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.
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 andselect the “Offline Donation” option.
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Celebrating the end of the Residential Retreat 2022
The Sacramento Dharma Center’s Family Sangha seeks folks in the mahasangha who would like to help them by volunteering, or by referring good people who might consider a childcare or dharma facilitator role for a stipend. Helpers could be a simpatico college student- someone from a young adult sangha- or maybe an elder who loves kids and the practice. Family Sangha meets monthly on the last Sundays from 10 am to noon. Upcoming meetings are Nov 27, Dec is canceled, and then Jan 29. For details, contact Helen Hobart or email familydharma@sbmg.org.
To download this talk, right-click and select ‘save audio as’ or select the 3-dot menu to the right of the speaker icon.
Based on a wonderful teaching from long-term Buddhist teacher and activist Joanna Macy, the Talk explores the 4 Qualities which are Gratitude, Compassion, Wisdom Lenses, and Intentions for Service, and will include a short guided meditation to explore the qualities directly.
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.png00Sabitrehttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngSabitre2022-11-17 22:00:002022-11-17 22:00:0011/17/2022 “4 Qualities which Support Inner Transformation and Service in the World” with Heather Sundberg
Sacramento Insight Meditation is celebrating 20 years as a sangha! We have come a long way since the start in 2002 and will be commemorating the anniversary at a special event on Thursday, December 1st (7:00-9:15 pm).
The meditation portion of the evening will be shortened a bit to have time for cake and tea afterwards. This will also be an opportunity to socialize with one another. We should still be able to end about the same time as usual at 9:15 pm.
We hope that you can join us in person or via Zoom to celebrate this special event.
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.png00Sabitrehttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngSabitre2022-11-10 22:00:002022-11-10 22:00:0011/10/2022 “An Introduction to the Abhidhamma” with Tony Bernhard
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 Buddha described the path of awakening as the “Middle Way.” This Middle Way is key to the most basic and important teachings of the Buddha – the Noble Eightfold Path, Dependent Origination, and the practice of meditation. On this evening, we will explore how understanding the Middle Way informs our practice all along the path.
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.png00Sabitrehttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngSabitre2022-11-03 22:00:002022-11-03 22:00:0011/03/2022 “Finding the Middle Way in Practice” 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.
Buddhist practice is based on the idea of “directly” exploring experiences and events that come into our awareness. What does “directly” experiencing or “direct experience” really mean? How does it relate to thinking and conceptualizing? Is it different, and in what way, from the experience of ideas? The answers to these questions influence and shape our understanding of, and our ability to work with, all of the teachings and methods in practice. This will be the focus of our discussion this evening. This subject is appropriate for all stages of practice. You can attend in person or by ZOOM. Dennis will be presenting in person and encourages you to be there in person as well.
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.png00Sabitrehttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngSabitre2022-10-27 22:00:002022-10-27 22:00:0010/27/2022 “Revisiting Fundamentals: Mindfulness of Direct Experience v Ideas” with Dennis Warren
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.png00Sabitrehttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngSabitre2022-10-27 21:10:322023-11-03 12:33:56Holiday Fundraiser – Adopt a Family
https://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.png00Sabitrehttps://sactoinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIM-logo-trans.pngSabitre2022-10-20 22:00:002022-10-20 22:00:0010/20/2022 “Reflections on Letting Go” with Gullu Singh
A message from the Sacramento Insight Meditation Board of Directors
The SIM Board is continuing to monitor developments regarding the Delta AND the Omicron variants of Covid19. After careful review of the latest available evidence, we have decided that it continues to be safe to maintain a hybrid program of in-person and Zoom attendance for now. We want to share with you not only our decision, but also the thinking behind it.
VACCINATION PROVIDES OUR GREATEST PROTECTION – Vaccination continues to provide good protection from infection and serious illness due to both Delta and Omicron, and we strongly urge all members of our community to be vaccinated. We also recommend you receive a booster vaccination, according to the CDC guidelines, no later than seven days before attending events in person. Booster vaccines are recommended after 2 months for everyone vaccinated with the J&J vaccine and 6 months after either their second Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. If anyone would like to be vaccinated but hasn’t been able to do so, we would be glad to help. We want to send a clear message that anyone who is not fully vaccinated should NOT attend SIM events in person for their own safety and the safety of others. Those who choose to remain unvaccinated are welcome to participate remotely on Zoom and not attend in person.
MASKING, DISTANCING AND AIR FILTRATION PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION – To maximize safety, we will continue to require indoor masking, and high quality KN95 masks will be available at the door to anyone who would like one. We will continue to arrange socially distanced seating, and for lunch time and break periods to make maximal use of our two high-quality HEPA air filters. All of this creates a low-risk environment in which we feel that we can safely practice together.
