was asked frequently by people in the Buddha’s time as well as in today’s world. You might have been inspired by a teacher or a Dharma acquaintance, and wondered if that person might be “awake”. But how would you know? What are the criteria? Are the criteria the Buddha spoke about relevant today? What about those who claim to have transcendent knowledge?
Conversely, If we are not inspired by a particular Dharma acquaintance or a teacher, does that mean we ignore what they have to say because we don’t see them on the road to enlightenment?
In tonight’s talk we’ll investigate what the Buddha had to say regarding “encountering an awakened being”, beginning with a conversation he had with King Pasenadi. King Pasenadi was also puzzled on who was on the road to enlightenment and who wasn’t and how could he tell?
01/26/2023 “Cling to Nothing: The Aggregates and Other Forms of I, Me, and Mine” with Rich Howard
Audio DharmaSIM Community Teacher Rich Howard will offer two connected events at the end of January with the theme “Cling to Nothing.” The Thursday January 26 presentation, “Cling to Nothing: The Aggregates and Other Forms of I, Me, and Mine” will look at the various ways in which clinging happens and creates an unhealthy sense of self. We will discuss the forms of clinging recognized by the Buddha, and how they lead to dissatisfaction. The Saturday January 26 daylong will expand on these themes, but both events are standalone; you may attend one or both. The text inspiring this theme is “Untangling Self: A Buddhist Investigation of Who We Really Are” by Andrew Olendzki (Wisdom Publications, 2016).
01/19/2023 “Community, Spiritual Friendship & Service” with Dennis Warren
Audio DharmaPowerful cultural and technological forces are reshaping the landscape of American Buddhist practice: several years of COVID isolation; the ability to attend events by Zoom in the comfort of your own home; an explosion of on-line Buddhist practice opportunities; and a new generation of practitioners introduced to meditation thru on-line apps.
These forces present each of us individually, and Sacramento Insight Meditation, with far-reaching issues:
Are our traditional understandings of the 3 foundational elements of Community, Spiritual Friendship and Service still relevant?
Do these forces threaten the stability and future of SIM as both an organization and as a community?
Do we need to be flexible and creative in adapting and adjusting these 3 elements of practice to the rapidly changing landscape of Western Buddhist practice? If so, what would that look like.
Dennis will present an overview of issues which will be explored by Margaret Buss, SIM’s long-time coordinator of volunteer services, Karen Tercho, Board of Directors member, and community volunteer extraordinaire David Guerrieri.
7-Night Residential Retreat with Greg Scharf
RetreatNovember 12, 2023 @ 8:00 am – November 19, 2023 @ 11:00 am PST
Insight Meditation Retreat with Greg Scharf
GREG SCHARF, an Insight Meditation Society guiding teacher, has practiced with Western and Asian teachers in the Theravada tradition since 1992. He has been teaching residential retreats since 2007, including the annual Three-Month Retreat at IMS. Greg’s love of nature and the outdoors deeply informs both his practice and teaching.
Retreat Theme: Finding a True Refuge
In a world of change and unpredictability, in times that often feel chaotic and confusing, where do we look for ease and security? Often, in our search for a dependable refuge, we mistakenly turn to that which is essentially unreliable and unable to provide the stability we seek.
Insight (or Vipassana) meditation is the simple, direct observation of the mind/body process with relaxed, open and careful attention. As we connect with our experience from a place of spacious stillness and steadiness, we learn to meet the changing conditions we encounter with greater ease and balance of mind. As our understanding deepens, equanimity in the face of change grows, and we discover a refuge that is to a great extent independent of life’s changing conditions.
This retreat is open to beginners and experienced practitioners alike and will include meditation instruction, Dharma talks, practice meetings with the teacher, and optional mindful movement. A Meditation retreat is a rare opportunity to take time away from our usual activities for the express purpose of turning inward in order to deepen our understanding of what it actually means to be human. Time on retreat connects us with what we truly value in life and gives us the time & space to deepen our understanding of who & what we really are.
Registration (Closed)
This retreat accommodates 27 registrants. Beginning Saturday, September 9, this webpage will accept online registration payments. Before making any payment, click here to review the terms of use for this website.
The registration fee will be $900 with an opportunity to later make a donation to support the retreat teachers. The registration fee covers the costs of accommodations, meals, and administration. We encourage you to pay the full registration fee if your finances allow you to do so. If needed, contact the retreat registrar with your request to pay a 50% deposit.
Offer a Donation
Audio Recordings
For a limited time, talks and meditations recorded during the retreat are available to everyone that attended. To access the audio files, click here.
Scholarships
We encourage you to pay the full registration fee if your finances allow you to do so; however, in recognition of potentially challenging times, partial scholarships might be available if needed. To request a partial scholarship, pay a $225 deposit fee after registration opens and before September 30th. Then watch for a follow-up email from the retreat registrar. SIM has a limited number of partial scholarships available based on need. If the $225 deposit payment is currently not possible, contact the retreat registrar to apply for a scholarship with other options.
Scholarship Donations
If you’d like to contribute into the scholarship fund to help someone else be able to afford this special dharma opportunity, enter the amount you’d like to donate in the DONATE NOW box. Donating into the fund won’t register you for the retreat.
Cancellations
Schedule – Summary of Dates
COVID-19 Protocols
Our priority is to protect the wellbeing of everyone who attends the SIM Annual Retreat. The SIM Board will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and required and recommended safety measures from federal, State and local health agencies, and the Mercy Center, with consideration of our Sangha demographics.
