Meditation Teacher
Dharma Leader
Spiritual Director Diagnostic Teacher
Services/Innovations Mindfulness and Insight
MBSR
Creating
Attention Training
Personal/Professional
Personal Assessment
Leadership Programs Mentoring
Applications
Spiritual Direction
Birkman Assessment
Private Meditation Course
Private Creating Course
Event Request
About Mary Rees
Dharma/Dhamma Courses and SittingsCommunity Sittings and Deepening Courses Beginning Courses and Sitting Groups Individual Work About Insight Meditation Community Sittings and Deepening CoursesBeginning May 5, 2008 our Community Sitting and Dharma talk will be held every Monday evening instead of once a month. It is open to both new and experienced people. You are welcome to come one night or every night. An introduction to the meditation practice is available on Monday evenings by pre-arrangement. (There are several other options for beginning instruction listed below.) In this community sitting we work primarily with direct attention to experience, but also with wisdom teachings and heart practices, especially loving kindness, equanimity, interpersonal practice, work with the Satipatthana Sutta and Stages of the Path. Our sittings include formal individual practice, various group practices with special focus on interpersonal practices and integration of practices in daily life. There is also a time for movement practice (yoga, tai chi, or walking meditation). First and third Mondays content focus is on information about insight and mindfulness, including some exploration of source texts in Theravada Buddhism. Second and Fourth Monday's focus on methods of practice - concentration, wisdom, and ethics. For those who want to study some of what we have already been doing, some previous group courses will soon be available in ecourse format. Talk to Mary about these courses as well as recommended first readings when you join the group. This sitting is offered on a dana basis. The suggested Dana is $10-20 per session. For those who want to study some of what we have already been doing, some previous group courses will soon be available in ecourse format. Talk to Mary about these courses as well as recommended first readings when you join the group. Recommended reading Deeper Training for Transformation A further training is available for those who have started attending retreats. In these courses we explore source texts in our tradition. Apply for this deeper training at Integrated Study and Practice Beginning Courses and Sitting GroupsIntroduction and Overview Mary offers one session introductions to the scope of our offerings every four to eight weeks. These one session courses include focus on one general theme. See the registration form for more information about upcoming sessions. One Session Course Weekend Courses For a complete beginning course and a retreat experience with experienced students we offer weekend retreats. Our next is January 25-26, 2008. These weekend courses are offered every three or four months. Four to Six Week Course We also offer periodic four to six weeks courses on weekday mornings and evenings. See our community website, Insight Meditation Community Houston, for current offerings. Eight Week Courses Mary also offers an eight week course every year, but it is not a dana course. Fees are charged for the teaching rather than for donations. There are ways you can get started before scheduled courses are available. These also provide means of prepartion for getting extra benefit from the course. Computer-based Meditation Course Gain skills by working with the computer based meditation course on CD, Going Beyond-First Steps, available at citta101.org/nutshell/goingbeyondcd.html. Using the CD course provides an option for interaction with a teacher (listed on CD) by telephone or email. Online Courses Currently not enabled - moving to new webpage One Session Introduction Those new to practice may also contact us to arrange an introduction to practice before or after a sitting by completing the form on our sangha site - Insight Meditation Community Houston. We will get back to you about availability of a short introductory session. Community Mailing List Join Citta 101 Deepening mailing list (Yahoo listserve) to stay appraised of all events as they are announced. Community Sitting Groups Information on beginning courses and sitting groups is available on our sangha website, Insight Meditation Community Houston at meditationhouston.org or see Houston groups on this site. Individual WorkWork with Mary through the mentoring program or arrange for individual practice sessions. See Mentoring, Leadership, and Deepening for more information about advanced work. It is also possible to work in a private session, one-on-one, without participation in the community. There is a fee for these private sessions. See individual work. About Insight MeditationInsight Meditation Tradition Teachers Affiliation Our Intention Practice/Methods Terminology Insight Meditation Tradition Vipassana, Insight, Mindfulness or "clear seeing" is a simple, direct and powerful practice that can be used to help us open to clear consciousness and to develop calm, focused, and balanced awareness. As we learn to make direct contact with our experience, we open the door to self-knowledge and create the possibilities for conscious choice, for change, for freedom and for deep understanding. 2500-year-old meditation teachings rooted in Theravada Buddhism. These teachings are a component of all Buddhist traditions and compatible with any spiritual practice, whatever the tradition. (Back to About Insight Meditation) Teachers Insight Meditation teachers act as spiritual friends, guiding the student through obstacles of the path. Exposure to multiple recognized teachers is encouraged. Students are continually asked to rely on their own hearts for inner guidance, to become aware of and trust their own process and experience. They are also asked to be open and willing to learn, to come to appreciate that much suffering is the result of conditioning and lack of understanding. (Back to About Insight Meditation) Affiliation The major retreat centers of the Insight Meditation network include the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, Gaia House in Devon, England, and Spirit Rock in California. Insight Meditation or Vipassana teachings have revolutioned countless lives of those fortunate enough to discover them. A publication containing excellent articles about our tradition and maintaining current information about Insight Meditation connections is Inquiring Mind. You can now find them on line at www.inquiringmind.com . (Back to About Insight Meditation) Our intention is to open to innate compassion and wisdom, to come to self-knowledge through exploration and direct contact with experience, to bring arising wisdom into all life experience. Most events are offered for expenses only, with free will donations requested for the teaching, making these practices accessible to anyone drawn to them. (Back to About Insight Meditation) Basic Meditation Practices: Metta - opening to innate capacities including loving-kindness, compassion, equanimity and empathetic joy Vipassana - insight, wisdom, or clear seeing through training in concentration, awareness and mindfulness,
Releasing agendas and unskillful activity of mind Resting in stillness and fullness that contains and permeates all Manifesting skillful behaviors Being open to truth of experience, of qualities of mind, whatever they are Accepting experience rather than denying Being interested in experience, investigating when appropriate Releasing views, remembering nothing is substantial as it seems Watering the seeds of wholesome qualities of mind (Back to About Insight Meditation) Terminology: Citta (a Pali word for mind,"c" pronounced [ch]; sanskrit "chitta"), used here because of limitations in the English word mind. Citta suggests a much more inclusive and basic understanding of mind. It may include mind, heart and consciousness. Dana or generosity: |
PO Box 20161
Houston, Texas 77025
713-662-2743
mary@citta101.org© 1998 - 2006 Mary Rees