PRACTICING TOGETHER PROVIDES IMPORTANT SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY – We do not want the focus on minimizing risk to overshadow the benefits that we are striving to provide to our community, namely the opportunity for us to practice together. After this long period of isolation and loneliness, coming together to practice as a sangha is an opportunity that we truly value.
We understand that each of us, including our teachers, will need to evaluate the personal risks and benefits of in-person attendance and make individual decisions about how to attend SIM. All of us on the Board want to support you in whatever you choose to do. We extend sincere thanks to the members of our audiovisual and set-up teams who have agreed to participate in making in-person attendance possible.
With deep gratitude to all of you who have remained faithful supporters of our sangha,
Your generosity helps SIM thrive!
NewsDear 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:
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
The shortcode is missing a valid Donation Form ID attribute.
Family Sangha Volunteers Needed
News, VolunteerThe Sacramento Dharma Center’s Family Sangha seeks folks in the mahasangha who would like to help them by volunteering, or by referring good people who might consider a childcare or dharma facilitator role for a stipend. Helpers could be a simpatico college student- someone from a young adult sangha- or maybe an elder who loves kids and the practice.
Family Sangha meets monthly on the last Sundays from 10 am to noon. Upcoming meetings are Nov 27, Dec is canceled, and then Jan 29. For details, contact Helen Hobart or email familydharma@sbmg.org.
11/17/2022 “4 Qualities which Support Inner Transformation and Service in the World” with Heather Sundberg
Audio DharmaBased on a wonderful teaching from long-term Buddhist teacher and activist Joanna Macy, the Talk explores the 4 Qualities which are Gratitude, Compassion, Wisdom Lenses, and Intentions for Service, and will include a short guided meditation to explore the qualities directly.
Our 20th Anniversary Celebration
NewsSacramento Insight Meditation is celebrating 20 years as a sangha! We have come a long way since the start in 2002 and will be commemorating the anniversary at a special event on Thursday, December 1st (7:00-9:15 pm).
Our esteemed teachers, Dennis Warren, Diane Wilde, Rich Howard, and special guest, John Travis, will be there in person to share memories of their involvement in SIM. Kamala Masters and Steve Armstrong will also be joining us via Zoom.
The meditation portion of the evening will be shortened a bit to have time for cake and tea afterwards. This will also be an opportunity to socialize with one another. We should still be able to end about the same time as usual at 9:15 pm.
We hope that you can join us in person or via Zoom to celebrate this special event.
With Metta,
SIM Board of Directors
Event details are posted on our calendar or click here to access the Zoom link.
11/10/2022 “An Introduction to the Abhidhamma” with Tony Bernhard
Audio Dharma11/03/2022 “Finding the Middle Way in Practice” with Rich Howard
Audio DharmaThe Buddha described the path of awakening as the “Middle Way.” This Middle Way is key to the most basic and important teachings of the Buddha – the Noble Eightfold Path, Dependent Origination, and the practice of meditation. On this evening, we will explore how understanding the Middle Way informs our practice all along the path.
10/27/2022 “Revisiting Fundamentals: Mindfulness of Direct Experience v Ideas” with Dennis Warren
Audio DharmaBuddhist practice is based on the idea of “directly” exploring experiences and events that come into our awareness. What does “directly” experiencing or “direct experience” really mean? How does it relate to thinking and conceptualizing? Is it different, and in what way, from the experience of ideas? The answers to these questions influence and shape our understanding of, and our ability to work with, all of the teachings and methods in practice. This will be the focus of our discussion this evening.
This subject is appropriate for all stages of practice. You can attend in person or by ZOOM. Dennis will be presenting in person and encourages you to be there in person as well.
Holiday Fundraiser – Adopt a Family
NewsShown below is a post from Vicki about the gifts shopped for and delivered:
10/20/2022 “Reflections on Letting Go” with Gullu Singh
Audio DharmaEvent Attendance Policy Update
COVID-19, NewsA message from the Sacramento Insight Meditation Board of Directors
The SIM Board is continuing to monitor developments regarding the Delta AND the Omicron variants of Covid19. After careful review of the latest available evidence, we have decided that it continues to be safe to maintain a hybrid program of in-person and Zoom attendance for now. We want to share with you not only our decision, but also the thinking behind it.
We understand that each of us, including our teachers, will need to evaluate the personal risks and benefits of in-person attendance and make individual decisions about how to attend SIM. All of us on the Board want to support you in whatever you choose to do. We extend sincere thanks to the members of our audiovisual and set-up teams who have agreed to participate in making in-person attendance possible.
With deep gratitude to all of you who have remained faithful supporters of our sangha,
Jon Siiteri, for the SIM Board of Directors, December 7, 2021 (republished on 10/17/22)
(For other related resources posted by SIM, visit https://sactoinsight.org/pandemic-news/)