At a minimum, we will require proof of vaccinations and boosters (if eligible) for COVID-19 at least two weeks before the retreat, along with proof of COVID rapid testing within 24 hours prior to attending and a second rapid test two days into the retreat (SIM will provide tests if needed).
Additional protocols will very likely include masking when indoors with others, and social distancing as space allows.
SIM will update the protocols to reflect the situation in the summer.
Questions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
Mercy Center Auburn
Auburn, CA 95603 United States + Google Map (530) 887-2019
View Venue Website
(Onsite) Daylong Retreat – Dennis Warren – Uncertainty, Confusion, Disappointment, Doubt
Online Remote, RetreatDecember 30, 2023 @ 8:30 am – 4:00 pm PST
Uncertainty, Confusion, Disappointment, Doubt
Daylong Retreat with SIM Founding Teacher Dennis Warren
For biographical details of the teacher Dennis Warren, click here.
About This Onsite Retreat
Retreat Theme: Uncertainty, Confusion, Disappointment, Doubt
Why does our progress in practice, and the use of practice in everyday life, seem to stall and lose its value or power?
Why do we seem to have significant practice Insights and break throughs, large and small, but are unable to integrate them into the way we living?
Why can some teachings or practice methods seem so clear and meaningful, but seem to prove ineffective in our regular practice and life?
These common experiences frequently result in uncertainty, confusion, disappointment, and doubt. They can easily turn into obstacles to practice if not worked with skillfully.
This one-day retreat will involve a relaxed exploration of these important questions and potentially troubling states of mind. Participants will explore a number of recommendations for working more skillfully with them.
The day will be appropriate for all levels of experience. Please bring a pen/pencil and paper and your own lunch. Plan on staying on-site at the Sacramento Dharma Center all fay during the retreat.
Summary of Important Dates
Registration Options
Select the “ATTEND” button to indicate you’ll be attending the retreat in-person. The fee 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. Note that fee amounts above the regular rate support Sacramento Insight Meditation and is distinct from teacher dana. 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.
December Daylong registration – Onsite at SDC
$15.00 – $35.00
Attend In-PersonQuestions 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.
Mercy Center Auburn
Auburn, CA 95603 United States + Google Map (530) 887-2019
View Venue Website
Daylong Retreat (see December)
RetreatNovember 25, 2023 All day
(Hybrid) Daylong Retreat – Diane Wilde – What is Samma Samadhi/Skillful Concentration?
RetreatOctober 28, 2023 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm PDT
What is Samma Samadhi/Skillful Concentration?
Daylong Retreat facilitated by Rev. Diane Wilde, SIM Community Teacher
For biographical details of the teacher Diane Wilde, click here.
About This Hybrid Retreat
Retreat Theme: What is Samma Samadhi/Skillful Concentration?
Right or Skillful Concentration (samma samadhi) is the last of the Noble Eightfold Path. It can be a very confusing topic. Samadhi is often defined as attaining a state of mind called jhana which means “absorption.” This definition of jhana refers to a mind completely absorbed in concentration. Other interpretations of samadhi ignore jhana completely, and focus on “insight” or vipassana as all that is needed to “wake up.” Others counter that the development of jhana is crucial for the development of insight. Who is correct?
In this daylong, we’ll discuss the range of teachings in the Pali tradition on the relationship between samadhi, jhana and insight. We’ll look at controversies that have developed about the interpretations of samadhi and how ultimately, these various definitions can actually be quite useful as we individually learn what practice works for each of us.
The day will be in silence. Please bring a lunch.
Summary of Important Dates
Registration Options
Select one of the following registration “ATTEND” buttons to indicate if you’ll be attending via Zoom or in-person. The fee 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. Note that fee amounts above the regular rate support Sacramento Insight Meditation and is distinct from teacher dana. 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.
Oct Daylong registration – Onsite at SDC
$15.00 – $35.00
Attend In-PersonOct Daylong registration – Zoom
$15.00 – $35.00
Attend on ZoomQuestions 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
Mercy Center Auburn
Auburn, CA 95603 United States + Google Map (530) 887-2019
View Venue Website
(Onsite) Daylong Retreat – Vance Pryor – A Day of Continuous Awareness Practice
RetreatSeptember 30, 2023 @ 9:30 am – 4:30 pm PDT
A Day of Continuous Awareness Practice
Daylong Retreat with SIM Legacy Project Teacher Vance Pryor
About This Onsite Retreat
Retreat Theme: A Day of Continuous Awareness Practice
Spend a day in community returning to this foundational aspect of practice; cultivating a gentle and continuous awareness throughout all postures and activities. This simple practice is the basis for wholesome qualities of mind to emerge over time. This daylong will emphasize finding a balanced effort throughout the day that feels sustainable and supportive. The daylong will consist of guided meditations, question and response periods, and reflections offered by the teacher.
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.
Summary of Important Dates
Registration Options
Select the “ATTEND” button to indicate you’ll be attending the retreat in-person. The fee 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. Note that fee amounts above the regular rate support Sacramento Insight Meditation and is distinct from teacher dana. 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.
September Daylong – Onsite at SDC
$15.00 – $35.00
Attend In-PersonQuestions for the Registrar?
If you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions, click here.
Mercy Center Auburn
Auburn, CA 95603 United States + Google Map (530) 887-2019
View Venue Website